Not exactly as Oliver Norvell Hardy would have said it...

Anyone, who have had the pleasure to see any of the many films that Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy (Laurel and Hardy, as they are commonly known, or for that sake Arthur Stanley Jefferson and Norvell Hardy, if we are to stay with the names they were originally given) made together, will have met the almost proverbial sentence, which Hardy happily subject Laurel to at almost any given occasion:

Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten me into.

And I think it is a very normal reaction, which is so close to us: when something goes wrong, we start looking for outer reasons, through which our own innocence has been led so badly astray.
But I think there is a much better way to do things: rather than looking for the reasons outside of ourselves, we should look for inner reasons instead. Not to say that we at all costs should find an explanation in which we ourselves were the reason why something happened, but usually, there's always something that could have been done better - if nothing else, it is always interesting to delve into the question: what could I have done differently to avoid things going as wrong as they did.
Hereby, we indirectly get to use our observations constructively. They are not to be used to point fingers at oneself. On the contary, they can prove invaluable when striving to avoid repeating unfortunate situations.
(Translated from Ikke lige som Oliver Norvell Hardy ville have sagt det..., originally published May 24, 2009)

East is East, and West is West - and You and I are We

When it comes to opposites - regardless whether they are due to religion, countries of origin, gender or other differences - a lot of people feel about them as they read in Kipling's poem "The Ballad of East and West":

Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet,
Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God's great Judgment seat;

- and doing this, it is absolutely without importance whether they know the individual to which they thereby compare themselves.
But in that way, we not only neglect to acknowledge the indivitual, we also neglect the following two lines in the poem:

But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth,
When two strong men stand face to face, though they come from the ends of the earth!

- that is: when two persons stand face to face, it is no longer possible to generalise. At this point, there really are only two individuals - who of course have their differences, but that should not be reason to let them be subject to generalisations; they should be seen as very special human beings - both of them.
Just as we ourselves like to be treated as individual human beings, we have a special duty to threat the people we meet in the same way.
(Translated from Øst er øst, og vest er vest - og du og jeg er vi, originally published May 1, 2018)

Flashing alarm lights in management

Not so long ago, I had a new job - changing from a larger workplace to a smaller one, where the development department I ended up in is the size of the HR department alone in my former workplace.
Not that I have ever doubted that I chose correctly by saying yes to my new job. I can certainly find things I miss - especially many excellent, now former colleagues - but if I will ever be really in doubt, I just have to look at the post-it note that I have placed in the front of my notebook - from a meeting at my old workplace where we discussed processes and improvements to them.
In all simplicity, it says:
Which part of my overhead is necessary - and which is just to please HR?
Now, when a company's employees seriously start asking themselves such questions, all warning lights should start flashing. In management - and especially in HR ...
Translated from Blinkende lygter på ledelsesgangen)

The alarm clock is my friend

The alarm clock is my friend.
There are times, when I am able to make it without its help, but it is invaluable when it calls upon me to do the things that I have prioritized to do, with a priority so high that I cannot allow myself to be late for them.
Some would think that these are the things that my surroundings have prioritized to make me do, with a priority so high that they cannot allow me to be late for them, but deep down inside, the choice is mine. And thereby, I have made it my priority.

Therefore, I should be grateful for the friendship of the alarm clock - because it helps me to fulfill my priorities. 

And yes, naturally: there are days, when I wish I could have stayed in bed a little longer. But most often, the reason is that I have been too busy the night before, doing things that I maybe should have prioritized a little less. Because it is an important ability to master: the art of saying no. Not least to say no to myself.

(Translated from Vækkeuret er min ven)

The straitjacket of complacency

Back in the eighties, I heard a Danish radio host say the following words: "Only rarely things go according to our dreams - and if they do, our dreams have been too small."
There quite a lot of truth in ths. We do wisely when we set goals for ourselves. Of course these goals shall not be unobtainable. But if they are too small and too easy to accomplish, and if we do not set gradually bigger goals, already while we are in the process of meeting the current goals, we are at risk becoming satisfied with too little, and then we end up catching ourselves in the straitjacket of complacency.
And that is no nice place to end up in.
(Translated from Selvtilfredshedens spændetrøje)

