It’s 6:40 am on a cold, sharp frosty morning here in Cheshire. As I look out the window that faces my computer I can see the red and pink colors of the morning in the sky. It looks stunning. I just wonder how many people notice that while they rush around getting ready to jump in their car and leave for the office in the daily rush?

It reminded me of the story of ‘Old Hank’.

Old Hank was 84 when he died. He had a long life, more years than most. He look fit, he looked healthy and he could work like a Horse. That was old Hank.

Old Hank was a loner. He was alone. He never married although had his share of women. He never had kids but loved the idea of being a dad. He rarely had friends because Hank was always doing what he does. Hank wanted kids and wanted a wife… but not until he found IT!

In fact you could find Hank in the same place, the same spot for years. Digging, searching, waiting.

Hank was a Gold miner. He dug for Gold until the day he died. Many people loved old Hank. They would take him food, gifts, clothes and friendship. But speaking with Hank was near impossible unless you’d climb down into the hole with him where he would hold his old pick in his leather like hands, day in, day out digging and searching for the Gold.

On the most incredible day, stunning skies, beautiful nights Hank never noticed, His focus was single minded. His eyes looked forward with the intensity of an Eagle. Just in case, just for the moment that the glint of gold would shine through the dust. His vision was tunnel, straight ahead, almost blind… continue reading

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

These are very interesting times don’t you think?

As the 43 year old rusty boat sailed along the cold, harsh Atlantic ocean, a small trickle of freezing arctic water began to seep through a small gap that was barely big enough to fit a small finger into.

As the sailor stood in the dark, damp hull trying to plug the hole with his old ‘proven’ filler he could hear  the sound of more water coming from behind him.

He turned, shone his torch only too see more small leaks coming through bulging patches that had already been repaired time and time again over the past few years.

The problem was this.

As he fixed one, the others were leaking … what was he to do? If the water carried on at the rate it was coming in they would at some point sink.

He didn’t think so, in fact he carried on like this for another 14 years.

One morning he kissed his wife goodbye. He said to her what he had said to her for the past 20 plus years.

Goodbye. I love you. See you in 3 days.

He never came back. His rusting, patched up, rotten boat sank without trace never to see the daylight again.

These are interesting times.

It’s clear the old ways no longer work.

As we watch the politicians and bankers run around like headless chicken trying to desperately prop up a system that is on the brink of sinking forever.

Why are they so interested in banking and your numbers? Why do they advise so heavily time and time again about how you should invest or play with your cash? Do they care?

No they don’t care, they only care about them, nothing more, nothing less. That is why the politicians… continue reading

So when we think bad stuff, it holds us in a grip, when we do bad stuff, we can feel it deep inside, when we plan bad stuff, it’ll come back to get us at some point. Continue reading →

His skin and lack of facial hair gave his age away. 15 Years old, covered in teenage spots, teeth held together with a brace, hair gelled at least 8 inches above his head a nervous smile and then he spoke.

"winning this talent show means everything to me, it’s my life" said the 15 year old, the 17 year old, the 27 year old and the 47 year old on X-Factor the talent show that trawls through the disillusioned, the talentless, the blatantly freakish and the microscopic few that are half decent and marketable.

I think.

It seems almost everywhere you go these days we have people that have become obsessed with the idea that fame equals happiness.

"All I want is to be known, to be famous, to be a star"

They crave attention, adoration, love, recognition of some kind. And there are those that can gain this almost instantly.

Like the kids covered in head to toe in tattoos that gain the head turning, jaw dropping moments as they walk through the mall begging to be looked at and admired by their peers but repulsed by their adults.

The young girls that walk almost exposed at levels that used to only be for the bedroom, again heads turn, jaws drop, eyes pop and the adults are shocked as they see the blatant hype that a youth has believed that ‘just’ sex makes the wanted.

And almost on every corner, at many ages this 21st century disease of the GenerVeneration can be seen almost everywhere.

