New Focus

Making a Start It’s a ‘New Year’ Where do we start? Measured by the calendar we use (there are others, and other ‘new years’) this is the beginning of year 2023, and traditionally at this time people talk about ‘new year resolutions’. They  make them and in most cases in a few weeks forget what they were. What we need to do if we choose to go down this path is something different and more ‘substantial’, if we really want the outcome we’re looking for. We can of course do this at any time, it doesn’t have to be one of the…

Revolution? Are we having a Revolution, Evolution or Devolution? There’s talk about us being in or heading towards a ‘revolution’ but I don’t agree, at least not on a global scale. Once again it’s a word being misapplied.  There are some people revolting, significantly in certain areas of the USA and perhaps China, but most of these are wanting to ‘go back’ to a previous status quo (amended in their favour) rather than going forward. What I do see is both ‘evolution’ and ‘devolution’, the latter contributing to the former. Let me explain . . . http://thefreedomletter.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/NF024-Revolution.mp4 Back to New…

The Money-Freedom Paradigm Do we have it completely wrong about money? There is a lot of focus on ‘Money’. Lack of it, excess of it, the ‘prices’ or ‘costs’ of goods and services. What money really is and what might be the alternatives. Money is an old, even ancient, idea. Is it past it’s sell by date? You see, when push comes to shove, if we think about it deeply, ‘money’ isn’t what we want. All we can do with it is exchange it for something else (unless we decide to burn it, melt it down or use it to…

What’s Your Mindset? ‘Fixed’ or ‘Growth’? In her book ‘Mindset’ Dr Carol Dweck describes two mindset types, ‘Fixed’ and ‘Growth’ and how everyone has a tendency towards one of them – not completely exclusive but definitely predominant. It makes a great deal of sense and explains much of what goes on in the world especially as most state education systems, and political and religious organisations have a very strong tendency towards the fixed mindset. The ‘status quo’ or “this is the way we do things around here” attitude. Growth mindsets however describe the innovators and the problem solvers, the “there…

Why Coaching doesn’t work People tell me coaching doesn’t work – why? “It doesn’t work” or sometimes “It doesn’t (or won’t) work for me”. Well the truth is  it doesn’t – if you expect it to be something done to you or done for you. You see all a coach or mentor can do to help you is show you what to do and how to do it – or where to go and how to get there. The hard truth is that if you or I wish to achieve something we – not out coach or mentor – have…

What is ‘Coaching’ all about? More and more people are becoming ‘coaches’ and are persuaded it’s a way to make a good living – but what is it? I hear many people say, often in networking meetings, they don’t believe ‘coaching’ whether it be personal or business, has any benefit or just ‘doesn’t work’. Part of the problem is there’s a lot of confusion about what the process of coaching actually entails. For the answer, we have to look to sport, which, I believe, is where the term ‘coach’ first appeared. The origin of this usage of the word coach,…

How Does Time ‘Work’? Is ‘time’ the original ‘blockchain’ You and I make great use of the word ‘time’. We measure and record all sorts of things – pretty much everything we choose to do or don’t choose to do. We use time to record what happens – one event after another. But isn’t that also what we do with a blockchain? A blockchain is a computer database (well it is now – mostly) we use to record events of transactions which happen in sequence – just like time. And of course, just like time these events and transactions cannot…

A Question of ‘Reality’ Virtual, Augmented, Extended – what have these to do with ‘Reality’ anyway? It seems you can plant any letter in the alphabet in front of the word ‘Reality’ but do we really understand what reality is? What do we mean by reality and are these new ‘extensions’ of reality real or not? Why do we need AR, VR and XR or are they just a new way of selling an upscaled internet interface or a new way of communicating what we want to say in a more powerful way? http://thefreedomletter.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/NF018-A-Question-of-Reality.mp4 Back to New Focus

