How to step up in an emergency

Posted by Ben Lumley on Mar 7, 2010 in Dealing with Problems | 28 comments

Accident Creative Commons License photo credit: ImNotQuiteJack I was reminded of the importance of stepping up in an emergency recently when my friend Jen from Reach Our Dreams was involved in a road traffic accident and ended up with her car in a field. Thankfully she was absolutely fine, apart from being a little shaken up, but the people that stopped to help her made all the difference to the situation. When faced with an emergency that has nothing to do with us, it's often very easy to just pass on by. Why get involved? It has nothing to do with us. We can't really help anyway. Someone else will be along in a minute. If you've ever thought that, you're not alone. Many of us do it all the time without even a second thought. But I want to challenge you to help. I want to challenge you to stop and make a difference not because you think you should but because it's the right thing to do. Many of us are fearful in emergency situations, not because they are scary places to be, but because we're worried about making something worse or not knowing what to do.

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The Keys to Unlocking Success: Part 5 Determination

Posted by Ben Lumley on Jan 22, 2010 in Dealing with Problems, Success | 23 comments

Determination Creative Commons License photo credit: pixelposition What is it that Billy Ocean song says? "When the going gets tough, the tough get going?" He's got a point you know? When things are tough in life, we tend to fall into 4 groups of people. 1. We run away 2. We find others to offer support and comfort 3. We do nothing, unable to process what's going on 4. We fight through to win the day Most of us know these as the flight, flock, freeze and fight response that make up the automated survival instincts programmed into all of us. They stop us from being run over by a bus (most of the time) in the same way as they kept us alive when confronted by a Woolly Mammoth. When you watch a successful person who is confronted by problem you'll notice that rather than throwing their hands in the air and running away, they actually fight their way through. They may seek advice from others to help them on their way, but they'll always attack the problem rather than running away from it. When successful people are going through one of those general, non-specific rocky patches that we all go through, you'll never see them fade away. Instead you'll see them fight on, determined to resolve the situation.

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7 Ways to Get Yourself Out of a Slump

Posted by Ben Lumley on Dec 15, 2009 in Dealing with Problems | 6 comments

Free child looking out a window with reflection stock photo Creative Commons Creative Commons License photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography No matter how positive you try to be, some days you just can’t liven your spirits. Sometimes you don’t feel like being very helpful and just want to be left alone. From time to time you can’t find the motivation to do the things you want to do. Some days you don’t want to face the world. Call it a slump, call it depression, call it the blues; we’ve all been there at some point in time and we’ve all dealt with it in different ways. I remember going through a bit of a slump in my life about 18 months ago. There was no real reason for it. I’d not had a life changing experience that has left me feeling shattered; I’d just been struggling to find the energy to do things. I remember it started when I came back from a summer holiday in Spain. I’d spent 10 days not really doing much and just relaxing by the pool. My problem, I think, began when I got back and I stayed in the same relaxed manner. I started sleeping in later and later in the mornings, which led to me going to bed later and later each evening. I found myself watching more and more TV and less time writing or reading. Before I knew what had happened I was becoming irritable and stressed out. It took a couple of weeks until I noticed what was happening and what had gone wrong. So I decided that I need to make some changes in ordered to haul myself out of the hole I was in.

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5 Reasons Why a Geek is Important in a Crisis

Posted by Ben Lumley on Nov 27, 2009 in Dealing with Problems, Geek | 2 comments

(340/365) TOO SOON! FAR TOO SOON!

Creative Commons License photo credit: Sarah G...

As a geek, I'm constantly mocked and ridiculed. From family and friends, to people I work with or strangers who I met every day, I'm constantly dealing with a barrage of micky taking about me and my lifestyle of a geek. Fellow geeks rise up and admit to your oppression!!! Ok maybe that's a bit much…

Being a geek or a nerd, depending on your preference (I'm not here to judge) brings with it a certain stigma that dates back to the beginning of time and that sadly still exists today. You see muggles (what I call non-geek people) don't understand geek ways or how our brains work and never appreciate us until we're needed.

If you're reading this as a non-geek, then don't despair, here are my 5 reasons as to why it's good to have a geek around in a crisis. If you are a geek use this as a way of remembering your importance in society.

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