People who will be missed

From time to time people I met using socia media announce that for a period of time, they will take a break away from the keyboard - it could be due to vacation, business trips or simply that they need a break.
And in that situation it is often seen that they are met with the obligatory greeting that "we are going to miss you."
And that's all very good and polite, but sometimes it is difficult not to think: how many of these people would you actually miss, actually and for real, if they all of a sudden disappeared from your screen due to a decision to go sheepfarming in the Outer Hebrides?
I am of the firm conviction that it is not 20000 followers on Twitter that will make me a happy social media user. No - what makes me a happy Twitter user who feels that he gets something out of his online presence are the approximately 20 people that I follow, and who follow me, who are engaged in two-way communication, where we are able to inspire each other.
These are the people to whom I would any day write that I am going to miss them. They constitute only a fraction - very few percent - of my Twitter followers, but they make a difference far beyond average and prove that quality is preferable to quantity any time. Because we are able to inspire each other.
(Translated from Noget om savn)

On the topic of opportunities and answers

Long time ago, I had written the following headline: "See the possibilities in a landscape of no answers". I had this headline lying around for ages, because I did not really know what to do with it. But it is so obviously right. Because that is the way I feel: actually, I am most at ease in the situations where there are no obvious answers, where I have to look into things myself. And that is the case in many situations: if we do not know precisely what to do, it opens for creative thinking and quaint solutions.
For the same reason, it is worth saying: even if there might be an obvious answer for a question, it might actually in some situations be beneficial to try to disregard that answer and start looking into things on our own. Maybe something new is found along the way. And that even if the final conclusion is the answer that was disregarded in the first place.
(Translated from Noget om at se mulighederne, når man mangler svar, originally published November 21, 2015)

On the topic of love and hate

I recently read the following in the feed of my good Twitter friend Dondi Scumaci:

When your hate for something drives you harder than your love for something, you have lost your way.

And I do not in any way disagree with Dondi - far from it, because there is great truth in this. But still, it made me think: actually, whenever I feel that my hate is driving me anywhere, it's time to stop and reconsider what's going on. And at this point, it is surely worth considering some other driver for my actions.
Normally, I am a great supporter of reframing problems, and many will probably think that this would be an obvious case where reframing is in place - for isn't it just that easy: let the hate for something be replaced by love for the absence of this something? An obvious example: no, I do not hate the noise - I love the silence. Or the sounds of birds that I can not hear for traffic noise. Or...
And that might all be very good - many times you will find that you are not really driven by hate, but by the love of an opposition. The above example is an excellent one of the kind - only few people hate the noise because it's noise, but rather because noise makes enjoyment of silence or tweeting birds impossible.
But be careful not to blindly let irrational hate be reframed as the love of the opposite. If, for example, I suffered from arachnophobia - I'm not at all certain that it would be constructive to replace my hate for spiders with a penchant for killing them. It might be better to look closer and understand what is the basis for my arachnophobia. And perhaps I would even realize that there are also good things about spiders that I can enjoy - and get ideas to arrange my daily life so they and I do not bother each other quite as much?
(Translated from Noget om kærlighed og had)

The first casualty

It's said that "The first casualty when war comes is truth" - meaning that when a war breaks out between two parties, it is no longer to be taken for granted that the truth about the war and the things happening in its wake is reported objectively. Unfortunately, this is quite predictable when you consider what war is all about - it is hard to justify that the flower of the nation's youth is about to depart in order to kill the same part of the population of another country, if it is accompanied by elaborate stories underlining that on some points, the opponent is not entirely wrong.
This is bad enough. But what's even worse is how the same tendency can be tracked all the way down to very small situations close to us, far away from the borderless consequences of global politics.
Think it over: how many times haven't you experienced two parties, both of which you value highly, who have come on bad terms with each other? Two parties, who - if you get either of them alone face-to-face - are able to relate such different stories about what has happened and the motives of the parties that you cannot help but think: is it really the same basic train of events that is the basis of both of these stories?
And here, it is quite okay to be puzzled. We might not be able to make a difference when nations fall out and beat the drums of war - but on a personal level, where "only" personal interests are basically at stake - shouldn't we become a bit better to use nuances in our expressions? to see the world from the opponent's point of view? To walk a mile in the other party's shoes, so to speak (without falling prey to Jack Handey's ironic statement)?
Of course there are people who have gone so far without thinking like this, that they end up in a situation from which it is difficult to return. But most of us would do ourselves - and other people - a favour, if we were able to accept that the world is not solely black and white. If we became better at understanding matters seen from the side, from which we do not normally see them. And if we were able to have a rational conversation about our differences, with respect for the opponent's reality.
As I read it the other day: "Sometimes, the best we can do is to admit that our opponent has a point."
(Translated from Det første offer, originally published January 21, 2018)

