Every day on my commute into work, the train passed Earlsfield Cemetery. There was a bare strip of land alongside the railway line, and slowly but surely, day by day the strip of land filled up … I now work from home. Note: Photo by Edward Howell on Unsplash
Author Archives: Peter Runkel
Underthinking
Some of us suffer from overthinking. We think long and hard about things, blow them up out of all proportion until they become impossibly complicated, to the point of overwhelming us, sometimes before we’ve even got started. There is a lot written on the topic and many people freely admit to struggling against this badContinue reading “Underthinking”
Shy decorator
Some time ago I got a firm in to decorate a couple of rooms that needed sprucing up. The decorator himself was a shy, very quiet little Irishman. He hardly spoke a word and answered my questions in mumbled monosyllables. But he was a great decorator. He was obsessive and perfectionist, making every effort toContinue reading “Shy decorator”
Nice guys finish last
We have all heard the expression ‘Nice guys finish last’. Well, I guess that could be right (although some dispute it), but there are two parts to that equation – ‘where we finish’ and ‘being nice’, and, in life, we get ‘points’ for both those things. So, we should all try to finish as highContinue reading “Nice guys finish last”
Riding a bicycle
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving.” Albert Einstein We need to keep going, that’s the most important thing, pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone to tackle the next challenge. If not, we get bored. That’s how it works. We need to push ourselves, but not tooContinue reading “Riding a bicycle”
Opposites
“The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt.” Bertrand Russell Tony gets it wrong Tony is a self-made man. He runs his own, small marketing company. He made good money from it. In the boom years. Tony is quick to make decisions. He sees theContinue reading “Opposites”
Think-running
Lots of people find running boring. To make it bearable, they need to listen to music or to the radio through their phones. Or they run with someone they can talk to. Or they just don’t go running … I don’t find it boring at all. I suppose I must enjoy my own company, mustContinue reading “Think-running”
On being polite (again)
If four cars approach a roundabout at the same time from four different directions, you do not want them all to carry on straight ahead at full speed and cause a great big pile up. On the other hand, you do not want them all to stop, each waiting for what seems like an ageContinue reading “On being polite (again)”
On being polite
If two people are walking along the pavement, heading straight towards one another, and only look up at the last moment, you do not want the pair of them to carry on regardless and walk straight into each other. On the other hand, you do not want them both to hesitate, step to the sameContinue reading “On being polite”
Busyness
There was a corny 1950s film about the US Navy. A warship was in dock between missions, with the crew carrying out repairs, preparing for the next mission. They had little to do, and the work they had was repetitive and boring, with the crew starting to get restless and to squabble amongst themselves. TheContinue reading “Busyness”
Valentine’s
On the train on my way back from work a couple of years ago on the evening before Valentine’s. The girl opposite me answers her phone (I can only hear her side of the conversation): “Hi, yes.” “Yes, I did.” “Well, if not tomorrow, I thought maybe Friday night.” “Oh. Oh. Yes, I’m tired too.Continue reading “Valentine’s”
The Serenity Prayer
I am not an alcoholic, nor a Christian, but I love the Serenity Prayer. “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” It was written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1930s and later adopted byContinue reading “The Serenity Prayer”
Assertiveness
I recently came across a study on assertiveness. Its objective was to explore the issue of people being overly assertive, notably in the workplace. The study was wide-ranging and complex, but also very thorough. It was maybe 20 pages long, with densely packed text in tiny font, and went into enormous detail on the backgroundContinue reading “Assertiveness”
Running uphill
On my every-other-daily run around Richmond Park, there are two notable hills. Although they are much the same height and length, one of the hills is an absolute killer, while the other is almost enjoyable by comparison (all things being relative). I have often wondered what it is about the two hills that makes themContinue reading “Running uphill”
Man with box on head
In the office where I used to work, there was a picture on the conference room wall of a man with a cardboard box on his head. It was like the photo above only a painting – like a would-be Magritte. If you google ‘businessman with a cardboard box on his head’ there are hundredsContinue reading “Man with box on head”
Hollow confidence
When I was at university (some years ago) there was one class that was dominated by a handful of opinionated English public-school (i.e. fee-paying school) boys whose confidence was completely out of proportion to the value of their contribution. They talked loudly and without hesitation on topics they clearly knew very little about. Maybe it’sContinue reading “Hollow confidence”
Raining on someone else’s parade
There is a joke that Mexicans tell about themselves: An American businessman is on holiday in Mexico and, as he is walking along the beach, he passes a Mexican fisherman with his catch of crabs in an open bucket. “You should put a lid on that,” says the American, “or the crabs will climb out.”Continue reading “Raining on someone else’s parade”
A courage for gaps
Most of us would agree on the importance of thinking things through properly before we act. Thinking time ensures detailed, thorough and sometimes creative solutions. The more important the decision, the more consideration it deserves. But, at a certain point we need to stop deliberating and we need to find the courage to act. EvenContinue reading “A courage for gaps”
Overthinking
I remember my art teacher at school asking me if I thought a particular painting had been done from life or from a number of separate studies. It was Renoir’s ‘Luncheon of the Boating Party’. Looking at it now, it is very clear that the answer is that it was a compilation of studies broughtContinue reading “Overthinking”
The power of ‘maybe not’
Our client was faced with a dilemma. Two of its best salespeople had an idea for a new business. But the idea was terrible … The thinking behind the new concept was jumbled, confused and incoherent. The plan could not possibly work. But the two budding entrepreneurs had absolute faith in their idea, so hadContinue reading “The power of ‘maybe not’”
