Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
by Robert Frost

What a beautiful poem. It's not very long but it encapsuales so much. Change is inevitable in life and if the framework that we live within is not flexible enough to change with the times, then we can expect a life of resistance.
One of the things I find rigid in life is judgement because if you are going to jusdge someone, then you must come from a standpoint which is unwavering, a counterpoint. If you can see the other persons point of view then it becomes difficult to judge, then we enter a discussion. If we surround ourselves with people who have the same opinions and beliefs as us, how can we grow?
A flexible outlook on life also manifests itself in our Limbic System and so too in the longevity of life. With grief, our brain tries to match the model of how life should be with the event and so our sorrow comes from the mismatch and from the flood of chemicals to our brain which causes the emotional outflow in the first stages of grief. If we choose to let this dominance of emotion control our lives then we never fully recover to lead full and health lives. I strongly suggest the Chapter on Handling Disappointment from Dr. Kerry Spackman's "The Winner's Bible". It's a great read.
In my own life right now, there is a lot of change. In my business and in my personal life. In business, people I thought would stay the course have left and I've seen relationships change. Yet I know that these things are just swirling wind around me as I walk toward my goal. The constant in this scenario is me and always will be in my life. And so I bend but don't break although I know I will be tested, it will take a very strong force that will break me if I'm flexible.
So I think once you embrace the last quatrain of this peom you may find yourself enjoying life more, appreciating transience more and appreciating the time you spend more.

Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.

Food, Focus and Running a Home Business

Wow, what an awesome life I have. I'm just back from the beautiful city of Prague in the Czech Republic. We were gathered there for the first of our Team Europe Kick-Off events and also for the first of our Foundation Live events. My travelling companion is a hero of mine and a fellow entrepreneur, Patrick O'Reilly. I'm also happy to say that he's my cousin. He has a great head on him and I love being in his company and just generally talking things out with him. His ability to sieve what's relevant from what is not is just amazing. It was one of the reasons that I was delighted when he agreed to come along with me. You can view the pics here.
We arrived a couple of days early so we had time to check ('scuse the pun) out the city and just generally hang out. The hotel we stayed in was the Hilton in Prague and, if you go there, check out Cloud 9, the sky bar with stunning views of the city at night. And the food! I didn't have a bad meal the whole time I was there. The highlights for me were The 3 Golden Stars. Kampa Park and the Bellevue. We had our own room in the Bellevue which made it more intimate and a whole lot of fun. And I like fun.

And for me, my business should be fun. What's the point in trying to tell someone how great the food is in a restaurant when they can tell by your voice that you haven't eaten there? Same with business, how can I tell someone how great this opportunity is if a) I'm not a product of the products and b) if I'm not enjoying it myself? You know the answer there. Well, as it happens, I do love my life because of what I do and I am a product of the products and I do love to tell everyone with whom I come in contact (mainly because they ask why I'm so happy all the time or where I'm off to next!). And I think that's the way it should be; find something you enjoy and you'll never work a day in your life again.

Let me add at this point however, that as much fun and travelling that I do, it is a business and I run it as such. I'm registered as a business here in Ireland and I keep my receipts and bills to write off against my earnings. My approach is relaxed but professional on the phone as I don't look to work with just anyone. And it takes focus because I am a fully time dad too. My time to "work" is limited as I am a full time dad with another on the way shortly. So I've got to be top of my game when the window opens. Again, this fun to me and I love raising my own standards as I go.

That's it from me for this week. Have a great one, you deserve it.