The opinion on the other side

I was recently referring to my old elementary school science teacher who would always play the part of the Devil's advocate against the pupils' point of view, just to make them see the other side - and in that context I found it interesting that I stumbled upon a quote from Charlie Munger, who is perhaps best known to be Warren Buffet's partner in the investment firm Berkshire Hathaway. The quote says that:

I never allow myself to have an opinion on anything that I don't know the other side's argument better than they do.

An attitude which, despite the fact that it sounds ambitious, is very good to have - as the knowledge it talks about is good to have. If you get to know the arguments both for and against so well that you would be able to argue for both at one and the same time, you also have in your conscious mind had the internal discussion that allows you to have an opinion.
This does not have to mean that you form an opinion which in carved in stone for eternity. People change, times change, and it's a very bad idea to hold on something just because you once thought it was the best way.
(Translated from Meningen på den anden side, originally published February 2, 2017)

Another one of my weaknesses

People who know me will know that I have a passion for languages ​​that goes far beyond my ability to put foreign languages ​​to practical use - a very good indication is that at the time when I first wrote this, I was the proud owner of the first volume of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter - Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - in no less than eight languages, of which I am totally without abilities to get understandable meaning out of at least half of them. But then I at least have the books on the shelf if one of my kids should take an interest in one of the languages ​​in question, and think it might be fun to use the young wizard as a companion venturing into it.
One of the more stressful side effects of my language obsession is that I just have to have a shallow exposure to a language before I get an unbearable desire to learn more of it. Initially just greetings, courtesy phrases and such stuff - and a similar urge to learn a new alphabet if there is need for anything but the one I normally use.
And now it has happened again. With the usual acquisition of basic textbooks, dictionaries and the like. Not that I think I'll ever master this language either. One can ask oneself if I will ever become any wiser.
And frankly, I do not really hope so.
(Translated from Endnu en af mine svagheder, originally published February 25, 2018)

The (not so) diabolical teacher

At a later point in time, I was told that one of my favorite teachers in elementary school once by parents in a meeting was asked about his attitude towards nuclear power - the subject was highly controversial in those years - and to this question he replied: "The pupils will never get to know my opinion. Unless they have an opinion themselves - then they can rest assured that my opinion is the absolute opposite."
At a time when one of the other major buzzwords was "indoctrination", and where several teachers could have a hard time leaving their personal attitudes in the teachers' room, it was one of his good personal traits that he was so willing to to play the devil's advocate - or the devil's science teacher, if you want to.
I think it would benefit all of us if we were more able and willing to engage in conversations challenged by opinions that differed from the ones we actually have - rather than being confirmed in our own opinions to the extent that they eventually become the only acceptable truth.
(Translated from Den (knapt så) djævelske lærer, published January 17, 2017)

Mistakes or fear?

One of my favorite quotes goes as follows:

A few mistakes made by a person working productively cost far less than a person paralyzed by laziness or fear.

The quote originates from a place that one might not have imagined. Some would probably expect some management guru, but the originator is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, who as his job titles have ruler of Dubai and vice president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates.
I think it's an excellent quote - as laziness and fear are so powerful opponents, it's crucial to fight them with all possible means. And one of the essentials is that we are all being made aware that what the quote says.
With this background, it is completely irrelevant whether it's a manager, an emir or ourselves expressing a willingness to accept mistakes, rather than what we are able to come up with when we fear making them.
(Translated from Fejl eller frygt?, originally published May 15, 2017)

Kindness is not weakness

I am of the firm conviction that kindness is the best policy - the one which will bring us furthest in life and as a species. Yes, in fact, I think the world will become a better place if we let kindness be our favorite reaction pattern when we interact with the world.
There is only one problem in this. There are people who confuse kindness with weakness, and some of these people will do their utmost to exploit such weakness for their own benefit.
And as such, there is only one way to meet that kind of people. They must be kindly, but definitely, be told that the exhibited behaviour is kindness, not weakness. And furthermore, that it must be considered most reasonable that we invest our kindness in people who recognize it as kindness and who therefore will not attempt exploit it.
(Translated from Venlighed er ikke svaghed)

