Time to boldly go!

I've noticed an increase in "head shakers" on the road! And they all seem to be hesitant  drivers.
I first spotted it on holiday in South Devon. The roads down there have this quirky habit of suddenly narrowing to single vehicle width. It proved a bit of a challenge initially ...but I soon got the hang of it ....learning that to boldly go was the better strategy!  The locals on the other hand seemed  far less confident and very hesitant. Sometimes with fairly chaotic consequences.

Like on the first Sunday when having looked for a pub that was still serving lunch we were disappointedly leaving the car park of the fourth.  With the old Lexus barely a wheel arch out from the walled entrance ...traffic from both left and right screeched to a halt, forming an  immediate jam!    Drivers looked bewildered and indecisive.  But being a London boy weaned on Hammersmith Broadway traffic and the like ...my natural instincts and assurance took over. I assumed control  of the situation and boldly drove out through the gap. Heads shook in a mixture of respect and I suspect  some embarrassment too?
Then the second example. Leading a lengthy convoy along the same road, I pulled out to pass a land rover. It had rather carelessly parked obscuring a "Road Works" sign. It was when I drew level with the Land Rover that I spotted the red traffic signal ...just before I saw the oncoming stream of traffic. Instinctively I braked and reversed.
But the gap in the traffic that I had vacated was no longer there!  The convoy I had led was now queued in orderly fashion behind the Land Rover.  As I reversed slowly back along its line - now leading a "convoy" of cars coming in the opposite direction - I noticed successive drivers shaking their heads. I don't think it was in respect. 
I won't go into detail with the most recent incident involving a couple in Tesco's car park last Sunday. I think I'm begining to get the picture now.
Yes it seems I'm of that age! When allegedly we become less aware of situations around us. When our kids say we shouldn't be allowed out by ourselves!
But who says that this is the way of it? Because I actually see it quite differently.
I've finally realised that the rest of the world is hesitant and indecisive!
Say hello to a Reckless Wrinkly!
Still with lots to do, and sharp enough to notice there is a reducing amount of time to do it all. 
So whatever it is you want to do - new job! new home! new places to see! new love in your life!! Get reckless and boldly go for it now!  

Just off for a creativity nap!

Getting back into work mode has proved very difficult after the week away in South Devon. 
Sustained concentration has proved to be the problem.  Not a new one for me.  "Concentration"  was regularly mentioned in school reports in my early years, so no ...I wasn't leaping to the age conclusion. But it was odd and a little annoying that the old brain was very creative when I had switched off for my holiday  ...but then decided to switch itself off as soon as I got back to my desk to work?
Then I came across an article in Science Daily which seems to explain what is going on. In an unusual collaboration between psychology, engineering and architecture academics in Sheffied, Bradford and Germany, researchers have shown how tranquility enhances the functionality of the brain. It seems from scans that areas of the brain connect up and are in sync when enjoying such things as the soothing roar of breaking waves.

This strikes two chords with me. I fancy myself as a bit of an amateur psychologist. One of my favourite "research" projects is the link between relaxation and brain activity.  We know for example that the mind becomes more creative as we go into a state of deep relaxation or trance. Who hasn't experienced a "eureka" moment on emerging from sleep. Creativity coaches advocate that "sleeping on it!" is good for problem solving and creativity.
Buddist chanting, Shamanic drumming, tribal dancing all bring about altered state and indications are that this occurs around the Theta state when brain waves are between 4 to 7 Hz.
Hypnotherapists lead their subjects into this same state to access the sub-conscious and the deeply held beliefs and memories that sit there. Uncovering these as they resolve phobias and other behavioural change issues. 
Sportsmen and musicians getting "into the zone" relax their minds in what is an apparent accessing of a programmed code of subsequent peak performance.  
Meditation brings inner calm and strength through contemplation  ...perhaps the same is happening in prayer.
Plenty of similarity here. And then, when you think how much of the brain's space and functionality is un-used then all sorts of opportunities are imaginable!
So ....lots of reasons why meditation, power napping, walking through the park - whatever is your "switching off" habit - are to be encouraged as the ways to unlock our full mental capability.
And I guess as well I'm going to have to declutter and finally decorate my office into a more tranquil environment.
But I did say "two chords?"  The second one is ...I do indolence very well!

