Smart Thinking

  My actual first beer in Months Early this year, I quit alcohol. I wrote about it here:- My alcohol free year to date — and the positive effects so far I didn’t know how long this booze break would last and whilst I hadn’t ruled out the notion of drinking again, I was surprised at how solid the habit had formed and how much life had changed. A looming family break in Spain was going to be an interesting week. I stated beforehand that I would definitely have a drink or two in Spain. Particularly as I was with most of the family. And what do you do in Spain in 40 degrees of heatwave? Have a beer. I also didn’t want to look like the odd one out, the boring one in the corner. This is wrong, but that’s often how it is. (More on habit and association later.) I thought I’d use the week of indulgence as a positive exercise to gauge how my body reacted to alcohol after nearly 5 months off. I didn’t go crazy — maybe 2–3 pints and a short here and there. Jetting Off I was surprised at how ea...

  Summer Solstice 2024 — Anglesey, UK (My photo) I struggle with the late summer nights and extended daylight hours. The extra light beyond the normal working day pressures me into getting out and making the most of the extra time – after all, the summer solstice of June 20th has already been and gone and days are already getting shorter. I’m often happier when the weather is bad. The decision to go out and exercise or walk or whatever is taken out of my hands. But when the sun shines, my problems start. I think having a ‘you only live once’ attitude doesn’t help — feeling like life is ticking away quicker than it actually is. Not a bad notion to keep a focus on, but it can get in the way of simply relaxing and doing nothing which is essential from time to time. When this pressure to use the day presents itself, a mixture of irritation and demotivation arises from complete indecision. 10am becomes 2pm. Discussions turn to what’s for tea. The evening arrives in no time. So make a de...

  An awe inspiring scene on my weekly commute (my own photo) Awe: ‘a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder’ As I round the corner of one of the final sweeping bends, the tree canopy parts like theatre curtains to reveal wide and distant views of the Snowdonia mountain range — pockets of sunlight beam down and turn rocky faces orange. On the other side of the panorama, beams of light descend in rays. The greenery appears like over-saturated green velvet carpeting the the valley floor. I’ve witnessed the same view weekly for the past 7 years in all seasonal states — snow, ice, gale force winds ripping through the valley — you name it I’ve seen it. And every time I see it, I’m in awe of the sheer magnificence and beauty of it. I consciously pause to take the scene in and remind myself that being in awe of something every day is good for us. That moment to pause, reflect, and acknowledge something positive, if not inspiring, is a tick in the right mood direction. Sam...

My current home setup Working in Architecture, I’ve been a Mac user for over 10 years and couldn’t even look at a Windows PC without wanting to vomit. Phone-wise, I’d always been the opposite and had every version of Samsung phone going. Last year, after 10 great years with my Macbook, I thought I’d try a Samsung Galaxy Book — running Microsoft Windows. I fancied a touch screen and have been a big fan of Samsung Notes. Syncing notes from my Samsung phone & tablet to my PC was a big selling point. So my current working setup is as follows:- Samsung Galaxy Book 360 Samsung S8+ Tablet iPhone 15 Pro Max BenQ Main monitor and Samsung secondary monitor After a few days of using Windows, the small annoyances had faded and there were several features that came flooding back which were actually of great use. I could CUT AND PASTE! I don’t know if Apple has since introduced cut and paste in its file management.) I also noted that Samsung has a link to windows which was a selling point. I can...