On the topic of individuals

Over the last couple of weeks, I have had the pleasure - if you add stopovers to the count as well - to have visited six different countries, and in this context, I am saddened by how easily we tend to generalize: people who come from the country X, behaves in a way Y.
Of course, we can look at things as statistics and add up percentages of people from different populations who have given characteristics, but there's one thing that's important to keep in mind: when face to face with a another person from another country, it's extremely important not to generalize. Basically, you do not face "a person from the country X", which is why you should not form the assumption that "this person behaves in the way Y". No, you are faced with an individual, to whom you owe the common courtesy to assess her based on her personal characteristics - not based on statistics for people who come from the same country as she does.
And there are many other contexts in which the fact that a person belongs to a group of people does not automatically justify us categorizing her as belonging in a certain basket - as long as we do not know the individual person, we have no basis for categorization.
(Translated from Noget om enkeltpersoner)

The Tribe

Recently, it dawned on me that in my digital universe, something best described as synergy has suddenly emerged; a synergy between an old idea that I have been toying with for years and a phenomenon that is just on the brink of emerging.
After a long time, I started looking into what Twitter basically is and what can be used to, and I have become aware that on Twitter, there's a potential to find some interesting people. People, whose creativity one could appeal to and ask them to come up with their wild thoughts. People, who would be able to inspire each other with their posts and to develop each other's wild ideas with constructive comments.
I am well aware that maybe one out of 100 Twitter followers might be interested in participating in such a project. Might be ready to enter into such a tribal community, to stay in the jargon that surrounds the medium. But it is also not a project that will initially need dozens of people - so actually, it may just work. Once the critical mass is reached - and initially, it just needs to be a couple of people or so doing ping-pong with each other's ideas - it is "just" to set up a forum for communication and get going - and eventually, the snowball effect might just do the trick.
(Translated from Stammen, eller: The Invitationals, part 6, originally published October 12, 2017)

Excuses and ways

At some point, I was faced with a quote by the late American author and speaker Jim Rohn - a quote that, in all its scary simplicity, goes as follows:

If you really want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.

It's scary because it's so obviously right - and because we are all able see it if we look at ourselves in the mirror. It's so easy to find an excuse why something will not succeed, and therefore why I should just as well spare the effort making an attempt. But maybe, we should rather become better to look ourselves in the eyes and ask whether this this thing really is something we want to happen. And if we want to - well, then it is just find the way to go, and make it clear to oneself that excuses are no longer on the agenda. And it goes for everything - from jogging on a daily basis to the really great choices in life. (Translated from Undskyldninger og veje, originally published June 21, 2013)

Innovation and busker bands

I appreciate creativity and innovation in all its forms - and sometimes you'll see it in the funniest places. On a recent vacation, I saw it in a band of street musicians who had taken the stand on the main street.

Street musicians are probably seen in most places, but this band - to be found on YouTube under the name of Camachophones, if anyone should be interested - distinguishes itself by bringing - in addition to trumpet, tuba, saxophone and two "regular" percussionists - a somewhat distinctive instrument - which is easiest to describe by recognizing that an image says more than a thousand words.

Add to this that the musicians certainly seem to enjoy what they do, and all of it actually sounds really great - then it's hard not to be happy with the experience - and put 10 € for the CD sold from the instrument box in front, and some coins in addition.

A souvenir that might cost more than the average postcard. But on the other hand, it is also more unusual than the average.

(Translated from Innovation og gademusikanter)

Why? No - Why not?!

