August Kili Conversations

Welcome to the August edition of Kili Conversations.? Here we are over halfway through the summer and I hope that you have had, or are due to have, a bit of time to recharge the batteries and spend time with family and friends.? A quieter month for me, dealing with a little bit of fall out from the treatment but ensuring that I'm staying positive and focussed on what is important.? In this edition:

• Do the stories you tell yourself take you where you want to go in life?
• Is there a better way to measure how you spend your day?
• Are you still experiencing and open to wonder?

One of the consequences of living at the other end of the country from most of my clients, and certainly my daughters, is that I get plenty of time in the car.? I try and use this time productively to reflect and learn, often listening to podcasts.? I don’t think I have recommended a podcast before, which feels a little remiss, because there is a wealth of insight and experience being shared out there in the ether.? Shane Parrish and The Knowledge Project is one of my favourite, he has great range of guests, asks great questions, and realises we want to learn from the guests not him. ??

This episode, with the renowned sports psychologist Dr Jim Loehr, covers a wide range of topics, but all focussed on the benefits of telling ourselves the right stories.? I love the quote below and it really resonated, is the story amplifying the right things and built on reality. ?

“I ask myself, is this story that I’m telling myself aligned with the best part of me, with who I really want to be in life, my values, my sense of purpose??Does this story take me where I want to go in life?” ?

Given the fact that it has been a relatively quiet month, this insight from James Clear also resonated and I thought it was worth sharing.? It is easy to get caught up in a rather singular view of what a successful day looks like, nose down, bum up churning through whatever our particular ‘stuff’ is.? I thought this reframe of what a different unit of measure might be was worth exploring.? I think the golden nugget is having the self-awareness to recognise (and linking back to the podcast) that there is a better unit of measure, perspective, narrative you can focus on that would serve you better in this moment. “How should you measure your days? It's easy to measure your days in dollars earned or tasks completed, but there are other units of measurement to consider:

• What would you do today if you wanted to maximize laughter?
• What would you do today if you wanted to maximize time outside?
• What would you do today if you wanted to maximize peace of mind?

What unit of measurement serves you best right now?” ?

Finally, for something a little different, I have commented before about the emergence of AI and its impact, this truly entertaining and interesting TED talk brings a different dynamic to the conversation.? He explores the human capacity for wonder, a trait that has led to so many discoveries and the advancement of our civilisations, but also a feeling that makes life a better place to be when you experience it. ? “A wonder, therefore, is something that when we see it, it makes us question what is possible.? We see something that is impossible, and there it is right in front of us.? It’s that disconnect, that yawning gap between shouldn’t be, and is, that inspires wonder.”?

Without a doubt, some of the performances in the Olympics inspired incredible wonder, what that fella did on his BMX defies physics!! ?Mark Cavendish winning 35 Tour de France stages? is another example.? The worry, in this age of digital advancement is that there is now less opportunity for ‘wonder’ or is there. ?? ? Have a fab rest of the week and please feel free to share with anyone you think might appreciate these ideas.

Cheers for now?

Richard