BLOG

"It Was The Best Of Times, It Was The Worst Of Times"

Bernie J Mitchell

22 Oct 2016 — 19 min read

// <![CDATA[ var lc_id=30-0; // ]]><div class="publicate_embed"> <img style="max-width: 1px !important; max-height: 1px !important; width: 1px !important; height: 1px !important;" src="https://publicate.it/open/embed/14161/pic.png" alt="" width="1" height="1"> <div id="publicate_embed_14161"> <div class="pub_container" style="font-weight: lighter; font-size: 14px !important; color: #555555; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif; background-color: #f9f9f7;"> <div class="pub_blocks_inner" style="padding: 0; margin: 0 auto; max-width: 860px; background-color: #ffffff;"> <div class="bt" style="text-align: center; padding: 0 0 20px 0; position: relative;"/> <div style="line-height: 0; margin: 0 0 20px 0; background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"> <hr style="border: none; height: 1px; background: none; margin: 25px 0 24px 0; display: inline-block; border-top: #bbbbbb 3px double; width: 66%; background-color: transparent;"> </hr></div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div class="pub_block pb fullspan" style="margin: 0 1% 30px 1%; width: 98%; float: left; vertical-align: top; position: relative;"> <div class="pub_block_inner no_drop"> <div style="font-size: 17px !important; line-height: 1.5; color: #555555; font-weight: lighter; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif;"> <div> <p><strong>"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness."</strong></p> <div/> <div>As you can imagine it took me ages to come up with that beginning.</div> <div>There are two things to share with you this week and one of them is an ask.</div> <div/> <div><strong>Thing One - </strong><strong><a dir="auto" style="color: #73c4c9; text-decoration: none;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190671?alt_obj=hre&method=embed&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.generosity.com%2Fprojects%2Funa-lente-para-diego-a-lens-for-diego%2Fcontributions%2Fnew%2F%23%2Fcontribute&custom_title=crowdfunding">crowdfunding</a></strong></div> <div>Diego, my "hunk of a brother-in-law" has a side project called <strong><a dir="auto" style="color: #73c4c9; text-decoration: none;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190671?alt_obj=hre&method=embed&url=http%3A%2F%2Frugbyfemenino.com.es%2F&custom_title=rugbyfemenino.com.es">rugbyfemenino.com.es</a>. </strong></div> <div>Here he reports and promotes women's rugby in Spain, it is the number ONE women's rugby site in the Spanish language.</div> <div>Diego had his HUGE sports lens stolen from him as he reported on a women's rugby in Madrid, Spain.</div> <div>The lens is kinda essential for the project and this is not a paid job, it's a passion project.</div> <div>Enter #Supercoolwife (his sister and my wife) who instigated a<strong> <a dir="auto" style="color: #73c4c9; text-decoration: none;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190671?alt_obj=hre&method=embed&url=http%3A%2F%2Frugbyfemenino.com.es%2F&custom_title=%241500%20crowdfunding%C2%A0">$1500 crowdfunding </a>campaign to buy a replacement lens. </strong></div> <div>We are<strong> <a dir="auto" style="color: #73c4c9; text-decoration: none;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190671?alt_obj=hre&method=embed&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.generosity.com%2Fprojects%2Funa-lente-para-diego-a-lens-for-diego%2Fcontributions%2Fnew%2F%23%2Fcontribute&custom_title=70%%20of%20the%20way%20there!">70% of the way there!</a> </strong>If it works for you please chip in! I'd mega appreciate it.</div> <div/> <div><strong>Thing Two. 12 Week Year blues.</strong></div> <div>Last week was a living in my head hell in my <strong><a dir="auto" style="color: #73c4c9; text-decoration: none;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190671?alt_obj=hre&method=embed&url=http%3A%2F%2Famzn.to%2F2eiYxpJ&custom_title=12%20Week%20Year">12 Week Year</a></strong> mission. This is a deep share rather than a moan.</div> <div>As I continue to track what I do it turns out that I am doing less of what I thought I was doing.</div> <div>It is £u<king scary how time has shot by in the last nine weeks, the time where I thought I was razor sharp focused on important work goals and, er I was not.</div> <div>What depressed me is realising how much time I must have just spunked up the wall over the years.</div> <div/> <div><strong>It's not all bad</strong></div> <div>Feeling sorry for myself is sure way back to depression and I'm not going there again.</div> <div>But yet, my habit and comfort zone is to assign fragments of my past mistakes to what is happening right now.</div> <div>Of course, this is dumb and energy zapping, so why would I do it?</div> <div>Because I have dedicated years of building up this skill and to let all that go would be admitting I was wrong and making a change.</div> <div/> <div><strong>JFDI</strong></div> <div>I am making it, even more kicking and screaming that I am letting out here. It is huge for me to realise this and pluck up the balls to smack feeling sorry myself in the mouth and step into the next stage of life.</div> <div/> <div>This last year has been exiting depression, straddling the gap between proper depression and feeling sorry for myself and is now in an energising JFDI mode which is painful in spurts, in the way I imagine a good game of rugby to be.