One of the most terrible phrases I know is "toxic relationships". The worst thing about it is that the phrase covers something that is at least as terrible as the expression itself. That is, people involved in relationships with other people without any positive contribution. Rather, it is the opposite; they only drain each other for energy in a non-constructive way. At worst, it is directly harmful to those involved because it harms their mental well-being.
Ideally, when we relate to other people, we do it to make a contribution to each other. To make each other better, as they say in the world of sports. We bring our diversity, enjoy the fact that others are not identical to ourselves, and together we form a unity larger than the parts that it consists of. As in the world of sports, thus also in workplaces and in relationships.
But sometimes things go wrong. Typically, it is in relationships that were originally good, but where the parties forgot what it was that back in the day made their relationship better than the parts it consisted of. Where people have found (as we say in Danish) the holes in the cheese, focused on them and let them grow so big that it is impossible to see what one once saw. Colleagues, who once worked well together, are now stuck in a psychologically bad work environment that they basically created together. Married couples who promised each other to love and to cherish each other until death did them part, but now live together as cat and dog, where people around them hardly remember when the fighting parties recently exchanged a loving word.
And you can ask yourself: why? Why do colleagues insist on ignoring that the salary they earn is expensive money to pay for the lack of psychological welfare that the get in return? Why do couples stay together for the sake of their children, but do the children no good by letting them experience Mum and Dad treat each other in a way that has nothing to do with loving relationships?
But maybe you should rather ask yourself: why not? Why do they not get together, look at each other and one self and consider what in the world they are doing? And start getting back to what initially made them know the other party as someone who could contribute to a relationship that was larger than its individual parts?
See, "why not" is probably the better question. And it should not be harder to ask yourself or others than "why?"
(Translated from Hvorfor? Nej, hvorfor ikke?!, originally published February 22nd, 2018)

A necessary uphill battle

The other day I encountered an interesting quote, attributed to Arthur Koestler.

Conforming to a deformed society creates deformed individuals.

It is worth remembering, when we sometimes think that everything goes wrong in the community around us. It's so easy to give in to thinking: When other people seem to think of their own interest only - why should I think of others than myself? When other people cheat with their taxes and the government hardly is able to get hold of the money people owe- why should I pay what I am obliged to? When others find loopholes to contribute as little as possible to the common best - why should I not follow their example?
The quote gives the simple reason. There is no good way of adjusting to the distorted norms that seem to prevail in the surrounding community - it is just distorting yourself.
Instead, we must do our utmost to behave, as we feel citizens reasonably should, exhibit a good example and hope, with this example, to contribute to the development of society in a sensible direction. Although it may sometimes feel like an uphill battle.
(Translated from En nødvendig kamp opad bakke, originally published March 18, 2018)

On the topic of positive thinking

Recently, I have thrown quite some energy into the topic of positive thinking.
I am not oblivious to the fact that there may be those who think that positive thinking may be all very good, but it is as if it requires you to have a certain positive foundation to start from.
Indeed, I'm probably blind to my privileges when I even allow myself to neglect it (and I admit that I'm privileged to even have the possibility to sit here and write something that basically must be termed as unproductive, as I am writing it just because I'd like to). For how should all the many who aren't as privileged as I have the opportunity to think positively, when they do not have the same positive foundation?
To that I can only reply: yes, as mentioned above, I acknowledge that there are many who are not as privileged as I. But similarly, it must be acknowledged that there are quite many who are even more privileged than I, and not having their privileges does not prevent me from thinking positive thoughts. It is simply difficult for me to think of a situation where it isn't beneficial to replace the thought "why is this happening to me?" by "how do I get the best out of this situation?"
And I will promise that I will do my best to spread the positive mindset and urge people to share the good that comes out of it. Because that's the way forward towards a more positive world for all.
(Translated from Noget om at tænke positivt, originally published March 12, 2018)

On the topic of higher aspirations

A very frequently asked question is: "What is good leadership?" It is a difficult question to answer. But you are in no doubt what good leadership is when you are face to face with a good leader - and that may actually be just getting a glimpse of the good leader.
To me the most obvious case I have been faced with in recent times was when I was part of an event where a CEO gave a presentation. He did not say it in words, but yet, with all the desirable clarity, he conveyed the message to me: that I was created for bigger things than those I did for him. But on the other hand, he did it in such a way that I did not doubt for a moment that I should not venture out to find the bigger things - because it was best for me to just keep doing the things I did for him.
I do not know how he did it, but I do not doubt that at that time I experienced good leadership. A person who is able to instill that feeling in people will be able to do anything with anyone. The difficulty is to figure out how to convey the message in a way that hits a broader audience - as it does not create a horde of enthusiastic followers just to touch something deep in this individual.
(Translated from Noget om lyst til større ting, originally published December 2, 2012)

