Think Curiously

According to Stoicism, Courage is the ability to exert ones will in the face of risk. Aristotle said that the highest risk was death and that the most courageous man was the one that acted fearlessly in the face of death.

An interesting fact is that fear is always present. The courageous man does not feel less fear than the coward, however, he decides to act in spite of it and that is what makes him courageous.

Courage by Edgar Albert Guest:

Courage isn't a brilliant dash,
 A daring deed in a moment's flash;
 It isn't an instantaneous thing
 Born of despair with a sudden spring
 It isn't a creature of flickered hope
 Or the final tug at a slipping rope;
 But it's something deep in the soul of man
 That is working always to serve some plan.
 
 Courage isn't the last resort

In the work of life or the game of sport;
 It isn't a thing that a man can call
 At some future time when he's apt to fall;
 If he hasn't it now, he will have it not
 When the strain is great and the pace is hot.
 For who would strive for a distant goal
 Must always have courage within his soul.
 
 Courage isn't a dazzling light
 That flashes and passes away from sight;

It's a slow, unwavering, ingrained trait
 With the patience to work and the strength to wait.
 It's part of a man when his skies are blue,
 It's part of him when he has work to do.
 The brave man never is freed of it.
 He has it when there is no need of it.
 
 Courage was never designed for show;
 It isn't a thing that can come and go;
 It's written in victory and defeat
 And every trial a man may meet.
 It's part of his hours, his days and his years,
 Back of his smiles and behind his tears.
 Courage is more than a daring deed:
 It's the breath of life and a strong man's creed

"Your reputation is who others think you are, but your character, that's who you truly are" - John Wooden.

Character is one of those words/phrases that we often hear people speak about, but how many of us have actually taken the time to STOP, ASSESS and UNDERSTAND who we truly are? What values we hold dear? This week Gareth and I tackle those questions and discuss our own understandings.

You can find more information about the Backbone 12 week transformational performance support program on their website: www.gareth-fox.com/backbone

You can also find more information about Think Curiously Podcast at;
www.think-curiously.com 

Written in 1915 in England, "The Road Not Taken" is one of Robert Frost's—and the world's—most well-known poems. Written in a narrative and conversational manner. Although commonly interpreted as a celebration of rugged individualism, the poem actually contains multiple different meanings. The speaker in the poem, faced with a choice between two roads, takes the road "less travelled," a decision which he or she supposes "made all the difference." However, Frost creates enough subtle ambiguity in the poem that it's unclear whether the speaker's judgment should be taken at face value, and therefore, whether the poem is about the speaker making a simple but impactful choice, or about how the speaker interprets a choice whose impact is unclear.

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Eimear, a make-up artist from the Coolnasilla area of Belfast, was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, in September 2016 shortly after she had graduated. She underwent 12 cycles of chemotherapy and was given the all-clear in spring 2017. But a few weeks later, she felt unwell and tests found it had returned.

In December 2017, Eimear was treated with an autologous stem cell transplant, intensive chemotherapy and her own stem cells returned afterwards to rescue her bone marrow from the effect of the treatment.

After five weeks in isolation she returned home and 100 days later was given the good news she was in remission.

But the Hodgkin’s Lymphoma returned for a second time and doctors said her best chance of survival was another stem cell transplant - this time from an anonymous donor. In September 2018 a match was found and Eimear underwent surgery. However, she suffered complications and lost her fight for life on 27th June 2019.

Through her illness, her father Sean campaigned hard to raise awareness for the need for stem cell donations, a campaign that continues to grow through Eimear's Wish. In this episode Sean speaks candidly about Eimear's life, and the powerful impact she had on her close friends and family. A powerful and emotive story told with love and compassion.

Eimear's report on UTV:

https://www.facebook.com/216755005820277/videos/1084481158397392

You find more information about Eimear's wish on the links below:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eimearswish

Twitter: @Eimers_Wish

STEM CELL DONATION REGISTRATION LINK

https://www.anthonynolan.org/help-save-a-life/join-stem-cell-register

In this episode Gareth Fox and I explore the building blocks of Emotional Intelligence and discuss how Journaling can help unpick the triggers behind our emotions.

You can find more information about the Backbone 12 week transformational performance support program on their website: www.gareth-fox.com/backbone

You can also find more information about Think Curiously Podcast at;
www.think-curiously.com 

Born in Gloucester, England in 1849, William Ernest Henley was diagnosed with tubercular arthritis at the age of 12 and went through years of pain and discomfort. Henley wrote Invictus whilst in hospital undergoing treatment for tuberculosis of the bones, specifically those in his left leg, which had to be amputated from the knee down. He was still only a young man at this time.

He managed to save his right leg by refusing surgery and seeking an alternative form of treatment from a Scottish doctor, James Lister.

It was during his time in Edinburgh that Henley met the writer Robert Louis Stevenson. They became friends and corresponded on a regular basis. Stevenson later admitted that he had based his character Long John Silver - from the book Treasure Island - on Henley, he having a wooden leg, a strong rasping voice and a forceful personality.

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On April 23, 1910, Theodore Roosevelt gave what would become one of the most widely quoted speeches of his career. The former president—who left office in 1909—had spent a year hunting in Central Africa before embarking on a tour of Northern Africa and Europe in 1910, attending events and giving speeches in places like Cairo, Berlin, Naples, and Oxford. He stopped in Paris on April 23, and, at 3 p.m. at the Sorbonne, before a crowd that included, according to the Edmund Morris biography Colonel Roosevelt, “ministers in court dress, army and navy officers in full uniform, nine hundred students, and an audience of two thousand ticket holders,” Roosevelt delivered a speech called “Citizenship in a Republic,” which, among some, would come to be known as “The Man in the Arena.”

You can read the full speech on the link below:

http://www.worldfuturefund.org/Documents/maninarena.htm


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The topic of conversation this week centres around our understanding of reason. If our lives are not ruled by reason, then what are they ruled by? I share my journal entry in relation to reason and provide further explanation. 

We also take a quick look at the life of Posidonius and explore in more detail 6 days worth of Stoic Wisdom from The Daily Stoic , the book by Ryan Holiday upon which this podcast is based.

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www.think-curiously.com

This week on The Think Curiously Podcast I catch up with Lee Chestnutt, founder of Mentalhealthbylee platform on Facebook and Twitter. Lee also runs real and raw clothing brand, using his products to promote mental health awareness. In this episode Lee talks us through his mental health journey that has included, bullying, trolling and depression. Lee speaks candidly about his passion for helping others as well as using his social media platforms as a form of journaling.

For more information about out Think Curiously, check out our website below:

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For more information on our sponsor check out their website below:

www.gareth-fox.com/backbone

We may want a new car but do we need it, we don't want to breathe we need to. So what's the difference? This week my reflections asked that question. In fact, back in 2017 it was a conversation between a coach and his team that sparked my curiosity in such a questions.  We also continue our journey through the years as we stop off and speak with Publius Rutilius Rufus and discover why History often gives him the nickname of "The last honest man in Rome"

You can find out more information about Think Curiously Podcast at our website below:

www.think-curiously.com