Here are my enthusiasms this week! Whether you admire, adore or admonish, please let me know what you think in the comments section. At the end, I’ll tell you how you can get one of your enthusiasms featured in this article.
1) A classic film with an amazing soundtrack
I love the classic British gangster film, The Long Good Friday, from 1980. Bob Hoskins plays Harold Shand, an East End gangster trying to move into the big time by brokering a deal with the Mafia. The movie is brilliant, and Francis Monkman’s soundtrack is still as cool as a refrigerated lorry, 35 years later. You can listen to the main theme here.
2) A product I adore
The Magic Whiteboard lets you turn the room you’re in into a massive whiteboard. Perfect for mapping out world domination strategies. ‘Nuff said.
3) A TED talk that blows my box
I’ve watched the Richard Dawkins video “Why the universe seems so strange” at least 10 times over the past couple of years. He starts with a quote from JBS Haldane, “Now my own suspicion is that the universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose.” If what he’s pointing to in this talk doesn’t strike you as breathtakingly shocking, watch it again and pay closer attention the second time!
4) A logo that tickles me
I love the FedEx logo, with its concealed (yet massive) white arrow. To me, it’s a beautiful metaphor for insight: the arrow has always been there, but until you see it, it’s invisible to you. When you have an insight, you fall out of your thinking (beliefs, assumptions, ideas) and into reality. And once you see it, you’ll wonder how you ever missed it.
5) A book I love
My often wise ex-wife is of the firm belief that you can learn more about life by reading fiction than you can by reading “how to” books. The world’s greatest fiction authors are masters of creativity and are extremely attuned to the human condition. One of my favourites is the fabulous “Carter Beats the Devil” by Glen David Gold. It’s a 1920s mystery thriller centred around a stage magician, Charles Carter, at a time when magicians were the rock stars of their day. Great stuff!
That’s it for this week. If you have questions, suggestions or want to let me know what you’re enthusiastic about, just tweet one of yours and put my twitter name @jamiesmartcom and the #Enthusiasms hashtag in there so I can find it. If I’m enthusiastic about something you’re enthusiastic about, it might just get featured in a future TTE.
Big love
Jamie
P.S. Following the success of the beta-tests, I’m looking for a small group of very specific people for my final 'Project Glasswing' programme of 2015, launching in October. Here’s what I’m looking for:
- You are a coach, therapist or change-worker (e.g. sports coach, psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, business coach, bodyworker etc)
- You have at least one year’s experience of working with clients (either paid, pro-bono or both)
- You probably charge by the hour, but want to use a “coaching package” model to increase your income & make it more consistent
- You have space in your practice to work with at least one longer term contract client, starting in November
- You’re an enthusiastic, friendly people-person
- You have a coachable spirit, and are willing to step out of your comfort zone if necessary, and
- You can keep a secret
If that’s you, then just email me at info@jamiesmart.com, and let me know where you’re located and a little about yourself (if you don’t know what to tell me about, look at the list above for inspiration). Make the subject line “Project Glasswing”. I’ll be choosing people in the next couple of weeks. Talk to you soon! J