On the topic of (never) failing inspiration

It happens so often that one sits staring at the flashing cursor - or, for us who are a little old-fashioned, the blank page - and blame oneself for the failing inspiration. Or even worse: blame the inspiration itself for its absence.
There is no reason for it - because we are very able to influence whether or not inspiration comes knocking. We can reasonably be sure that if we just sit and look at what we have not done - then inspiration will not come. But if instead we go out to seek new impressions; find something we can wonder about; and let go of our minds - then inspiration has a chance to find us. It does not have to be moving further than to social media to seek other people's input - an act that can suddenly move from procrastination and waste of time to be an excellent instrument to launch creativity with.
It may happen that we end up with quite a lot of effort needed to put the inspiration into words - but I would venture to insist that we never need to be at a loss for inspiration.
(Translated from Noget om (aldrig) at savne inspiration, originally published January 9, 2018)

On the topic of listening genuinely

It was Ralph Waldo Emerson who said that

There is a difference between truly listening and waiting for your turn to talk.

- and I'm afraid that if we think it over, many of us will discover that we actually aren't listening genuinely to what other people say to us. All too often, we have planned what to say when we have the next opportunity in what should rightfully have been a conversation, but most of all, ressembles two monologues synchronized with each other to ensure that only one person speaks at a time.
The interesting part is: if you do not genuinely listen to what your conversation partner has to say, it will be hard to expect the conversation partner to listen sincerely to what you have to say.
So the sensible start would be to abandon your urge to be heard at all costs and start engaging in conversations rather than simply doing monologues. It may be that you will initially have a conversation with a person who still leads a monologue on her part. But ultimately, one should start with the person in the mirror, who in this way will take a first step for better conversations with conversation partners.

(Translated from Noget om at lytte rigtigt, originally published October 11, 2017) 

Can I show you my hallucination?

At some point I read a quote - by some people attributed to Thomas Edison, while other people doubt it - and I admit, it might be stated in a fashion more contemporary than what Edison might have done it.
But still, it is a good quote, so I want to share it anyway:

Vision without execution is hallucination

Actually Edison - or whoever is responsible - has a point. All our grandiose ideas are worth nothing, if they are not realised. But still, I do not think that we should abandon all hope, just because we cannot execute our visions on our own.
That's where our networks become handy - and where we should be demanding towards ourselves. Because: if I have a vision so exceptional that I realise that I will never ever execute it myself, then I cannot help but think that I have a responsibility to consider, whether I know anyone present it to - even if to me, it is a hallucination, it might be that they know how to execute it. The quote does not demand that all parts of the process must be carried out by the same individual.
And every time we doubt whether our visions can be executed, we can consider another quote (which is generally agreed to be by William Blake):

What is now proved was once only imagined.

(Translated from Må jeg vise dig min hallucination?, originally published December 5th, 2011)

Precious time well spent

Recently, I involved myself in a small project for a good friend. It was a time-limited task - I had a couple of weeks to come as far as I could, giving my immediate comments to a book draft. A task with which I could spend more or less time.
Why? some people will say.
And true - I could have said no. I could have done a superficial effort. Found a place here and there and written a comment, but otherwise it will be relatively quickly done. Time is valuable, as we know.
At this point, let us briefly stray out at a tangent.
Most people know the old anecdote about the philosophy professor who presents his students with a transparent container, which he first fills up with stones until the students say it's full - then he pours gravel in until the students say that now, it is really full - after which he eventually fills it up with sand until the students for the third time claim that there is room for no more in the container. Then the professor takes the exact same amount of sand, pours it into a similar container. Then there is room for the gravel, but not all of the stones - especially not the big ones - can be placed in the container.
The point is (and let us refrain from venturing too far into what I think is a particular Danish devaluation of the anecdote - that the professor in both cases ends the session by empty a full beer mug into the container, after which he, while the beer seeps through the sand, point out: "but remember: there's always room for a pint"): we should make room for the big, important things in our lives first - if we take the small indifferent things first, there will be no room for the big, meaningful things.
In this case, the comments I have written to the book draft (comments that I would describe as a piece of gravel greater than the average, or one of the smaller stones in my container) had no influence on the more significant things. I have had my sleep every night, done my duty at work and as a family man. I have had time for all the other things in the gravel category: my presence on social media (which I choose not to call procrastination) has been unchanged, I have written my daily blog posts and I even had time for my #7ThingsIReadThisWeek. I may have translated a blog post less, maybe skipped watching a TV broadcast - but that's about it. It has actually only been sand that I have not had room for.
I am writing this halfway through the time I have available for the purpose. And I'm sure I'll make it. Because I've actually seen it as a pleasure. I like it, I get this fabulous sense of flow, and I do not notice that time passes around me - and then it even serves a purpose.
So if I'm actually able to make a positive difference that way - well, I would say yes again - any time!
(Translated from Kostbar tid, vel anvendt)