What is AI? The myth of so-called ‘Artificial ‘Intelligence’ We hear a lot about ‘AI’ or Artificial Intelligence, but does it really exist? What IS ‘intelligence’ in the first pace and what do we mean by ‘artificial’? Should we be concerned about the ‘rise of AI’ and the speculation robots and thinking machines will take over the world?  Or have the sci-fi writers got it wrong this time? Here’s my ‘take on it’ why I believe we should be wary of this term AI which seems to be being applied everywhere possible. http://thefreedomletter.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/NF017-Artificial-Intelligence.mp4 Back to New Focus

A Matter of Time Time doesn’t exist – but Life does We talk often about using time, wasting time, saving time and so on but does time really exist? Can we put it in a ‘time bank’ and ‘save’ it for another day?  Why are we obsessed with ‘time’ when we should really be concerned about what we do with our life instead? Where did this idea of ‘spending time’ come from and how should we learn to cope with it? http://thefreedomletter.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/NF016-A-Matter-of-Time-.mp4 Back to New Focus

Money Makes the World Go Around? Or does it? It depends what you make of it Money is always a topic of conversation, some times more than others. In reality, in ‘form’, money doesn’t really exist, it’s just a concept, something we use to ‘oil the wheels’ of everything we do. But people have a habit of blocking the flow through their beliefs about how money works – or doesn’t. The idea ‘money comes first’ is what causes the problem people have. It doesn’t come first, you and I have to do something first and when we don’t, because we…

Alternate Universe? Is such a thing Possible? THE Universe is infinite and infinity means it goes on ‘for ever’ thee are no boundaries or ‘ends’ to the Universe so how could it be possible for any ‘alternate or parallel universes to exist? Well, not in the way science fiction portrays them where individuals appear as different people in these ‘alternates’, but it all depends how you and I ‘see’ things – there could be an infinite number of alternate or parallel universes – let me explain . . . http://thefreedomletter.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/NF014-Alternate-Universe.mp4 Back to New Focus

You Can Be Younger Ignore Your Birth Certificate Your Birth Certificate may well state your ‘date of birth’ but it doesn’t say how ‘old’ you are. Marisa Peer in her book (same title as this post) explains our ‘age’ depends on several factors – and it can vary – but it is not, unless we want it to be, our chronological age. Just because you were born in 1960 doesn’t mean in 2022 you are ’62 years old’. We use the term ‘years of age’ but it would be better if we said ‘years of life’ because our life has…

‘Land’ in the Metaverse People are trying to sell you something which doesn’t exist We’re starting the move from ‘webspace’ to ‘metaspace’. Soon any company who have a website will also be wanting, and often needing, space in the ‘metaverse’. They’ll be adding a three-dimensional representation of their business to their existing two dimensional websites. Eventually ‘everyone’ will be there but it’s not quite ready for all the things people would like to do there yet. The metaverse is still very much a games oriented space and the conversion to a business or educational space is proving less easy than was…

Thought and Form Everything is Created Twice Understanding the difference between ‘thought’ and ‘form’ – visible and invisible expressions of energy. How thought becomes form but also how form becomes thought. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only changed; and, whatever it really is’, it is what we ‘are’, what we are ‘made of’ along with the rest of the infinite universe. If you would like to know more or understand this better please do contact me at The Freedom Academy http://thefreedomletter.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/NF011-Thouht-and-Form.mp4 Back to New Focus

Welcome and Farewell On the Passing of an Era A retrospective on what was going on in 1952 and some of the ‘happenings’ since then. The time between two Kings – how things have changed and what happens next. A very brief outline of my remembrances of the last Coronation all those years ago. Pause for thought on the massive changes which have occurred and what might occur in the next 70 years. http://thefreedomletter.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/NF010-Requiem.mp4 Back to New Focus