</div> <div/> <div><strong>Hit reply and let me know what you're working on this week! </strong></div> <div><strong> </strong></div> <div><strong>Thanks for reading and have a remarkable week! </strong></div> <div><strong> </strong></div> <div><strong>Love Bernie</strong></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div style="line-height: 0; margin: 0 0 20px 0; background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"> <hr style="border: none; height: 1px; background: none; margin: 25px 0 24px 0; display: inline-block; border-top: #bbbbbb 3px double; width: 66%; background-color: transparent;"> </hr></div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div class="" style="text-align: center; display: block; padding-bottom: 20px;"><a dir="auto" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none !important; -moz-border-radius: 5px; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; border-radius: 5px; display: inline-block; padding: 10px 20px; font-size: 17px; background-color: #02c39a; color: #fff; -moz-box-shadow: 0px 2px 5px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 2px 5px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); box-shadow: 0px 2px 5px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); margin: 0;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190673?alt_obj=btn&method=web&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.generosity.com%2Fprojects%2Funa-lente-para-diego-a-lens-for-diego%2Fcontributions%2Fnew%2F%23%2Fcontribute&custom_title=" target="_blank">Donate To Diego Here</a></div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div class="pub_block pb fullspan" style="margin: 0 1% 30px 1%; width: 98%; float: left; vertical-align: top; position: relative;"> <div class="pub_block_inner croppable" style="overflow: hidden;"> <div class="block_img_holder b_handle"><a style="text-decoration: none!important; border: none!important; color: #73c4c9; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190669?method=embed&token=347626Dety9_Lh52RG4hFBzcvB" target="_blank"><img style="width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/publicate/wide/una-lente-para-diego-a-le-211546-6.jpg" alt="Una lente para Diego! A lens for Diego!"/></a></div> <div class="block_text" style="overflow: hidden;"> <div dir="auto" style="font-size: 21px!important; color: #555555 !important; line-height: 1.5 !important; margin: 0; padding: 7px 0 0 0; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"> <div style="text-align: center;">Una lente para Diego! A lens for Diego!</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div class="" style="text-align: center; display: block; padding-bottom: 20px;"><a dir="auto" style="cursor: pointer; text-decoration: none !important; -moz-border-radius: 5px; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; border-radius: 5px; display: inline-block; padding: 10px 20px; font-size: 17px; background-color: #02c39a; color: #fff; -moz-box-shadow: 0px 2px 5px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 2px 5px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); box-shadow: 0px 2px 5px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2); margin: 0;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190674?alt_obj=btn&method=web&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.generosity.com%2Fprojects%2Funa-lente-para-diego-a-lens-for-diego%2Fcontributions%2Fnew%2F%23%2Fcontribute&custom_title=" target="_blank">Donate To Diego Here</a></div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div style="line-height: 0; margin: 0 0 20px 0; background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"> <hr style="border: none; height: 1px; background: none; margin: 25px 0 24px 0; display: inline-block; border-top: #bbbbbb 3px double; width: 66%; background-color: transparent;"> </hr></div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div style="padding: 0 1% 20px 1%; line-height: 1.5!important; text-align: center;"> <h2 style="padding: 0 !important; margin: 0!important; line-height: 1.5; display: block; width: auto; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; color: #6e6e6e; font-size: 32px; background-color: transparent; border-radius: 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 0px; -moz-border-radius: 0px; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif;">2. Un£@ck The World</h2> </div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div class="pub_block pb fullspan" style="margin: 0 1% 30px 1%; width: 98%; float: left; vertical-align: top; position: relative;"> <div class="pub_block_inner croppable" style="overflow: hidden;"> <div class="block_img_holder b_handle"><a style="text-decoration: none!important; border: none!important; color: #73c4c9; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190662?method=embed&token=345921ftVJ-HIQIzH40ocAlqEl" target="_blank"><img style="width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/publicate/wide/the-only-woman-to-win-the-212203-6.jpg" alt="The Only Woman to Win the Nobel Prize in Economics Showed Us How To Solve The Climate Crisis"/></a></div> <div class="block_text" style="overflow: hidden;"> <div dir="auto" style="font-size: 21px!important; color: #555555 !important; line-height: 1.5 !important; margin: 0; padding: 7px 0 0 0; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"> <div style="text-align: center;">The Only Woman to Win the Nobel Prize in Economics Showed Us How To Solve The Climate Crisis</div> </div> <div class="editable" dir="auto" style="color: #555555 !important; font-size: 14px !important; line-height: 1.5!important; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif; padding: 5px 0 0 0!important;" data-id="190662"> <div> <p>We’re now certain that 2015 was the warmest year ever recorded. However, rather than reduce green house gas emissions – something that has to happen quite urgently in order to avoid crashing through the safety barrier of 2℃ warming – we continue to pump more into the atmosphere.</p> <div>Thus far, the collective international response to climate change has been similar to a frog passively sitting in heated pan of water. We are in danger of being cooked alive from inaction.