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My Favourite Blog Post For Each Year

By Life, Nature, ThinkingNo Comments

While we are self-isolating and only allowed to make essential journeys, I decided to share my favourite blog post for each year that the blog has been online.

2019 – The Bank Holiday Weekend: 4 Lovely Days
I chose this blog post for the weather, the time spent in nature with good friends and the photos.

2018 – Chester Zoo with Jayne
I chose this blog post for the animals. I love animals and it’s always great to see them. I got to spend quality time with my good friend Jayne on this day and the weather was lovely. Plus the post has plenty of photos.

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2017 – Causes For Celebration
I chose this post because lots of positive things happening to me at the time, including landing my dream job.

2016 – My Thirtieth Birthday
I chose this because of a meal with family and friends. It is perhaps the best birthday I’ve ever had. And just look at the cake:

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My 30th Birthday Cake: Minion Bob.

2015 – A Celebration of Love: Mum & Ian’s Wedding
I chose this post because I have never seen my mum happier than on her Wedding Day and in the relationship she is in with her husband Ian (I call him my Papa). It was truly a special day and one to remember.

2014 – Mid-Wales, Part 1: The Lovely Penrhos Cottage
My good friend Simon and I had a lovely weekend away in Mid-Wales. There are photos of the cottage we stayed in. You can also see part 2 here.

2013 – TED Talk: Elizabeth Gilbert – Your elusive creative genius
I chose this post as it is my all-time favourite TED Talk.

Honorable mention must also go to Mel Bossa’s Latest Book: In His Secret Life, the author very kindly sent me a signed copy of her book.

2012 – Growing Up Gay: My Story
I chose this as I just loved the photo of me:

2011 – A Long FANTASTIC Bank Holiday Weekend
I chose this post as I went to visit two of my bengal cats as kittens and the photos on the post are super cute.

2010 – Book Review: The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett
I chose this as this book is perhaps my all-time favourite stand alone novel. I’ve re-read it several times.

2009 – Pagan Festivals
I chose this post as it describes pagan festivals easily.

2008 – Reiki one – Qualified
I chose this as I am proud to be a Reiki practitioner.

There you have it. I hope you’ve found it as entertaining as I have putting together the list.

Take care and blog soon,

Antony

I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:
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Sunday 5 April 2020

Book Review: Dare To Lead by Brené Brown

By Amazon, Books & Authors, ReviewsNo Comments

I first discovered Brené Brown when I saw this TED talk titled The Power of Vulnerability:

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Which Brown followed up with this TED Talk, Listening to Shame:

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dare-to-lead-brene-brown-book-cover So when I started on a leadership course at work, I decided to buy Dare To Lead by Brené Brown.

Dare To Lead is about leadership that is vulnerable, values-based, trusting and resilient. The book is split into four parts.

The first and biggest part is Rumbling with Vulnerability. In this section Brown discusses what vulnerability is, why it is important, myths about vulnerability, using courage to drop our armor as leaders, dealing with shame and empathy and curiosity grounded in confidence.

The second part is Living Into Our Values. Values are very important to me, so unsurprisingly this was my favorite part of the book. This section covers what our own values are, what organisational values can be and how to turn values into measurable

behaviours. The List of Values activity I completed with some of my colleagues at work and I found it an incredibly useful in terms of learning more about them and what they value. Since I have also contributed to a consultation at work around our organisational values.

The third part of the book is Braving Trust. This section of the book is all about building trust as a leader and recognising how trust is built up gradually over time and can be easily lost.

The fourth part of the book is Learning to Rise which is all about resilience. This part of the book is about recognising emotion within ourselves and others as a leader, being curious about emotions and being self-aware enough to recognise what is going on emotionally for ourselves and others.

Throughout Dare To Lead are many helpful strategies that if implemented would make you a better leader. Including strategies around: having difficult conversations, increasing self-awareness, being aware of the values of ourselves and of the people we lead, being aware of the stories we tell ourselves (that may or may not be true), how to build trust and courage in the people that you lead.

Dare To Lead is written in a way that feels like you’re having a conversation with Brown. She gives examples from her own experience and also asks open questions styled in a coaching method to encourage the reader to think about how these experiences relate to their own life.

About Brené Brown
Brené Brown is a Research Professor at the University of Huston, is a Social Worker and delivers talks and training on leadership around innovation, creativity and change. Brown has worked with Pixar (Disney) and Facebook around leadership. You can learn more about Brené Brown on her website here.

Dare To Lead by Brené Brown is available to buy on Amazon.

Review soon,

Antony

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Tuesday 9 July 2019

The Teenage Brain

By Education, Health, Life, ThinkingNo Comments

I’ve worked with teenagers, or adolescents or using the term I prefer young people for most of my career.

I’m often asked the same questions about young people, such as: Why do they take risks? Why can’t they always think about the potential consequences of their actions? Why can’t they see the perspectives of others? Why are they so concerned about what their peers think of them?

This great TED Talk video explains more about young people’s brain and its development:

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Although this video is enlightening, it shows that neuroscience is in its infancy. Our understanding of probably the most the most important organ in the body is extremely limited.

I wish the speaker had gone into further details about young people’s behaviour, so that the questions above were more fully answered for those that have them.

Blog soon,

Antony

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Friday 27 July 2018

Wonderful Websites – TV, Online Streaming & Films

By Amazon, The Web, TV, Online Streaming & Films2 Comments
wonderful-websites-image This is the eighth blog post in a series titled Wonderful Websites. The first focused on general health and can be read here. The second focused on mental health and mental illness and can be read here. The third post focused on shopping and can be read here.

The fourth focused on money and can be read here. The fifth focused on gigs, shows and theatres and can be read here. The sixth focused on paganism and can be read here. The seventh focused on gay culture and society and can be read here.

Here’s Wonderful Websites for TV, Online Streaming & Films:

1. Netflix – Is great for TV series and films. I use Netflix for rubbish watching when I want to relax. I like American documentaries like Lock Up and Prepers.

I like all Sci-Fi series of Star Trek and other programmes like Designated Survivor, Z Nation, Zoo, classic films and the large variety of comedy on offer.

2. BBC iPlayer – The iPlayer has a great variety of programmes. I enjoy watching programmes like Planet Earth, Doctor Who, Question Time and The Last Kingdom. I don’t regularly watch the iPlayer, just when I know there’s been something on TV that I’d like to watch.

3. YouTube – Has some great content on it. From music videos, tutorials for just about anything and funny cat videos. You can also find some old TV programme in full on there.

4. All 4 – I only occasionally watch things on Channel 4, but what I like about it is that it has full box sets available to watch.

5. ITV Hub – Good to watch the odd programme that I like on ITV. What’s off putting is the repetitive adverts. For this reason I can’t stand to watch more than a couple of programmes at any one time.

6. TED: Ideas worth sharing – Has some brilliant videos by experts and specialists in a wide range of fields. The videos are around a wide range of topics and mostly are fascinating, informative and enlightening.

7. Amazon Prime Video – I’ve never used this service, but know people that swear by it.

8. iTunes Video – I’ve only ever bought one film off iTunes. This is because a lot of times buying the DVD on Amazom is cheaper or the same price. I’m also not keen on the restrictions Apple are placing more and more on content you buy through their store.

Are there any TV, Online Streaming & Films websites that you think are useful that aren’t on the list? If so leave a comment below and let me know.

In the next post in my Wonderful Websites series I will list great websites for music.

Blog soon,

Antony

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I aim for posts on this blog to be informative, educational and entertaining. If you have found this post useful or enjoyable, please consider making a contribution by Paypal:


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Sunday 15 July 2018
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