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Ikigai - Summer Reading

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Lately I've been reading more, needing some down time. Sometimes though, you put the book away, or in this case, close the ebook and pause. It bothered me, a chapter and idea, and instead of pondering it, I needed an instant answer. So, AI gave it to me: It is completely fair to disagree with that breakdown. In fact, you are historically and conceptually correct to question it. The "80/20 rule" (the Pareto Principle) is a Western business efficiency concept. Mixing it with Ikigai is a modern, Westernized interpretation rather than a part of the original Japanese philosophy. Here is a breakdown of why separating the two makes a lot of sense, along with the tradeoffs of how people try to combine them. ## The Core Conflict * Traditional Ikigai: Focuses on your "reason for being." It is about a life of purpose, daily ritual, and finding joy in small things. It does not look at percentages or productivity. * The 80/20 Rule: Focuses on efficiency. It states that 80% o...
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London Marathon 2026 East London Limehouse Highlights

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  The London Marathon is special, but no one predicted that they would break records in 2026. It officially broke the Guinness World Records title for the largest number of finishers in a marathon with 59,830 runners crossing the Finish Line. It was a sunny day which turned cooler in the late afternoon which brought on the happy vibes for locals, family, pets and friends supporting the participants at the 21 mile mark of the 26.2 miles.  From the superheroes in costumes, on wheels or in regular running gear, we got smiles, victory signs and thumbs up for the camera. There was love from partners and parents which warmed our hearts.  Just a few of those in costume included were:  Adam Winkworth for Age UK dressed as a Giant Blue Telephone,  Horsham charity director at Hope and Homes for Children with a giant teddy bear on his back, Pete Garratt. Jam the T. rex, a 2-metre tall, 4-metre long, 25kg dinosaur with the support of Sam Bryan, Joe Parsonage, Tom Brie ...
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AI Wellbeing Advice For Busy Periods

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This morning I found myself needing a cat photography fix on Instagram because I was feeling drained. I've planned a photography walk this week as I definitely need it.  As I stare down the barrel of Monday afternoon,  I turned to AI to help me with improving my routine, as it's been a busy few months of work, and I needed some guidance.  First I outlined my situation and my concerns. It was insightful in its advice and I'm interested to see how my week might be more productive or how AI might make a difference to finding balance.  I'd already been thinking about the advice in section 6 over the weekend, and I'm liking having it set out for me.  The second response AI gave was after I agreed for it to sketch a plan for me.  So I'm adding the schedule advice from the second prompt into my calendar and setting myself soft alarms to keep me on track.  Hopefully this will be a positive experiment this week.  Prompt 1 advice -  It makes sense that...
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Winter Self-Care - Cooking, Reading & Other Things

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Instinctively we want to hibernate in winter, and our activities change - with more reading, writing, cooking, television, music and cosy nights in.  We're fending off endless coughs and colds by consuming smoothies and soups.  A few tasty treats I've been making are: Chicken & sweet corn soup, Spring rolls, Bread & banana pudding, Peanut butter & banana pudding, Adzuki red beans, Duck pate, Portugese duck rice, Garlic and chive crusts, Fig with salt n pepper squid, Slow cooked duck, and  Banana and nutella spring rolls.  GIlmour Girls is my happy place and I'm mixing it up with American Horror Story and Mad Men . My fascination with Gilmour Girls, which I'm not rewatching has even resulted in a long blog post about it.  I've just finishing reading Crazy Rich Asians which has made me think more about identity, memories and history. I've also dipped into some of Hilary Mantel's short stories and am half way through Butter .  Accepting the wea...
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Cult Classic Gilmour Girls? - Greatest 2000s American television

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Carole King re-recorded "Where You Lead, I Will Follow" with her daughter Louise Goffin for the Gilmour Girls in 2000. I watched the entire series, feeling the familiarity of her timeless ballad, you've got a friend, without knowing it was Carole King, or that she cameod as the music store owner.  I watched the pop culture phenomenon for the first time over Christmas, aware that it had been a sensation, but never drawn to the show even until several episodes into Season 1.  The Cast  At first I was intrigued, because it had Melissa McCarthy, before she was in Bridesmaids. The grandmother looked familiar and I discovered she was Jennifer Grey's mum in Dirty Dancing.  After awhile Rory Gilmore, the daughter, looked like someone I'd seen and found out Alexis Bledel was Emily in The Handmaid's Tale.  Aside from the cast regulars, the litany of guest appearances and recurring characters featured many stars: Jon Hamn from Mad Men popped up, as did Billy...
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Tips if you're having a bad social media day

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Everyone needs tips for social media and most people struggle, even if they've thousands of likes, follows and comments.  I say this whilst we're in the heart of the Christmas period, which can feel overwhelming. It's magical with decorated trees and festive excitement filled with catch ups.  Then there's technology, namely this morning a post draft disappearing, 30 minutes lost and you decide you can't face rewriting it!  I see why those new to social media struggle. Even when you've been doing it for as long as I have, and you love it mostly, you still have days where you think, I just don't have time for this.  Remember,  1. it's not always like this, 2. some platforms are better than others, &  3. the days the tide flows in a certain direction, stop swimming against it!  With any task, there's bits you enjoy and others, not so much. If you focus just on the negative, eg all the blood, sweat and tears, you'd never get to the end when it al...
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Perseverance v abandonment - The Author's Dilemma

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The dilemma of persevering with a book as a writer or reader struck me this week. As a writer on more than 50,000 words into a novel, I'm too invested to give up on it. So though I'm excited about a new idea for a novel, I find myself attempting to hang in there.  However, as a reader, I have two new books 30 pages in, and I'm tempted to abandon both.  The first is a recent best seller full of hype. The premise intersted me, but the style and tone is do cold that I am repelled from becoming absorbed by the story. It doesn't feel right for me in the throngs of December and Christmas.  The second is a historical drama from a vest selling and well regarded author. I've read one of her books, a long time ago. I'm bored, simply not engaging with the content and style.  Book 1 is 400 pages long. Book 2 is 600 pages. Perhaps it's the length, or I'm daunted by the task of completing them.  Sometimes it takes a while to get into a book, for me to find a rhythm an...
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