The messages of hope that I wish I could share with my former self
It was a March day in 2006. I sat in the driver’s seat of a hired truck, my share of the marital possessions loaded meticulously in the back of it. My wife and I had just locked the door of our former marital home for the last time and were about to go our separate ways in life, metaphorically and literally.
We said our final farewell (albeit in a symbolic sense) and a few tears were shed. Having jointly resolved that we’d play an active part in raising our two daughters, then aged 6 and 3, we knew we’d be…
OPEN LETTERS
We’re not all Elon Musk wannabes you know?
Dear Bitcoin-Haters
I’m here today representing the views of Bitcoin enthusiasts the world over.
I should emphasize that I’m not here in an official capacity, nor do I have the endorsement of the Bitcoin community. Nobody does, not even Elon Musk (in spite of what he might think). I’m just a small-time Bitcoin investor who was late to the crypto-party and who has a little knowledge and experience — a passionate amateur if you want to put a label on me.
I’m here today to plead for a little calm and to present the case for dropping the hate just…
Confront that analysis paralysis
Do you ever suffer from analysis paralysis?
It’s that feeling when you’re so caught up in a decision and overwhelmed at the options available to you, that you do nothing instead. Baffled by the choices, motivation fades and confidence crumbles. To commit to one path or to take the first step feels impossible.
After endlessly evaluating our options, we often end up do nothing or at best take half-hearted action with half our attention on the options we’ve just rejected.
When the paralysis wins, our situation remains fundamentally unchanged.
Progress is negligible or at best, stilted.
Rewards go unclaimed. …
Inflammatory comments from Lara Trump reveal her preference
Just a few days after Texan Governor Greg Abbott pledged a further $1.1 Billion to support the building of a wall along the state’s border with Mexico, Lara Trump appeared on Fox News on June 12th, largely to criticize VP Kamala Harris for her recent diplomatic endeavors over the US-Mexico border crisis.
Lara Trump, daughter-in-law of former President Donald Trump (and Fox News contributor) seems intent on carrying on where he left off — being inflammatory in her comments and lacking in compassion or empathy. The most damning of her comments? That Americans living along the US-Mexico border:
“…better arm…
Achieving and maintaining anything good requires life-long effort and commitment
Some of the most powerful realisations seem blindingly obvious once the fog has cleared and the confusion has lifted from our minds. Such was the case when I figured out the role of goal-setting in my life.
When I set myself goals in the past, I’d usually become myopically focused on the end-state and the achievement or attainment of the ‘thing’ that I desired. In the process, I became blinded to joy of the here and now — unable to recognise signs of progress and unwilling to enjoy the process in the absence of the prize.
I’d conditioned myself to…
They recovered the Colonial Pipeline ransom thanks to transparency granted by the blockchain — a feature, not a flaw
On June 7th at a Department of Justice briefing, members of the FBI triumphantly reported the recovery of millions of dollars worth of the Bitcoin from the Russian cyber-criminal gang known as DarkSide. They seized around 63 of the 75 Bitcoin that had been paid by Colonial Pipeline to resolve a recent ransomware attack — a victory for the FBI, striking a blow against the hackers and for Colonial Pipeline in getting some of their money back.
While the recovery of funds at the expense of the bad guys is good news, it’s frustrating that Bitcoin’s many critics believe that…
It hurts like hell and I don’t know how to fix it.
The role that’s been most rewarding and significant in defining the course of my life is being a dad.
At the age of 45 I’m a father to two daughters aged 17 and 21, and two step-kids — a boy, 15 and another girl who just turned 13. I’ve been a parent for most of adulthood and it’s shaped virtually everything about me — where I live, what I do for work and how I live my life.
It’s because this role has been so pivotal that my current struggle is hurting as much as it is; my younger daughter…
Are cyber attacks becoming more frequent or just more effective?
Fuel-supplies across the USA are finally returning to normal in the wake of the Colonial Pipeline cyber attack last month. It was resolved when the Russian organised crime group DarkSide were paid a ransom of $4.4 million in Bitcoin.
Less than a month after the Colonial Pipeline hack, the world’s leading meat packer — JBS — had to temporarily halt the slaughter of cattle at its processing plants across the USA and in Australia. The closure was caused by another ransomware attack attributed to another Russian organized crime group. …
A violation of freedoms or a way of getting back to normal?
After months of living under restrictions and stay-at-home orders, people the world over are desperate to get back to normal. Most favor doing so in a way that’s controlled and measured rather than risking going back to square one by being too carefree, too quickly.
The return of legitimate freedoms without fear of illness or increasing the odds of a further wave of Covid-19 seems to rest on a couple of things; getting the vaccine rolled-out as widely as possible and adopting appropriate precautions for the foreseeable future.
The use of masks and regular hand-washing are two such measures that…
When just being there is good enough.
In this age of chaos and turmoil, many are searching for ways to simplify their lives — to reduce the metaphorical noise and mental clutter, to make life a little more palatable. Things like simply tidying our homes, minimalist living or embracing the principles of Hygge promise to ease the mental and emotional clutter and make life a little easier.
Life can often be simplified by merely doing the basics well — focusing your attentions on what you can control and letting the rest of life unfold around you. …
Toby Hazlewood
A writer, dad and husband sharing his thoughts, wins and losses to help and inspire others. Say hello at bit.ly/TobyHazlewood
