A couple of months ago I returned from visiting a friend in London with a mild pain on the top of my foot. Not one to ignore any potential injuries I checked the soft tissues involved and my range of movement to find them all perfect. This led me to think the problem had to be a bone problem – not what I wanted. I had a stress fracture confirmed by a local physiotherapist and was on rest from many of the sporting activities I usually enjoy.
Although bones need some weight bearing activity to allow them to repair and remain strong the fracture needed some rest to heal. I decided my job as a massage therapist was probably all the weight bearing I needed and had to look fro alternative forms of exercise for 6 weeks. Any athlete whether professional, amateur or occasional will tell you enforced rest is difficult and maybe more so as I wasn’t really in any pain. Continue reading →

I have always believed it is important to stay relevant and up to date. This is especially true from a work point of view but makes good sense in life. The old maxim ‘use it or lose it’ applies to work skills, talents and intellectual capacity. I really believe keeping the mind active and pushing boundaries however small is essential for a happy and healthy life.
I originally qualified in my profession in 1993 and have spent more time in education than out since then. I have advanced my initial skills and added new ones. It keeps me relevant, focused and interested as well as motivated and challenged. It also gives me a great sense of achievement when I step out of my comfort zone and learn something new.

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I have just finished reading a great biography of Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson; a fascinating story of a very complex man. He was driven by his vision of perfection and it seems many would testify he could drive others to distraction and tears.
The author gives many insights into Jobs’ personality showing why he became the CEO of the richest company in the world. When he faced criticism regarding the iPhone he declared “We’re not perfect. Phones are not perfect. We all know that. But we want to make our users happy”. What a simple philosophy that set me thinking about perfection and our desire for it. Continue reading →