Why the name change? Well, a change is as good as a holiday, right? The kids have got their own nicknames, and besides the standard ‘love’, Mel and I usually call each other by our first names in front of the kids. Something that my Mum and Dad never really did. They usually called each other by Mum and Dad, unless they were having ‘a talk’, then it was Bill, Will or William for Dad, and Di, Did or Diane for Mum.
I kind of feel like a captain in a lot of regards anyway. Not so much at my day job, where I pretty much get told what time and how to do just about everything. But with just about everything else, I feel like I’m in control. And I like that. Not that I’m a control freak, or some kind of neurotic micro managing pain in the backside. Possibly quite the opposite. I leave a lot of the day to day running of the house up to Mel. And that, I think, is part of being a good Captain. Recognising when someone is doing a good job, and stepping in only when needed.
A Captain should know what course he wants to take, crew his ship with the right kind of people that can help him get there, then go about his business of making sure they have all the tools and resources they need in order to succeed. Too many so called Captains rely on his crew supporting him, not realising that the true act of leadership is servitude. For if a Captain is to be successful in his endeavours, it is much more beneficial for all concerned if he were to support, encourage and empower his crew to achieve, rather than use fear or a position of a hierarchical nature to get the job done. I’m sure that not just people enlisted in the Military encounter both terrible, and excellent leaders, as leadership is something that can be displayed by anyone, at any time no matter what the circumstances.
What am I trying to say here? Not sure really, maybe I’m a little too tired to be getting all philosophical. Especially since I’m deleting a lot of sentences and starting again. Also, it’s already 10.30pm, and I’ve only got 16% left on my laptop battery. One thing is for sure though, you’re still reading and that means I at least owe you something of value. Which is what I try to do when I write a ‘blog’.
I’m still trying to work out this whole blogging business really. I find it quite difficult to get my ideas to come out of my fingers and onto the screen in such a fashion that it actually sounds like me, not some kind of Pulitzer wannabe. I’ve never really liked writing. Creative writing was always a struggle and I hardly ever turned up to high school English, and as a result, my final mark was 38%. I can remember walking in to my HSC exam, sitting down, writing my name on the test and walking out. I didn’t see the point in attempting something I knew I was going to fail and had no interest in what so ever. Fast forward 15 years (bloody hell!!!) and here we are! Funny how things work, right?
I can honestly say I was one of those kids that hated school. Didn’t understand the point of learning half the stuff we did, and if the teacher couldn’t give me a good enough reason then I just wouldn’t do the work. Yep, I was one of those kids. If i liked the subject (woodwork, metalwork), you couldn’t get rid of me, In fact, all of my other teachers knew where to come looking for me if i needed to be in class. I just couldn’t see the attraction behind learning a whole bunch of stuff, so I could get a job and go and work for someone else for the rest of my life, then retire and die! Seemed completely pointless. Still does to this day! I also hated being told what to do, so at the grand old age of 26, I joined the Navy. You must be thinking ‘this guy is an idiot’ by now, so let me give you some insight; I was 26, had just left a long term relationship, had NO qualifications OR money to my name. I desperately wanted to get out of Newcastle and make a drastic change to my life. I knew the process I needed to follow in order to make a change.
No matter how hard I tried, the Industrial Age model of ‘get a good education so you can get a good job and retire at 65’ had done it’s job, and I was very much focused on having a ‘career’. These days I’m focused on not having a career, it’s a habit I desperately want to quit, and I know that I’m headed in the right direction to achieve that. I receive regular coaching and mentoring to achieve my goals. The primary goal being a free man by the time I’m 35. Kind of makes it sound like a gaol sentence doesn’t it?
If I may offer one major piece of advice that has helped me to filter out all of the nonsense ‘advise’ that people seem so ready to offer. That would be to only take advice of people that have what you want, or and headed in the direction of where you want to be. That may not be the person you’re currently taking advice from. It makes no sense at all to take fitness advice from someone in poorer health than yourself, or financial advice from someone that has just as much, or more debt than you. Yet we often find ourselves in these positions.
Anyway, that’s enough ranting for now. I’m going to get off my soapbox and go to bed.
Thanks for reading and I wish you all the best.
Chris