</div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="font-size: 12px !important; overflow: hidden; margin: 10px 0 0 0;"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a style="text-decoration: none; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; background-color: #f8d848; color: #222; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; -moz-border-radius: 5px; border-radius: 5px; padding: 10px 20px; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190662?method=embed&token=345921ftVJ-HIQIzH40ocAlqEl" target="_blank">Read The Whole Post Here</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div style="line-height: 0; margin: 0 0 20px 0; background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"> <hr style="border: none; height: 1px; background: none; margin: 25px 0 24px 0; display: inline-block; border-top: #bbbbbb 3px solid; width: 55%; background-color: transparent;"> </hr></div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div style="padding: 0 1% 20px 1%; line-height: 1.5!important; text-align: center;"> <h2 style="padding: 0 !important; margin: 0!important; line-height: 1.5; display: block; width: auto; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; color: # 6e6e6e; font-size: 32px; background-color: transparent; border-radius: 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 0px; -moz-border-radius: 0px; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif;">3. How To Serve Your Customer</h2> </div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div class="pub_block pb fullspan" style="margin: 0 1% 30px 1%; width: 98%; float: left; vertical-align: top; position: relative;"> <div class="pub_block_inner croppable" style="overflow: hidden;"> <div class="block_img_holder b_handle"><a style="text-decoration: none!important; border: none!important; color: #73c4c9; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190656?method=embed&token=3298952OfNkqEQP4lxxCEb7ZAe" target="_blank"><img style="width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/publicate/wide/what-happened-when-we-cut-195926-8.jpg" alt="What Happened When We Cut Back on Refunds"/></a></div> <div class="block_text" style="overflow: hidden;"> <div dir="auto" style="font-size: 21px!important; color: #555555 !important; line-height: 1.5 !important; margin: 0; padding: 7px 0 0 0; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"> <div style="text-align: center;">What Happened When We Cut Back on Refunds</div> </div> <div class="editable" dir="auto" style="color: #555555 !important; font-size: 14px !important; line-height: 1.5!important; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif; padding: 5px 0 0 0!important;" data-id="190656"> <div> <p>In Buffer’s history we’ve tried many different experiments that have soared – or flopped.</p> <div>Some with our culture. Some with our management structure (or lack thereof!). Some with launching products.</div> <div>If a belief or philosophy hasn’t been examined recently, we like to take a closer look and perhaps try something new. We feel that one of our biggest responsibilities as a transparent company is to share the story of these experiments – what went well, and what went wrong.</div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="font-size: 12px !important; overflow: hidden; margin: 10px 0 0 0;"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a style="text-decoration: none; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; background-color: #f8d848; color: #222; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; -moz-border-radius: 5px; border-radius: 5px; padding: 10px 20px; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190656?method=embed&token=3298952OfNkqEQP4lxxCEb7ZAe" target="_blank">Read The Full Post Here</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div style="line-height: 0; margin: 0 0 20px 0; background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"> <hr style="border: none; height: 1px; background: none; margin: 25px 0 24px 0; display: inline-block; border-top: #bbbbbb 3px solid; width: 66%; background-color: transparent;"> </hr></div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div style="padding: 0 1% 20px 1%; line-height: 1.5!important; text-align: center;"> <h2 style="padding: 0 !important; margin: 0!important; line-height: 1.5; display: block; width: auto; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; color: # 6e6e6e; font-size: 32px; background-color: transparent; border-radius: 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 0px; -moz-border-radius: 0px; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif;">4. Education</h2> </div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div class="pub_block pb fullspan" style="margin: 0 1% 30px 1%; width: 98%; float: left; vertical-align: top; position: relative;"> <div class="pub_block_inner croppable" style="overflow: hidden;"> <div class="block_img_holder b_handle"><a style="text-decoration: none!important; border: none!important; color: #73c4c9; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190666?method=embed&token=348684oEzQS72tF253R4cEjVol" target="_blank"><img style="width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/publicate/wide/a-boy-told-his-teacher-sh-215176-2.jpg" alt="A boy told his teacher she can&apos;t understand him because she is white. Her response is on point.&nbsp;"/></a></div> <div class="block_text" style="overflow: hidden;"> <div dir="auto" style="font-size: 21px!important; color: #555555 !important; line-height: 1.5 !important; margin: 0; padding: 7px 0 0 0; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"> <div style="text-align: center;">A boy told his teacher she can't understand him because she is white. Her response is on point.