Author / whyididntwritetoday

by whyididntwritetoday

The coffee cup that stopped everyone

I was on the bus travelling home this afternoon.

I climbed to the top deck and chose an empty seat.

I found one that I thought looked good, but as I got closer I noticed that there was a discarded coffee cup on the seat.

So, I did the easy thing – walked past it and chose another seat.

I began to notice that everyone else did the same as me.

That one empty coffee cup stood in everyone’s way and everyone walked past it.

Eventually the top deck of the bus filled up.

Then more people got on.

But instead of moving the cup they either went back downstairs or stood.

Finally, a tall man in a long grey jacket got on the bus.

He walked through the aisle, saw the seat and, with a deft flick of his right hand, moved the coffee cup away.

He sat down and enjoyed the rest of his journey in comfort.

How often in life do we take the easiest way possible?

Are the obstacles that stop our progress as bad as we think they are?

by whyididntwritetoday

You’ve got a rocket in your pocket (kind of)

Goals are hard to achieve.

We all set them, we all try and chase them…but, we don’t always meet them.

Our own limitations tend to hold us back.

Yet, we’re so advanced now as a society that we really don’t have the limitations we think we have.

Take your smartphone for example.

Did you know that your smartphone is millions of times more powerful than the supercomputers that NASA used to land on the moon in 1969?

And to think…you probably just use it to swipe right on Tinder or choose a beautiful filter for your super-green, wholefood salad.

In fact, if you have a pocket calculator on your desk that’s more powerful too. So is a simple USB stick…

In terms of technology our limitations become broader all the time.

But our brains still keep us more grounded than we need to be.

You’re the only one who can broaden the self-imposed limitations that your brain sets for you. Go do some good shit.

Ashley Brown 2018

by whyididntwritetoday

Sometimes you need to be able to smell raw sewage

At Christmas time I took a walk through Oxford Street to hunt for presents.

It looked impressive, even for someone who doesn’t like that kind of thing.

Everywhere was lit up, Christmas trees abound.

The people were also happier than usual – particularly for London. Excited children were chattering away – telling their parents exactly what they wanted for the big day.

Potential consumerism and capitalism narrative aside, everything looked perfect.

If an alien had landed on Oxford Street at that point in time, they’d have thought we were a happy bunch who made everything look pretty.

But, then, as I rounded a corner I was hit by an overpowering stench – there was a problem with the sewers and, let me tell you, it smelt rancid.

There’s something about the sudden smell of the sewers that reminds you how real life is. And how, no matter how much we dress everything up, we’re all just human and the world isn’t perfect.

And, I think it’s important to smell it from time to time, just to remember that we’re in a bubble and that we need to keep our feet on the ground.

Sorry for such a shit post..(couldn’t resist)

by whyididntwritetoday

The quickest way

I’m sure you have this too…but, whenever I ask someone for directions, they’ll usually start their reply with:

“The quickest way is…”

I always wonder why they think I’m in a rush?

Im starting to think that it’s all about the journey.

Too often I’ve missed things en route because I’ve been fixed on the quickest way to the destination.

2018. The year of enjoying the journey.

by whyididntwritetoday

Why entrepreneurial spirit will never die

I didn’t go on holiday to a hot country until I was about 24.

There were a few things that I didn’t realise.

I wondered why anyone bothered wearing flip-flops. They looked silly.

I imagined myself walking over the sand and the pavements bare foot. No problem.

Of course when I arrived I soon realised that I was wrong.

The sand and the pavements were hot, hot, hot.

Which, in hindsight, seems kind of obvious.

So, with my friend in tow, I went to go buy some flip-flops.

We eventually found one of those gift shops that stock everything from football shirts to promiscuous fridge magnets.

But I couldn’t see any flip-flops.

I asked the shopkeeper who, after a moment’s consideration, retreated into the furthest corner of the shop.

He returned with a pair of flip-flops. They looked okay, although a tiny bit faded and dusty – but for the equivalent of a fiver I wasn’t complaining.

We emerged into the day and, once we got further up the beach, I noticed my friend was laughing.

“What?” I asked, perplexed.

“He didn’t have any flip-flops in the store” he said.

“Yes he did! He went in the back and got some…”

“No! Those were the ones he was wearing…”

No wonder they were faded and dusty.

And that, readers, is why entrepreneurial spirit will never die.

There’s always a way to make that sale.

(I still keep those flip-flops as a reminder that there’s always opportunity somewhere)

by whyididntwritetoday

74% of the population suffer from this…

After a football match at University a friend of mine noticed that someone had left their jacket behind.

We’d been playing on an astro-turf pitch, and there were loads of other matches going on alongside us.

He held the jacket up, and announced loudly to everyone there (probably about 50 people); “has anyone lost their jacket?”

Sure enough, one of the guys came trotting over to collect it – thanking him as he went.

The next day we had to give a presentation as part of our course. It was my friend’s turn soon, I looked over and noticed that he was really nervous.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

He told me that he was terrified of public speaking (a phobia he shares with a reported 74% of the population!)

But, when you think about it, the crowd that he was about to be speaking to was made up of ten people – whereas, less than 24 hours ago, I’d seen him shouting to get the attention of 50+ people.

I told him this.

“Yeah, but I had something to say then…” he began.

“And you don’t have something to say now?”

He went on to deliver a great presentation. I’m not saying that I inspired him (my own presentation was most likely awful) but, sometimes it’s good to have someone on hand who’ll help you think about things in a different way.

Sure, maybe there’s more to say in a presentation than just ‘is this your jacket?’, but the principles are still the same.

You wouldn’t ask about the jacket if you didn’t think anyone wanted to know, so apply that same logic to your pitching or presentation.

Perspective. It’s a funny thing, right?

by whyididntwritetoday

High Noon

Last night I watched the film High Noon. I really enjoyed it.

It was released in 1952 and is considered to be one of the best films ever made.

As a film buff I was kind of embarrassed not to have seen it.

Feel free to judge me…but, one of the reasons why I hadn’t is because it’s over 60 years old now and filmed in black and white.

I know. I know. I shouldn’t be so judgemental – but, how could something made in another era still appeal to me – a contemporary 21st century viewer?

I was wrong!

And do you know why?

Because the basic things that entertain and intrigue human beings haven’t changed.

Not in 60 years, not in 200 years and not in 500 years.

Sure we advance as a society and the technology with which we communicate and tell our stories changes – but the basic content doesn’t.

High Noon is about a man who stands up for what he believes in, even when all those around him abandon him.

At the end of the film there’s a classic good versus evil showdown. I can almost guarantee that not one viewer has ever been on the side of the bad guys in the film – humans just love an underdog!

Because, even though we’re not all good, we like to think we are.