Don't worry this is not about to be a moan about some bad luck I've had (no that was issues 1 through 17). No what is getting my goat this month is the 'be positive' brigade.

Now I've never claimed to be sporty. Through a mixture of incompetence and lack of hand to eye co-ordination I'm probably one of the least athletic people in the world. But I do enjoy taking part and a few years ago I played badminton and the place where I worked had a badminton club.

I went along one night and it turned out to be a doubles tournament. I ended up paired with a good badminton player who was also the deputy chief executive (that probably wasn't his official job title but I didn't care enough to remember). Now I happen to be quite open about my lack of ability. But as we chatted and I gave him a honest appraisal of my ability he told me off for not being positive. He didn't mean any harm by it and I think he genuinely believed it would help if I talked up my racket skills. But frankly it made no difference. To my mind this is a damning indictment of the attitudes of management (yes I've extrapolated a random conversation with one guy into a complete philosophy about a whole profession).

The other day I was reading about how Wayne Rooney lays in bed on the night before a football match and visualizes scoring goal after goal. Funnily enough I have done the same in the past and you know what? I can't remember the last time I scored a goal. I'm sure if a sports psychologist was here they'd explain the benefits of what Rooney does. But he/she would wouldn't they? Its how they make their money. Sometimes Rooney doesn't score a goal in a match. I wonder if that means he's got his visualizing wrong? Also does he spend the night before matches visualizing kicking his opponents and haranguing referees? If he does then I can confirm that his visualization malarkey is working well.

Another thing that you get a lot of is people sharing the secrets of their success with other people. Usually in the form of a book you have to pay for. Often these people are one trick ponies who fluked their way to success and then miserably failed to follow up ever again. Sometimes its hard to say what they did successfully in the first place. The funny thing is often these people will extol the virtue of ignoring the critics and sticking to your guns even if people tell you you are wrong. This of course is a pattern of behavior that we all observe in a certain sort of people that we all know. These people are commonly known as losers. Usually there is a good reason why people tell you are wrong and that is because its true.

So my advice on how to live your life is this.

Firstly always expect everything to go wrong. That way when it doesn't you will be pleasantly surprised.

Secondly always take any advice from anybody with a pinch of salt and certainly don't pay for it.

Music Selection June 2012

Gambling

Stuff I Love - The Brudenell Social Club

Gig Diary - May 2012

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