How can it be that a teenager would say on live TV that winning a competition is his or her life especially when they clearly have no talent? Their mother, father, step mum, step dad, brother, sister or gang of pals tells… continue reading

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Alan Forrest Smith

I’ve just seen a man with a dead face talking.

As I walked out of my local town from the distance as I walked slowly down the hill I could see a guy sitting on a step.

He was wearing a dirty gray hoodie, filthy blue jeans with holes in, his blond hair was long, dirty and matted.

In his right hand was a cigarette. He was talking. He looked dead in the face.

His skin was gray, almost like a battleship paint color with parts of his face actually peeling away.

His eyes were almost black to look at surrounding with a huge circle of pain and hard times.

I found it hard to look at him. Actually he was smiling, he was talking to a girl that look almost as bad as he did.

They were both sat on the step of a drug recovery house. They looked a long way from recovery of any kind.

But you know I wondered.

I wondered how many times, how many opportunities, how many moments had slipped this guy by. He had seen them and let them go. Why? I have no idea but looking at him right now (without judgment) he was clearly in a place that was literally making him look like the walking dead.

I thought about his mother, his father, his siblings and how they would feel if they saw him in this moment? I think the answer is obvious.

But here is my point.

Five years ago, ten years ago he could have been a young guy with a lot of hope for the future. Dreams of achievement, flying first class, driving his dream machine, living his life at its fullest potential, in a beautiful relationship with the lady of his life.

OMG… continue reading

By Alan Forrest Smith

There’s a man at the window.

Well he’s not on the outside, he’s on the inside but spends his day looking out.

One day as I was passing I stopped and asked the man …

"I see you almost everyday looking out the window"

He replied, "yes I am looking out of the window"

I stopped just for a moment and then dared to further the conversation.

I asked, "looking at what exactly from your window"

He replied "change"

I asked, "change with what?" because as you can imagine I was intrigued.

He replied, "change in my circumstance’s"

I was even more curious at this point because I wasn’t quite sure what to say next after all it was none of my business.

So I gently asked the man at the window, "when you say circumstance, what do you mean?"

He simply replied, "my life, I hate it the way it is, it’s always been the same, I just want change"

So I said goodbye, thanked him for speaking to me and offered to bring back anything from the shops that he might need.

I went to the shops and walked back past the man’s home. There he was stood at the window. I waved, he waved back.

He is the man at the window.

What I haven’t mentioned just yet is I have seen that man almost everyday over the past 20 years standing, staring, looking out of his window. He was waiting, he is waiting, he’ll always be waiting until the day he dies.

Anyway, it really got me thinking about people and their lives. It got me thinking about my own life and how it has transformed to an unrecognizable place from just a few years ago.

In 2003 there I was slaving… continue reading

By

Alan Forrest Smith

I’ve just spoken at another zzzzzzzzeminar.

There’s been a massive shift in the attendees, or so I think.

Now before I say too much, don’t take any offense if you create and promote seminars or you attend them. I am simply sharing my observations here.

So…

I am just back from speaking at a seminar. And I noticed there is a definite pattern unfolding in the seminar world.

I call it Zeminar Zombies!

The seminar works like this: The room has been hired, the speakers have been arranged, the audience have been informed and romo gets filled.

On the day, each speaker in turn gives his/her presentation, proves his or herself an expert and at the end of the presentation makes some kind of offer to the crowd so they can work alongside the expert or go away with a new product designed to help them make money.

THE EXPERT: Some of these guys (just some) are incredible, they have lightning-fast-speed access to success that makes the new Star Trek warp speed look slow. I have had the honor of working alongside some genius experts that I love to bits.

But how can you as the attendee tell they are the real thing?

Experts; They are usually humble and don’t spout or boast about every last cent they make. Also… you know a real expert when you see one, you just know.

Here’s a tip; If you have to think about "are they a real expert" they usually won’t be! You will know deep inside who the real deal are.

The real-deal are the guys that over-deliver time and time again. They provide the product, the service, the back-up, the support. On stage they give everything they can, the sale is secondary!

Online look… continue reading