look for the hero in yourself

It's been a week for stories about inspirational heroes. The Festival of Remembrance brought to our television screens pictures of servicemen who despite suffering terrible injuries were now tackling life with even more courage and determination.
For several days TV news featured the story of Paul and Rachel Chandler who survived their 388 day ordeal as hostages of Somali pirates and are now back home and building their lives again.
Another story to catch my eye - possibly because I'm  a fan of Italian football but I hope for other reasons too - was the one about Roberto Baggio. A legendary member of the "Azzuri" and former FIFA player of the year - Roberto is the 2010 winner of the Peace Summit Award, bestowed by Nobel Peace Prize laureates in recognition of his long-term efforts for charity.
There are several threads to this story that interest me:
- The diversity of his challenges:- Fundraiser for hospitals and earthquake victims. Fighter gainst bird flu. UN goodwill ambassador campaigning against hunger. Pro-democracy movement member supporting the release of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma.
-  His conversion from Roman Catholicism to Buddhism  and its suggestion that he was drawn to change as he moved on in life.
- And thirdly, that he should change from a career in football - better known perhaps for having ex-stars who remain in the game. Sometimes clinging on to opportunity until that runs out - rather than sensing that there could be something better out there and moving on to fresh challenges.
It's easy to draw a parallel for that last supposition with the thousands of people who are at the "fulfilled stage" of everyday careers. Clinging onto opportunity. Fearful that it will run out - but unable to accept that there are better things out there. Doubting their ability to reskill for a new "ball game" or fit in with a new team. Possibly concerned that their reputation will count for little in any new role. And I'll admit to having held those fears! But like so many others I found out that whilst thinking I'd achieved success as measured in conventional ways - a better success was to come along.

• The success of doing what I really wanted to do.
• The success of making a difference in a way that actually meant something.
• The success of doing a variety of new things that I wouldn't have previously thought I could. 

I used to remember Roberto for "skying" a penalty in the World Cup Final penalty shoot out against Brazil. Now I think of him as campione del Peace Summit and Onwego hero!
   

Blueberry juice improves your sex life!

Possibly because mathematics was my one and only "1st in class" subject - numbers seem to feature prominently throughout my working life. 
From first encounters as a bought ledger totalling trainee accountant - to "dims working up" building surveyor - then  activity sampling work study engineer I felt as secure with numbers as a bead on an abacus!
Next came the middle years in Sales and Marketing - winning business on the strength of sterling weighted rates of sale and category average margin contribution. Nielsen and MGS market data was my favourite read.
Now as an Acorn defined "affluent grey" self-employed 55+ Web Marketer I avidly scour the internet for OnWeGo relevant articles with conclusive statistical outcomes.
Yes it's true to say I have a passion for maths - if facts are supported by statistics I'm more likely to believe it (probably 40% more likely!). Facts like:
- When researching sexual activity of men and women aged over 55 the University of Chicago happened to observe that interest in sex amongst singles was 57% for men compared to 11% for women.
- 50 year old women have 5% to 8% better short-term verbal memory than 50 year old men as proven in research at the Institute of Education, University of London.  
- Blueberry juice improves the memory of pensioners by 40% in word association tests. As reported by the University of Cincinatti when testing pensioners who drank a pint of blueberry a day over 3 months!
So from the above we can easily postulate:
In single men and women over 55 the interest levels in sex compare approximately 5:1 and this correlates with an inferior short-term verbal recall level for men in the same age group. Verbal recall would of course include chat up lines so we see a likely explanation. Blueberry juice consumption has been shown to substantially improve verbal recall.
Ipso facto - drinking blueberry juice improves your sex life!
OK! Research Statistician may not be career shift number 7!!
But what I will postulate is that the web is a gold mine of knowledge which millions want to access and pay for! And that us over 55's have a wealth of accumulated knowledge - all of it experience ....and sometimes mistakes based! 
Getting started with an on-line knowledge based business couldn't be simpler.
- Write e books on your passion and create your marketable products !
- Publish on-line articles and write a blog to create awareness and attract customers. 
Just Google "e books" "article marketing" and "blogging" and see how much you will learn in a few hours.
Just follow your passion. It's more than "odds on" you'll be a success!     

Network your way back to work!

On Wednesday I went to my first networking breakfast in almost a year.  I arrive late at the new venue - a prominent football stadium - and drive in ironically cheering the one and only  directional sign I have seen on my entire journey?
Being late I miss the preliminary socialising and that's not good for me.  Any hint of social exclusion brings out an anarchic rebellious streak.  I have a "Reggie Perrin moment" and will the Breakfast Club host to fall from the chair where he commands attention during  his opening remarks. A video cameraman is filming proceedings - I  innocently obstruct his view and get asked to move.  
Breakfast is finally called. In the scrum for table places I see from the side the Retro  Bookmaker's  suit of the local networking pariah - and successfully avoid eye contact!
Surely a camouflaged look would help him avoid the Billy no mates table? 

Then I settle at the breakfast table between two welcoming and easy to chat with business women - a graphic designer and an HR and Change Consultant. I feel included once more - suddenly all the angst has gone and those rested networking skills are up and running.

After the customary "what do you do?" exchanges we refresh thoughts on successful networking techniques, talking about:

• The essential Elevator Pitch - how it must make clear what it is that you do and what that does for your customer.
• The essence of the elevator pitch - your "special widget" ...the distillation of what you do  that distinguishes you from others doing the same. This we agreed is the bit that networkers will remember and encourage them to recommend you.
• A story - a case study or anecdote that illustrates your widget at work and shows what it achieved.

Later on that day I was talking with a colleague about the challenges of getting back into work.   Recalling my earlier conversations we quickly agree that business networking offers a terrific opportunity for securing employment - and the disciplines of business referral are entirely relevant as well:

Nothing works better than a personal recommendation. 

And nothing makes making a recommendation easier than a memorable success story.

Although initially amused we also see the relevance of those "moments" I'd had earlier:

An unfamiliar journey made difficult by inadequate signs!

The feeling of "socially exclusion" by an established group.

Because these are the feelings that many experience when seeking employment after years in a secure familiar role. But just like my moments this morning - they are illusional. We create these perceptions ourselves.  And once set aside we find that all is familiar and we are as as good as we ever were. 

So that's the message to every jobseeker then-

Find your "widget" ...create your story ... get out there ...be early ...and don't wear a Retro-Bookmaker's suit