Thought Provoking Questions

I arrived back home from Greece yesterday. After a week in the sunshine, I am now staring at  pouring rain bouncing off the ground.

I love Manchester – honestly.

Anyway, time for a Sunday Stealing post to make me feel better. 

The questions seem pretty deep so I will have to switch off my light-hearted outlook on life to delve into the matter at hand (or perhaps not).

If you could instill one piece of advice in a newborn baby’s mind, what advice would you give?

Look for the best in people and do not under any circumstances judge anybody by the colour of their skin, how many limbs they have or what gender they are. Treat people as you wish to be treated yourself.

What is the most desirable trait another person can possess?

People who have love for their fellow human being and feel empathy for others. Empathy, compassion and love.

What are you most grateful for?

I’ve been quite healthy for just about all of my life so far (if you discount sentient hair trying to take over my body and eyesight so poor that without my glasses I am likely to talk to a stranger thinking that person is my best friend in the whole world). 

Also, my friends and family have helped make life peachy.

Is stealing to feed a starving child wrong?

Absolutely not. I would go further and say that stealing to feed a starving person full stop is totally correct. I will go even further and state that stealing from somebody who has so much money they don’t know what to do with it should be positively encouraged if that person is a malignant narcissist.

What do you want most?

At this moment I want to retire. I want to turn my back on my career of 35 years and do something that I want to do instead of being forced to work for “the man”. 

I am at a time in my life where I feel like just quitting right now and doing something for me instead of arseholes who have no clue. The truth is I have felt like this for quite a while now (probably at least the duration of this very blog) and I am happy to say that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

Let’s hope it’s not a speeding train.

Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things?

I want to do the right thing because it spawns happiness in myself and others.

What has life taught you recently?

Events of the past three or four years have emphasised that life needs to be enjoyed and that we do not really focus on the important things until, sometimes, it is too late.

What is the one thing you would most like to change about the world?

I have to breathe deeply to answer this one. We have too many arseholes in power at the moment. We have Boris Johnson in the UK and Donald Trump in the US as well as others like Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Xi Jinping in China and Vladimir Putin in Russia. They all need to go. Right now.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration from lots of places. For example, holiday, a good long walk, a relaxing half an hour listening to music, diving into a good book and many other related things. Work is not one of them.

Can you describe your life in a six word sentence?

An idiot who is doing okay.

If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?

When it comes to mistakes, I have a sliding scale of how they affect me. If the mistake is totally stupid, I am usually furious with myself. If the mistake is because I am trying something new or learning something, I am delighted because such mistakes help to improve you as a person. Making mistakes can be embarrassing, but these days, I can handle embarrassment much more easily – usually by laughing at myself.

What impact do you want to leave on the world?

That makes it sound as if I am about to board a spaceship and blast off to a far distant planet.

I would like to hope that kids and descendants look back at this blonde, short-sighted old fool and think that he was a good man who helped to steer them in the right direction to influence the world in a good way.

What is the most defining moment of your life thus far?

There are far too many of them to list here. I’ve been lucky in some things and unlucky in others and all of them have steered my life in the direction it eventually took and is continuing to take.

In the haste of your daily life, what are you not seeing?

I could and should take more risks. I don’t think it is too late to completely switch my life over to the parallel one that I have envisaged for myself over the past ten years or so. Sadly I am quite risk averse – perhaps I should change that.

If life is so short, why do we do so many things we don’t like and like so many things we don’t do?

I have no idea. I get a buzz out of making people happy, sometimes at the cost of my own happiness. Perhaps that’s the reason why I do things I don’t like.

What lifts your spirits when life gets you down?

Mrs PM usually lifts my spirits and music always helps too. If I’m feeling down, which is fairly rare if I’m honest, I find that a good walk clears my mind and helps to put things in perspective.

Have you ever regretted something you did not say or do?

Oh God – of course. In fact, this has happened on too many times to mention. I try not to dwell on mistakes of the past and endeavour to look forward. I have no doubt that I will put my foot in it in the future – it is human nature to have regrets – we can’t help it. Why dwell on such things?

Has your greatest fear ever come true?

Life is peppered with fears that eventually come to pass, for example the loss of a loved one. So, whenever somebody I care for becomes ill or sadly passes away, my fears come true.

Why do we think of others the most when they’re gone?

I don’t think that is a necessarily true statement. You may reminisce and look at the good times but in my case, it is usually no more than when the person was here.

What is your most beloved childhood memory?

There are far too many memories to try to rank them all. I’m quite grateful that I was born (though I don’t really remember that – thank goodness).

And finally - here's a nice thought provoking song for ya ...