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Success

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What is success? Over the years I have never felt particularly successful because of the socially constructed image of what success is. You get a career, you get married, you have kids, you get promoted, you buy a house, you then buy a bigger house and so on and so on. Social media is really not a helpful tool sometimes because we see the images posted by friends and maybe somewhere inside we see what they have as the success we desire. I have felt this way. Over the past 12 months though I have started to look at things differently. Success should only be measured by what we want it to be. When I delve retrospectively into my 42 years I can see how much I really have succeeded. I have lived in 3 countries, travelled to 14. I have had a job where I have been promoted. I have a great family. I have started 3 different businesses and each in their own way garnered some level of success, even if this success was not financial.  Then if I delve deeper I also find success in...
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Tough Days

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When starting this blog I set out to write something, or post something, every single day. I wouldn't ever say I live a particularly exciting life so there are days where I wonder if I actually have anything to say.  But I suppose even when we think there is nothing, there is in fact something.  Today was a tough day, I had 6 online English lessons to teach and each one takes its own levels of energy. Dealing with very young second language speakers, who are mainly beginners, takes an inordinate amount of energy. Where sometimes in teaching you can take mental breaks, or voice breaks, throughout a lesson as students complete a task this style of teaching is constant talking. Crazy how tiring it is just talking and repeating the same phrases and words over and over again. Whilst I am of course complaining in the above paragraph, in contrast I am also extremely thankful that during this very difficult time I am lucky enough to have a job. There are periods when I don...
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Another Passion

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Since I started writing this blog, a week ago, I have already introduced you to two of my favourite things. Going for walks and reading (not at the same time). Well another of my passions has always been, and I think always will be, music. I have collected music since my late teens in CD format and have the majority of that collection today, over the years my taste has changed a bit so some have been sold on but the core of my collection still remains. CD is a great format, however, we are really spoilt nowadays with streaming services. I use a streaming service and it's great if I just want to quickly listen to something or am in no real mood to choose, but for me where it becomes an invaluable tool is that of music discovery. New bands, new albums, plus old bands and albums that are new to me. I am forever discovering new things to listen to. I don't very often but music on CD anymore, being a self confessed musical snob (if they make the charts I am not really in...
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Beautiful Prague (Part 1)

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I forgot to post yesterday, which annoyed me immensely when I remembered this morning. So today there will be two posts to make up for it! The first is this, just a collection of photos I have taken over the last few months of how beautiful Prague is. I hope you enjoy them.
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Another Week Completed

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Every week seems like it lasts a month at the moment, especially whilst we are in the swing of things within that week. However, the other weird anomoly to all of this is that it is already March! On the one hand time seems to drag and on the other I feel like it is just dripping away so fast like badly plumbed faucet. The weekend is now here though, that's another week completed, another week of lessons and planning and seemingly talking non-stop for hours on end. The weekends for me are sacred, they are family time, they are exploration time, what can I find that I haven't seen before this weekend? We sometimes head into the weekend with a plan of action but most of the time pick a starting point (usually a metro stop) and see where our legs take us, that is the joy of living in such a fantastically beautiful city. Have a great weekend folks, rest, spend quality time with loved ones, but use the time wisely because the next time you blink it will probably be Chris...
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Goalsetting: Books

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Every year I set myself a goal when it comes to reading. I track this on Goodreads. This year is no exception and I have set my target as 30 books. At the time of writing I have already read four books this year and am around 1/3 of the way through another two ~ I can't help myself but read more than one book at a time. This blog has no real plan and that's the way I would like it remain. I am writing simply because I want to and I guess in a way it's another form of goalsetting because I want to publish something every single day. Reading for me is about pleasure and relaxation but I do also want to be challenged, although I mainly read fiction I want that fiction to make me think and to make me feel something in a deeper level. One book that is really doing that for me at the moment is Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life. I am around 1/3 through it and numerous times it has already made me feel something. Some emotion that needs to be brought to the surface b...
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What is This Place?

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Found this whilst out walking once, it's not too far from Ladvi Metro station in Prague. Absolutely beautiful building and it would make a weird but pretty awesome house. Anyone know what it is? I would guess at an old water tower but don't actually know. Couldn't get right up close as it is on what looks like private property. There is another one that is similar in Prague 4 not too far from where I live. If you happen across this blog and know what it is then please leave a comment. Architecture amazes me, for example, I have never been religious and don't believe in God but I find churches and cathedrals, for the most part, beautiful and full of serenity and peace. Prague is full of such places and I will be looking for more.
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