All in Aspirations
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 168
Those words from Bruce Springsteen's The River got me thinking about this idea of singular dreams and how they define who we are and what we do.
I dive into what this potentially means and what it, perhaps, should mean for us, in today's episode.
Taking The Leap
Part of the reason I love the band, Radiohead, is that they have a complete disregard for conventional musical norms.
They’ve had numerous hit albums since the early Nineties but none of them have followed any sort of predictable pattern.
The One Thing
It’s easy to get caught up in the minutiae of our daily work.
Particularly, when you’re growing something - from a project to a business - there are any number of things that need to be taken care of, and every single one of them seems important.
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 167
Sometimes, telling others - and ourselves - that we've arrived isn't a good thing.
In fact, as I discuss in today's episode, it can lead to a complacency that can derail everything that we've achieved so far. So that messaging, to others and to ourselves, is important.
A World Cup Legend
If you’re at all into football (soccer), you’ll no doubt have watched the World Cup Final yesterday.
It was, in my view, the greatest world cup final in history - with goals, drama, late comebacks and ultimately, penalties. Argentina were amazing winners and, of course, as everyone’s talking about, Lionel Messi got his World Cup, rounding out one of the most storied careers in the history of the sport.
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 166
Social media provides us with a very specific idea of what "the" life is. There's no shortage of influencers who showcase how glamorous their everyday life is.
But before we get caught up, it's worth understanding that what we see is what we're shown, as I discuss in today's episode.
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 165
Today's episode looks at Keanu Reeves answer to that question from Stephen Colbert a few years ago.
The answer, to me, was thoughtful and insightful, and could be interpreted in multiple different ways.
The "Greatest" Ever And Other Common Exaggerations...
When I was growing up, I loved reading British football magazines such as Shoot!
And one of the topics I’d love reading in them were articles about the “greatest goal” or the “greatest player”, etc.
In fact, I remember a piece somewhere about “The Greatest Save In The History Of Football”…
The Red Pill Or The Blue Pill?
The Franciscan Friar and ecumenical teacher, Richard Rohr, said that the things that brought you success in the first half of your life are of no use to you in the second half and, in fact, they actually get in your way.
The older I get, the more strongly this statement resonates.
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 164
It's tempting, when we've achieved some measure of success, to believe that we've arrived.
The Greek philosopher, Epictetus, counseled against this idea of "arrival" and believing we are important, as I discuss in today's episode.
The Contradictions In Ourselves
In last Friday’s post, I talked about the need to accept the duality in those around us, from those we live and work with on a daily basis to those we see periodically (for example, friends and relatives during the holidays).
The Paradox In Giving Thanks
Here, in the US, this is the season of Thanksgiving and it’s a wonderful time to remember who and what we should all be grateful for (putting aside the fact that giving thanks should be a daily activity).
When doing so, though, one of the things that we tend to struggle with is the duality and contradiction of so much in our daily existence.
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 163
Structure, rules and constructs can be useful mechanisms and when we're growing up, they're usually unavoidable.
At the same time, they can be both good and bad and, as we grow older, it's worth questioning many of them. Both in terms of what they mean for us but also, as importantly, what they mean for others we live and work with.
The Greatest Tragedy
Carl Jung said that the greatest tragedy for any child is the unlived life of his parents.
I don’t know if there are many of us who haven’t been impacted by those words, in one way or another. Whether it’s related to what we do for a living, to how we behave with others, to who we associate and spend time with.
Memento Homo
In ancient times, when a Roman general achieved success and marched through the streets of Rome in triumph, an auriga (a slave) was appointed to walk behind him and every so often, whisper in his ear, “Memento Homo”.
Remember, you are only a man.
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 162
Getting older is something all of us have to deal with. And, especially in today's hyper-competitive, social media driven environment, it comes with its own challenges.
But, as I discuss in today's episode, the reality isn't quiet so black and white, which is heartening, because life is full of nuances. As are each of us.
The Problem With FOMO
When we let FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) drive our behavior, it’s almost always a path to disaster.
Whether it’s to do with investments (crypto, anyone?), social interactions or work activities, the minute we decide on a course of action because we’re concerned about what might happen if we don’t participate, we’re bound for trouble.
Omerisms Podcast - Episode 161
Smartphones are everywhere and the natural temptation is to use it to record all of our important experiences for posterity.
However, as I discuss in today's episode, there's something to be said to, perhaps, put them away and to simply be in the moment.
The Thing About Knowledge.
When I was a 14 year old learning to play the guitar, there was no internet. Which meant that, if you wanted to learn a song, there were only a few ways to do it.
You could try and learn it ‘by ear’; you could have a friend show you how (assuming you had a friend who played guitar and knew the song in question); you could buy a guitar magazine and check out the included sheet music (assuming they transcribed that specific song in that specific issue)…