</div> </div> <div class="editable" dir="auto" style="color: #555555 !important; font-size: 14px !important; line-height: 1.5!important; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif; padding: 5px 0 0 0!important;" data-id="190666"> <div> <p>Smith's successful shift in her teaching is an example for teachers everywhere, especially as our schools become increasingly ethnically and racially diverse. About 80% of American teachers are white. But as of last year, the majority of K-12 students in public schools are now children of color.</p> <div>As America's demographics change, we need to work on creating work that reflects the experiences that our students relate to. And a more diverse curriculum isn't just important for students of color. It's vital for everyone.</div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="font-size: 12px !important; overflow: hidden; margin: 10px 0 0 0;"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a style="text-decoration: none; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; background-color: #f8d848; color: #222; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; -moz-border-radius: 5px; border-radius: 5px; padding: 10px 20px; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190666?method=embed&token=348684oEzQS72tF253R4cEjVol" target="_blank">Read The Full Post Here</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div style="line-height: 0; margin: 0 0 20px 0; background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"> <hr style="border: none; height: 1px; background: none; margin: 25px 0 24px 0; display: inline-block; border-top: #bbbbbb 3px double; width: 66%; background-color: transparent;"> </hr></div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div style="padding: 0 1% 20px 1%; line-height: 1.5!important; text-align: center;"> <h2 style="padding: 0 !important; margin: 0!important; line-height: 1.5; display: block; width: auto; text-align: center; font-weight: bold; font-style: normal; color: # 6e6e6e; font-size: 32px; background-color: transparent; border-radius: 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 0px; -moz-border-radius: 0px; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif;">5. Write Club</h2> </div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div class="pub_block pb fullspan" style="margin: 0 1% 30px 1%; width: 98%; float: left; vertical-align: top; position: relative;"> <div class="pub_block_inner croppable" style="overflow: hidden;"> <div class="block_img_holder b_handle"><a style="text-decoration: none!important; border: none!important; color: #73c4c9; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190657?method=embed&token=341657-OdP6qN6CIqjJupRzbdq" target="_blank"><img style="width: 100%; vertical-align: bottom;" src="https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/publicate/wide/a-focused-weekly-club-for-207794-9.jpg" alt="Write Club &quot;Deep Work&quot; @Work Hubs Ever Thursday"/></a></div> <div class="block_text" style="overflow: hidden;"> <div dir="auto" style="font-size: 21px!important; color: #555555 !important; line-height: 1.5 !important; margin: 0; padding: 7px 0 0 0; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"> <div style="text-align: center;">Write Club "Deep Work" @Work Hubs Ever Thursday</div> </div> <div class="editable" dir="auto" style="color: #555555 !important; font-size: 14px !important; line-height: 1.5!important; font-family: 'Oxygen', sans-serif; padding: 5px 0 0 0!important;" data-id="190657"> <div>Our weekly Write Club 'Deep Work' is ideal for anyone who writes and needs a block of time to write and gain the inspiration from being around other writers. The group meets every Thursday, writes together and then shoots round to Drummond Street for Lunch!</div> </div> </div> <div style="font-size: 12px !important; overflow: hidden; margin: 10px 0 0 0;"> <div style="text-align: center;"><a style="text-decoration: none; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; background-color: #f8d848; color: #222; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; -moz-border-radius: 5px; border-radius: 5px; padding: 10px 20px; cursor: pointer; display: inline-block;" href="https://publicate.it/redirect/190657?method=embed&token=341657-OdP6qN6CIqjJupRzbdq" target="_blank">Join Here</a></div> </div> </div> </div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div style="line-height: 0; margin: 0 0 20px 0; background-color: transparent; text-align: center;"> <hr style="border: none; height: 1px; background: none; margin: 25px 0 24px 0; display: inline-block; border-top: #bbbbbb 3px double; width: 66%; background-color: transparent;"> </hr></div> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div style="clear: both; height: 1px;"/> <div style="text-align: center; padding: 20px 0!important; margin: 0!important; color: #b2b2b2!important;"><a style="color: #b2b2b2!important; line-height: 28px!important; padding: 0!important; text-decoration: none!important; border: none!important;" href="https://publicate.it/?e=14161" target="_blank"><img style="border: none; outline: 0; text-decoration: none; max-width: 212px !important; width: 100%; margin: 0 auto; vertical-align: middle!important; display: block;" src="https://publicate.it/resources/images/created_in_publicate.png" alt="created in Publicate" width="212" height="30"/></a></div> </div> </div> </div> </img></div></body>

"It Was The Best Of Times, It Was The Worst Of Times"

Bernie J Mitchell

Read more

Coming soon

The Manchester Upset, The Original Meaning of Coworking, and Taking the Armour Off

You had work to do, but you did the washing

Can you explain your business with a piece of cardboard?