Steve Worsley

Writing things
of a frivolous nature.

Luck

Do you believe in luck? Through the ages many people have believed in a supernatural force which could bestow good fortune. Whether it was a lucky rabbit foot, lucky underwear or, as in the case of the Romans, the goddess Fortuna. In this article I take a look at lucks involvement in success.

The Search for the Perfect To-do List

Beware the to-do list rabbit hole. It starts off with one or two innocent reminders and ends up with you tumbling down a long hole of procrastination in search of the perfect system. After many years of trying different software I’m glad to say that I’m finally climbing back out of the hole wearing a rather dashing Cheshire Cat pelt.

A Life Philosophy

It is widely acknowledged that the greatest danger we face on our journey to adulthood is not choking on LEGO bricks, falling from trees or passing out from strawpedioing Hooch. What really strikes fear into the hearts of every parent? The philosophy degree.

Valentine’s Day

I don’t know at what point I was able to take a step back and see how I had gone from the romantic to the capitalistic end of the scale, but at that point I put on my Angry Cynic Hat, climbed upon my high horse and decided that Valentine’s was load of tripe.

Follow Your Passion

As the probability of a cushy afterlife dwindles when 72 virgins decide that instead of sex “We’d like to go home and have a nice cup of tea.”, St Peter is away ‘helping’ with Operation Yewtree and reincarnation has been put on hold after the talking pig incident. Is it any wonder that we feel compelled to find something fulfilling to do with our lives if there’s no likelihood of an afterlife?

Board Games ... again

You’ve read the reviews, viewed the Watch it Played videos, eagerly waited for it to be released in the UK and there it is, sat in front of you, a box covered in smooth cellophane wrapping. You peel off the wrapping and gingerly lift the lid. The box sighs as the air seeps in. You’re presented with neat rows of glossy cards, shiny tokens and colourful dice.

Grandma

There I was, lost in Wales, standing in a field as the rain pattered off my hood, when I managed to get probably the only bit of phone signal in the area. I ditched the OS map and checked my phone - there was a text from Mum: “Can u ring me re Gma thanks”. “Uh oh, this can’t be good” I thought. Grandma has been in hospital for the last few months.

Therapy

What is fear? Fear is old people sat in a shed with the keys to the lawnmower. Fear is what they’ll say if you let your allotment get overgrown. Fear is what you’ll do to avoid asking for the lawnmower. Fear is irrational, complicated and, quite frankly, a bit of a turd.

Writing

It’s been a year since I started gracing the web with the presence of my hastily written musings and, as long as I don’t lose my fingers to an angry camel whilst on a trip to the zoo - not that I go to zoos as they’re a bit harsh on the animals, could you imagine Mufasa in a zoo?

Notebooks

I’m ashamed to say that I only became aware of the usefulness of notebooks after I got caught up in ‘designer’ culture. Many of the design interviews and articles I read contained a photo with some sort of diagram in a notebook usually accompanied with coffee and Apple product in tow. So when I saw a notebook which kind of looked like a Moleskine in Asda I jumped at the chance of becoming an ‘authentic’ designer type.

Increasing Empathy

In the Indonesian killings of 1965 - 66, where an estimated 500,000 people were killed, Anwar Cong was the leader of a death squad in North Sumatra. He was responsible for murdering 100s of people in cold blood.

Choosing a Vocation

Have you ever had that itch or fear which makes you think that you should probably be doing something to leave your mark on the world before you breath your last breath, relax your muscles and gracefully fart your existence into the wind?

Walking

The hills are a alive with the sound of tourists, littered across the beautiful landscape, in single file, traipsing along a designated path, until they reach their designated goal where they can stand tall and breathe deep the fresh air, look at the view and traipse back down. All the while, the paths get full, the mountain deteriorates, and the sheep look on, bewildered.

32

It’s not how old you are but how old you feel and my knees are telling me I’m 72. Oh hell. When did I become so old? When I was 18 I remember talking to a friend who was 30 and thinking ‘man, you are gnarly’ and now I’m that gnarly dude.

Basic Income

Imagine not having to work. How would you spend your day? You could travel, read, volunteer, play board games, become an astronaut, spend more time with the family, probably do lots of different things.

Sleep

Sleep is one of those weird things which we do every day but never get any better at doing and, unfortunately, we don’t live in a sleep friendly society because we require people to be in work at 9am regardless of their natural sleep patterns.

Christmas

As Santa imagines himself basking in the sun on a hot beach in Benidorm, sipping on a Tequila Sunrise, the cold reality of his performance review shatters the dream.

Your Three Selves

This is a simple technique to help with motivation & planning or an amazing way to feel schizophrenic. It’s good for the small things in life like chores. I can’t actually remember where I discovered this technique, I can only blame my past self for not noting it down, if you know anything about its origins please let me know.

Ghosts

Since before the Shades of the Dead were encountered in Homer’s Odyssey, ghosts have been written into literature, igniting the imaginations of the living. But it’s when spirits move from the underworld to the real world that the stories can become transparent. This article explains why I don’t believe in ghosts. There are questions which I think need asking if you believe in ghosts & if you’ve got the answers let me know!

Five Whys

If you’ve ever had a hard decision to make, stumbling through a fuzzy cloud of choices & apprehension, then the Five Whys technique might help. It will guide you in finding the root cause behind a problem or your true motivation behind an action.

Board Games

Christmas: the season of giving, festivities & 3 hours competitively buying real estate in London. I have never completed a game of Monopoly. I don't think it's even possible. It's the gaming equivalent of trying to touch your right elbow with your right hand. And anyway the best thing about Monopoly was the tiny money.