In The Pursuit of HappYness.

Watched "In the Pursuit of HappYness" last night and have to say it is one of the best films I have ever seen and brought so much of my own life back to me.

In the film Will Smith and his son are forced to live rough whilst he is an unpaid intern on a training program - the outcome of which will see just one intern being appointed as a broker with one of America's leading stockbroker agencies. The film follows his trials and tribulations in the pursuit of happiness and is based on a true story.

The comparisons with my own life (and I suppose many more people's lives) were uncanny (apart from becoming a stockbroker that is!!) Shortly after leaving the police force in 1985 I thought I'd try to find work in London but failed to plan things properly and ended up in bedsit after bedsit after converted wash-house, and for a time I slept rough near Charing Cross - not being aware of the benefits system I didn't claim what I should've and ended up spending all of the little money I had staying in a 'guest house' near Hyde Park, (Doss House would've been a more appropriate description) However, eventually I found work as a front of house attendant at The Theatre Royal in Drury Lane during the evenings and weekends, and during the day I sold advertising on a commission only basis.

Having achieved my goal, and having had some life changing, eye opening and at times very scary experiences along the way, I returned to the North East and a 'proper job' in business support. I've been there ever since (barring a short time running a courier firm in the mid to late nineties) but I wouldn't change any of it - those experiences made me the person I am today (Yes, a miserable old git, but also a person who strives to be the best at everything he does and who doesn't expect life to give him anything without hard work and possibly a bit of strife along the way - it's the best way to be, in my humble opinion and it makes you appreciate what you have.)

I highly recommend the film - go and rent or buy it tonight, you won't regret it.

In The Blink of a Week!

Is it me, or do the weeks seem to be zooming by?

It's been a full week since I last posted! And what a week!

Emily lost her tooth, which was safely placed under her pillow and replaced by the unseen, unheard "Tooth Fairy" (Me) who left a shiny gold coin and some 'pixie dust' which resembled gold glitter. Needless to say Emily found the whole saga really exciting and promptly found another tooth loosening up - and getting more loose by the minute with all of Emily's frantic waggling! Best get the pound coins and pixie dust ready again soon! (And book a dentists appointment to check that everything's as it should be.)

Lesley has been unwell all week and unable to eat anything (so the food bill has gone down significantly!! lol!!) however, what we saved on food, we more than made up for on toilet rolls, if you catch my drift.

I've had a busy time at work - training course up at Seaham, clients all over the place and project after project to coordinate - hence the lack of posts.

The Horns of a Dichotomy....

Here's a dilemma to ponder - all suggestions greatfully received.

I work as a business adviser - advising businesses on how to start, develop, grow, downsize, invest, train staff, lose staff, obtain grants etc. - I've been doing this for the past seven years, though all in all I have almost twenty five years experience in this field. My employers are (indirectly) the Government. I have a decent salary, pension scheme, health insurance (quite handy recently) and more importantly seven years protected rights with the same employer. On the downside my company is funded by central government and is almost guaranteed to be 'abolished' after the next UK General Election, two years or so from now.

Here's the dilemma:

I've been advising a start up company for the past six months who have probably one of the most revolutionary web based ideas I have seen for many a year, it is almost guaranteed to be a commercial winner on both sides of the Atlantic, and eventually worldwide, and is attracting a lot of funding (I'm talking £Millions) through my support and the uniqueness of their 'product'. They have now offered me a job as business development director, with a percentage shareholding in their venture. Sounds like a 'no brainer' right?

BUT WHAT WOULD YOU DO? Bearing in mind the highlighted word above?

As for my medical concerns - both parties are aware of my condition. My current employer has shown, by their actions, that they understand the potential for periods of ill health. The 'client' has also shown some understanding of this through rearranging funding meetings when I've been off ill to dates when I can attend.

As far as conflicts of interest or clauses in contracts debarring me from taking up employment with a client's business - there are none. Indeed in the past six months no fewer than three of my colleagues (even my immediate boss) has left to take up employment with one of their clients - so it seems to be 'the done thing.'

Before posting your answers I have to tell you that I have made a decision - but can you guess what it is??????

Work Related Issues

I find it impossible to switch off.

My Wife finds me a constant source of befuddlement. I make promises I cannot keep when it comes to work related issues. Especially working from home.

Since the formation of the new (improved??) Business Link North East, we have been allowed to work from home, and have been provided with the necessary kit to enable this. This has proved a disaster for my relaxation as I now find myself at my desk at all hours working on things I know I should have done during 'office hours' but which, for varying reasons, were delayed or interrupted. I have been known to send emails at three in the morning in answer to client queries (admittedly this was whilst I was at the height of my steroid course when insomnia reigned supreme!) but the ability to do so was greatly appreciated at the time - otherwise I'd have been pacing the floor, or reading a book for the twentieth time.

Now it's becoming a source of conflict within the family. "Why don't you switch it off and come and sit with your family?" is the cry. "It's not work pet, it's my blog!" is my retort. "But you normally do that in the morning before work, don't you?" to which I respond "Ah, yes, but I had a few emails to send and a grant application to complete before work today, so I'm doing my blog now!" (Then I quickly log out of the Business Link site and into Blogger in case she walks into the study.)

Yesterday I had one client meeting and a half day training course up at Seaham. (our new publicly funded HQ resplendent in expensive LCD TV's and high tech employee monitoring equipment!) Because the client meeting was mid-morning I had no time to update our hideously slow CRM (1 x Client meeting = 4 x hours of admin) with the admin element for the client and will have to find time to do this later today, after two other client meetings, but then, when do I do their admin elements? It's a lot easier to do it on an evening without the pressures of other work related issues.

BUT when do I find time to live my life? I had intended on a trip to the gym tonight, mind you there's an internet cafe at the gym - I could do a bit less swimming and log on for an hour instead!! HELP ME, PLEASE!!!!!!

Me and my gym.

Like a lot of people, I play at being a gym member. I pay heavily for the luxury of being able to go at a time that suits me and that little bit of exclusivity that local authority run centres cannot provide. I aim to go three times a week. I'm lucky if manage three times a month!

And what do I do when I go? Usually I spend fifteen minutes getting changed, then showered before getting into the pool for a quick couple of lengths, then I'm off to the sauna or steam room for fifteen minutes, another quick swim, then fifteen minutes in the hydropool to relax.


The whole process from leaving car to getting back in it takes less than an hour. During which time I speak to no one, other than to ask reception what time they close pr some other feeble excuse to use my voice. I never do any weight training or fitness stuff as I find the whole process dull, repetitive and pointless - or possibly I find it too much like hard work!

I want to train, I want to improve my shape and overall fitness levels, but the thought of going into the training rooms is so intimidating - full of posing and sweating silverbacks aiming for Schwarzenneger status. Embarrassed? Yes. Envious? Yes.

Perhaps I think I'm past all of that. Perhaps I should just accept that I'm never going to be the strapping lad I once was (not that I was ever 'strapping' !) but at 42 you sort of get to thinking - should I give it one more go to make something out of my body before it all heads south and I'm beyond repair. It is possible. I could be a fit and healthy, even strapping, fifty year old.

It's just finding the time to fit it all in around family and work.

Perhaps I should make the effort a bit more - make it worth the forty quid a month?