Get Inspired: Josh Sundquist

Diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer when he was nine years old, Josh Sundquist had his left leg amputated a year later. As a child he felt so self-conscious he was afraid to go to a public swimming pool in case other people stared at him.

 

 

“Everyone who says ‘oh it’s fake, he doesn’t really have one leg, or there’s no way someone can make that kind of physical transformation… To be honest I kind of think that some people look at it and they are like, this is so unbelievable, it’s too good to be true, and in some ways they don’t want to admit that it is a possibility for a person to do that… because if it was then they might have a responsibility to get in really good shape themselves.”

 

What Your Soul Sings by Massive Attack

A song about mindfulness.

Keep Going

The Show Goes On by Lupe Fiasco

Alright, already, the show goes on

All night ’til the morning, we dream so long

Anybody ever wonder when they would see the sun go

Just remember when you come up, the show goes on

Time to Believe

“The Fire” by The Roots ft. John Legend

Super Cool Biz in Japan

I saw a thought provoking report on CNN about “Cool Biz” in Japan (Japan’s “cool” summer dress code – Business 360 – CNN.com Blogs.)

The initiative, which encourages Japanese companies to reduce their electricity consumption during the sweltering summer months was launched by the then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in 2005. However, it really took off due to the energy crisis caused by the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011.  Faced with a sudden 30% reduction in the country’s energy supply, all facets of Japanese society were faced with prioritising energy use. Over 50% of businesses adopted Super Cool Biz as a means of energy conservation. The most striking change has been business men and women swapping their dark suits for bright aloha shirts. As well as the loosening of business dress codes, work patterns have changed to lessen the burden on the electricity grid. Creative and entrepreneurial minds have been quick to supply a line of cooling products including special clothing and cooling sprays.

Super Cool Biz is proof that a collective small adjustment in our choices can produce astonishing results. We have the ability to anticipate challenges, so we should not leave it to a catastrophic disaster to jolt us into action. The vast well of creativity is underutilised, and we must work to release its potential, for that is where the solutions to the challenges of the 21st century are concealed.

Recall: Trans World Sport 1990s

Waking up early on a Sunday Morning, flicking on Channel4 and settling down to Trans World Sport. It covered (and still does) sport from every corner of the Earth, from the big ones like football, golf and tennis, to winter sports, to motor sports and ones too obscure to list. TWS was an inspiration.