Anxiety at arm's length

A couple of years ago, I attended some lectures - including a lecture by a psychologist, who uses some time telling about, how he during his work life had done quite a lot of things due to chance; things that might not have been the obvious, and for sure not the secure, choice. But as he said:

If we can just keep anxiety at arm's length, we can move.

Even though I heard a lot of interesting stuff during a week of lectures at the time, it might be the above sentence that I have brought with me clearest in memory. Because if we make a habit of thinking like that, when we conjure up wild plans - and make certain to reassure ourselves, when there's nothing to be afraid of (and in most cases, there is nothing to be afraid of) - then it becomes so much easier to have a plan B at hand. And a plan C. And maybe actually work a bit on all of these plans while we are busy with whatever we are doing. Because there's nothing to be afraid of.
(Translated from Angst og armslængder, originally published October 2, 2012)

Everywhere!

If I were to offer a single piece of advice that I think, most people could benefit from every day, it would be as simple as:

Bring two books everywhere. 

A book, so that you always have something inspiring to read, if you happen to have an idle moment, and a notebook, so that you always have a place to nake a note, if you should happen to have a thought worth keeping for later use. Think it over: how many spare moments have been wasted on Angry Birds - or whatever happens to be the thing of the moment on the omnipresent smartphone? How many thoughts worth keeping for later use are lost, because they weren't noted anywhere?
All to all those objecting that "unfortunately, I have no space for the two books when I am on the move": let me guess that you always have space for the omnipresent smartphone? Well, then it is easy: install an e-book reader and an application for taking notes on it. And open one of these two, whenever you have the time and the urge to throw a bird...
(Translated from Overalt!)

In praise of good colleagues

In previous blog posts, I have written about how important elements like good leadership, good corporate culture and corporate values ​​are as means to retain people in a workplace - but when discussing with Janice Kobelsky in continuation of my post about the tower that did not lean, it dawned on me that to my experience, one factor is even more significant. Good colleagues. Well, it does not have to be much more than just a single good colleague.
Now I have never been cast in such a way (or rather, my eyesight is not sufficiently good) allow me to spend time on any kind of military service, so I can not comment on the relationships that are formed among brothers in arms - but on a slightly less serious level, among people who remain my very close friends, I count a handful of excellent people who are all former colleagues of a quite exceptional nature.
They are the kind of people that I have always been able to get along with, without any of us having any kind of hidden agendas; where we have never been in doubt that no matter how dire straits we would end up in, we could trust that we would always have each other's back - this even went so far that when some of these people became former colleagues, they told me about their considerations long before they left their position.
Such people are rare. But there is no doubt that when you meet them you should stick to them. Also long after you are no longer colleagues - because they are not only unusually good colleagues; they also have the potential to form unusually good, lifelong friendships.
(Translated from Til den gode kollegas pris, originally published February 14th, 2018)

One of my rare bets

Normally, I rarely venture into betting. But recently I had an opportuninty that I found to be too good to be missed.
I had the opportunity to enter into a bet with a CEO I have the pleasure to know. He has a quite natural interest in the image of his management team within the company - an image, which has the measurable indicator of a score in the annual satisfaction survey filled in by the employees.
This was the foundation, on which I made him an offer: "If you make yourself more physically visible in the offices, start applying Management By Walking Around on the days when you are not out of office on other business - initially, just start visiting coffee machines in remote corners of the offices - I am fully convinced that the Management Team score in the satisfaction survey will increase." The bet concerns a book - the loser will give the winner a book, which book is chosen by the loser.
I am quite certain that I will win. And even if I lose, I still feel that in a way, I will have won - because even in that case, I get the pleasure of picking a good and inspiring book to give away.
(Translated from Et af mine sjældne væddemål, originally published February 10th, 2018)