Maslow rules OK!

 "A much needed makeover for Maslow's Hierarchy!" When I read that article recently I was decidely unsettled.  Refresh Maslow? But I've been  preaching his "hierachy of need" theory for over 30 years. I'm a total believer!  And that's in Abraham's good old original version:

SELF-ACTUALISATION

         SELF-ESTEEM      

    SOCIAL-ACCEPTANCE   

              SECURITY             

                  SURVIVAL                 

I was reminded more than once of its continuing relevance when holidaying last week in beautiful South Devon.   An entertaining cameo reminder came when a three-generation family arrived to set up for a day on the beach.
Food, drink, chairs and windbreaks to support Survival were tirelessly ferried from the car.  Then their chosen spot was changed twice before a spot - defended at the rear by the sea wall and to the side by windbreaks - was seen to meet their  Security needs.  This was temporarily threatened by some self-interested positioning of chairs and disputes over towel ownership. But eventually this gave way to reconciling remarks like "eh this is the life!" and Social-Acceptance prevailed as Grandad and Dad teamed up to build a sandcastle for the little one. Unfortunately this became the usual contest of building skills as Self-esteem intervened.   With public approval favouring son-in-law's efforts, Grand-dad clearly saw sand-castles as unfulfilling and ultimately went off searching the cliff face for fossils and Self-actualisation!
There are several views on how Maslow hierarchy can be improved but in general they tend to either adapt or add to Self-actualisation. Personally I can understand this because for me Self-actualisation isn't so much something you achieve but a state where you are always looking for something new.

And this was the insight I gained when chatting with two very fit and well-sussed "senior" walkers.  They explained that they walk because they want to discover new places and also to progress   beyond the 638 miles they've previously walked. What they are  doing in the process is to continually re-ascend Maslow's hierachy each time they set off on new walking holiday.  Relishing the challenge of fresh Survival, Security and Social Acceptance needs ...and boosting Self-esteem and Self-actualisation to new levels.
And for us starting over again later in life and work should be seen in the same way ...as opportunity not threat. We assume a state of finality and inevitability ...perhaps because of convention and maybe courage too?
How about taking a chance on change? It beats building sand castles. 

Do we go looking for the age-ism thing?

Maybe sometimes we go looking for it? The age-ism thing I mean.
They've installed self-service checkouts in my local Sainsbury. I was pretty cool about it. I'd quickly got used to them elsewhere and so confidently went straight in as less certain shoppers queued at the attended checkouts. But the "orange sashed" helpers had to hover around me! You could read their minds. "He'll need some help!" Which I didn't! Well not until something totally new (and unnecessary in my view) came up on the display. So there they quickly were ...rescuing the old duffer whilst the attractive woman at the next check-out looked on ...with a condescending smile!
Same sort of thing when buying my tickets from a young bloke at the Odeon last Saturday.
I asked for two tickets ...adding with mock disbelief  "....and one of those will be a concession!"   "Yes ...don't worry!" he said "I've already taken it off!" 
What a liberty. Thinking I was 60 already! Patronising young herbert.
More was to come as I took my small bag of pick-a-mix and joined the queue for the "take in" ...that essential element of the "Fantastic Film" experience!
I couldn't see what was happening ahead of me at the counter.  People carrying skip fulls of popcorn and buckets of cola (clearly frequent customers) blocked my view.
So when a baseball-capped youth suddenly appeared I perhaps did hesitate for a second before proffering my modest purchase.
"Put it there" he said with disdain. "Where?"  "There!" He impatiently pointed to the weighing plate.    "£3.35!!"   No please or thank you!  I wandered off  nostalgically recalling evening-suited cinema managers and usherettes with ice-cream trays.
But on reflection I wonder how much of all those experiences was fantasy and over active imagination ...as opposed to reality.  Yes of course we jump to conclusions. It's the way the mind works. Understanding begins by making a generalised association with preconceived thought. Very often thought that has been influenced by external opinion!  Then we learn a bit more and we deal with things according to how we experience them and how they sit with our values system.
Which is how we need to treat the issue of ageism in employment. Pre-conception ...prejudice are natural and inevitable generalised reactions. They have very little lasting meaning or importance.
And we should deal with them as just that!