Monday 1 October 2012

Peeking Out From The Bottom Rung #WhyDon'tWeLookUp? 


So today I have been pondering the Economy. Big thoughts - especially for both the first day of October and a Monday...

I have been interested in people watching, and seeing how the people around me look at the world. And suddenly a random movie clip, from god knows where, played through my mind a vaguely reconstructed phrase: 

'Human's don't look up- it's evolutionary.'

I looked around. The people around me were all looking at the ground, at each other, at traffic, at their children, at potential obstructions to their path. Nobody was looking up. 

And why should they, you might ask. Oxford isn't some kind of bohemian hipster paradise, where everyone has time to smell the roses on their way to work- well, the occasional student might have. But it seemed to me that this went beyond a commuting issue. 

Was this a metaphor for how I was living? Could I apply this to, for example, my attitude to work? Thinking on it, I realised that I live my working life too busy looking at the ground, at my colleagues, for potential problems, that I wasn't focusing enough on looking up to my next steps, and at what I could strive for and achieve. 

And, with this unusually spiritual realisation and the resulting pep talk, I had a good day at work. Every hour, I looked up from my work, evaluated what I really wanted to achieve that hour, and before I knew it, I'd done things that I'd procrastinated about for days. (After high five-ing myself) I set up a meeting to discuss my goals with my manager, which was productive.

Tomorrow, who knows? But I felt like today was the peek out from the bottom rung of a corporate ladder that showed me the next step up in my career, and how to achieve it. So maybe, if you're feeling like you're on the bottom rung today, you should take a moment. Just a quick moment and 

Look Up.

Peeking Over The Edge  #Changes

I feel like making some changes...

So you probably don't know what's around the corner for you next. I always wondered- do spontaneous people have more fun? Am I missing out on something?

So I was thinking- surely there have got to be ways of developing yourself  a la Eat Pray Love and coming to love and understand all of your quirks, strengths and major flaws that don't involve a month in an Ashram (it's sad, but I really can't afford to bugger off to India right now) or a carb-y fiesta (trust me- an excess of carbs isn't going to help) although I'd be ok with meeting some new loving, gorgeous and sexy bloke (time well spent, surely?)

So I want to peek over the edge, around the corner, under the lid- whatever is most appropriate, really- at some things that I haven't dared to do, be, see or think about before. I also want to share it with you- yes, all of you. Comments more than welcome, and suggestions welcome but taken with a pinch of salt.