Charles Leon
Stories (81/0)
The Pleasure Principle
How pleasure teaches us. In 1986 Meryl Streep won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Out Of Africa. A stunningly beautiful film that won several additional Oscars and told the true story of Karen Blixen, a Danish Baroness who has a passionate love affair with Denys, played by Robert Redford, whilst living in Kenya.
By Charles Leon3 years ago in Humans
How to Live Longer & Slow Down Time.
Many years ago, when I was a child, we went on a family holiday to Devon. My parents rented a beautiful cottage with a fabulous garden and orchard near the sea. I must have been about six or seven, and my brother would have been about ten.
By Charles Leon3 years ago in Lifehack
- Top Story - February 2021
Life is Just One Thing After Another
During this pandemic, I have watched eagerly as the experts understand and communicate, how the virus is structured and how it behaves. I have been attempting to understand a little more, although it fair to say that my understanding will make no difference.
By Charles Leon3 years ago in Futurism
3 THINKING ERRORS THAT HOLD BACK CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING.
Most people, when approaching a problem, particularly when the problem is outside of your comfort zone, get stuck and retreat from finding a new solution and resort to using tried and tested methods that may or may not be applicable to the problem in hand.
By Charles Leon3 years ago in Motivation
Don't Lose Sleep Over Sleep
Whilst walking with a close friend recently in Richmond Park (socially distanced of course), he hardly ever sleeps through a night. In fact, he said that he wakes up about six to seven times per night. How is it possible to function as a rational human being with such terrible sleep deprivation? (perhaps that explains a lot about this friend!!).
By Charles Leon3 years ago in Longevity
In Praise of Doing Nothing.
Switch off attention; engage your Default Mode Network. My early morning run usually takes me to Richmond Park or along the river Thames. On either run, for at least six months of the year, I get the sunrise on my face as my 6-kilometre loop brings me back home. The only decision I make is before I start; deciding which route of several to take. After that, it is almost entirely unconscious. My playlist prepared, my earbuds plugged into my ears, I have 40 minutes of doing nothing except listening, putting one foot in front of the other and watching the sunrise. A moment to switch off, be in the moment, relax and prepare for the day ahead.
By Charles Leon3 years ago in Longevity
Creative Confidence and Courage.
Whilst listening to a Richard Feynman, the celebrated physicist, lecture this week I was struck by how confident and assertive he seemed. Yet, a lot of what I've read about Feynman suggests that he was quiet and introverted. Although he was one of the last century's great scientific minds, it wasn't his knowledge that gave him his confidence. He could communicate and challenge big questions with ferocious tenacity. In my opinion, one of the most essential elements of creative or design-thinking is courage—the courage to step out of what you know and assume and find a new understanding of uncertainty. Courage is one of the critical elements of both confidence and creativity.
By Charles Leon3 years ago in Motivation
How to Get What You Want!
I love to draw, and I love drawing with a fountain pen. As a result, I was recently searching the internet for flexible-nibbed fountain pens. You see, most fountain pens are built for writing, which means that you don't want too much flexibility in the nib. However, you want a nib that can flex between a fine line and broad fat strokes for sketching and drawing, it adds speed and expression to your drawn line. So, after a short browse, I found that such a thing does exist and promptly ordered it.
By Charles Leon3 years ago in Motivation
The Four Laws of Habit Change.
After James Clear - Atomic Habits. I ride a motorbike which I love. I love the closeness to the feeling of speed in control. I love the physicality of riding, of tilting my body to swerve and turn. There is no feeling like acceleration quite like an intentional, progressive twist of the throttle with the power pushing you whilst you balance on two wheels. But none of this pleasure would be possible if I hadn’t first made the commitment to learning and then to make it automatic. I don’t have to think about it. I can just do it. None of this would be possible if I didn’t form habits, assumptions and automatic thinking. We need habits. We need habits to survive and to thrive.
By Charles Leon3 years ago in Motivation