What IS Coaching? What does it mean and why is it called ‘coaching’? Many people are described as or describe themselves as ‘Coaches’ of one type or another. The response “I’m a Coach” when you or I ask what someone ‘does’ is getting a bit like “I’m an Accountant” or “I’m an Engineer” which don’t really mean much, if anything.  We’re supposed to understand what ‘I’m a Coach’ means. Of course they may add ‘Life’ or ‘Business’ or ‘Personal’ in there to give us a clue, but what does a ‘coach’ actually DO? In 4 minutes I’ll do my best…

In Two Minds? You know the constant conversation going on in your head – are there ‘two’ of you? The answer is yes. There may even be three minds but the other one doesn’t talk much. In this video I talk a little about how the ‘mind’ works and the nature of ‘thought’. What’s going on? Why doesn’t the mind always do what we want it to do, or what we think we want it to do? It’s complicated, let me explain . . . http://thefreedomletter.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/NF008-In-Two-Minds.mp4 Back to New Focus

Buzz Lightyear was Wrong! Two words almost everyone gets wrong Rant warning! (I reserve the right to let out my ‘grumpy old man’ from time to time) I used to get told off for this at school, primary school no less, a long long time ago. English lessons – the use of adjectives and how in some cases they are entirely inappropriate and should never be used to qualify certain words. ‘stand alone’ words, which are not even possible to qualify. I run the risk of being picked up on my own grammar here – please feel free. So here…

To Do or Not To Do? Why ‘To Do’ lists stop you ‘Doing’ It was my friend and mentor Peter Thomson who told me about ‘To do’ lists When designing my dreams and visions I’d always visualised things in the present tense, writing down “I am” instead of “I will”. And I understood the concept of living in the present ‘in the now’ instead of in ‘tomorrow’ or ‘yesterday’. But I hadn’t applied it to the list of actions I was engaged in taking. Probably a throwback to my project management days when we had to do certain things before…

No Tension Activating your Intentions The best way to stop our intentions being achieved and to prevent the fulfilment of our dreams is to be in a state of constant, or even partial, tension. To be anxious, stressed or at worst obsessive about what we are doing or need to do about generating the outcome we are looking for. This isn’t the ‘way it works’. I explain how being almost counter intuitive achieves much better results and a satisfactory outcome in line with your intention; how to focus in a productive way on what you need to do to achieve…

When Positive is Negative Why ‘Be Positive’ isn’t always the answer When we set intentions about our dreams and visions we like to be ‘positive’ about them. Sometimes though this can take you or I down the wrong path and lead us away from where we want to go. ‘Blind positivity’ is what leads some people to disaster, especially when it leads us dashing along a path towards the edge of a cliff. I explain how ignoring ‘bad news’ as negative is a mistake and the importance of strategy and tactics in managing our positivity towards achieving the outcome we…

What’s in a Dream? Why Dreams Only Come True in America ‘Dreams’ in the USA and the rest of the English speaking world are different. At least in the way they ‘work’. I explain how you can successfully achieve all your dreams – well most of them. What we need to do and what steps we need to take. The ‘how’ of all this is a different matter which I’ll come to at a later date. http://thefreedomletter.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/NF003-Whats-in-a-Dream.mp4 Back to New Focus

Goals vs Targets Why S.M.A.R.T goals aren’t that smart There’s a problem with goals – or at least the way most people set them and it’s most evident in so-called ‘SMART’ goals. You  see where people go wrong is to embed something else in their goals which tends to make them stressful and inhibiting. Goals are really important. A ‘goal’ is something you want to achieve (not by the way something someone else wants you to achieve) but which you aren’t quite sure how to do or what resources you need to do it. A goal is (as Phil Olley…

Squaring the Circle Why the ‘Wheel of Life’ is a bad model Contrary to some teaching, life just doesn’t run like a bicycle wheel and the idea of ‘life balance’ or ‘work-life balance’ needing to have equality in all areas is in truth a recipe for disaster. Life isn’t like that, all things are not meant to be ‘equal’, plotting your life on a ‘wheel’ and making it perfectly round so it works as a wheel sounds as though it should make sense. It may well make logical ‘left-brain’ sense and might well work for an android, but not for…