Wherever you are today, you are not stuck. You are simply standing at the current point on your map. And at any moment, you can choose a new destination. Today I have 60 people joining me for a one-day Future Mapping session. We will look honestly at where they are. We will accept it without judgement. And then we will chart a course to a more compelling future. Because here is the truth most people forget. You are not anchored to your past. You are not weighed down by today’s pressures. The only real shackles are the ones in your mind. They are not reality. They are stories. And stories can be rewritten. History is full of people who started from impossible positions. People who came from the toughest backgrounds. People who faced the worst losses, the hardest setbacks, the most brutal challenges. People with every reason to stop, yet every reason to rise. The moment they decided to cut loose the mental chains, everything changed. They chose a new course. They committed to a better future. And they moved towards it with purpose. Your future is not determined by where you stand. It is determined by where you decide to go next. So wherever you are today, remember this: You can chart a new course. You can move towards a bigger, better, more compelling future. And the decision starts the moment you say it does.

If people scored you out of 10 on reliability On resilience On endurance And on simply turning up when you say you will What would they give you And more importantly What would you give yourself Because the truth is simple Most people have become too soft We love the quote Tough times create tough people Tough people create better times Better times create weak people Weak people create tough times And right now We are sliding into the last phase of that cycle Covid looked tough But we were protected Bounce Back Loans Working from home Reduced travel Reduced spending A sense of security Even when the world was in chaos It felt hard Yet it cushioned us And now A lot of people are scared to push Scared to step up Scared to go all in again Reliability has slipped Resilience has faded Standards have softened So here is the question for today If you say you will be somewhere Do people believe you Come hell or high water Would the people around you say This guy always turns up This girl always delivers Every time No excuses Reliability is a choice Resilience is a habit Endurance is a mindset And softness is a slow silent trap Today’s post is blunt And it is meant to be What do you think Is this accurate Has the world gone soft Are people less resilient than before Let’s debate it Different views are welcome That is how we learn That is how we sharpen each other

Yesterday I asked people to describe their business in 7 words or less... And to record a 30-second video pitch. Not a second more. A few brave ones did it.Most didn’t. Because here’s the truth… When people pitch, they often try to impress rather than connect. They use big words that sound intelligent. Or clever phrases they think make them sound professional. But if a 12-year-old can’t understand it, half your potential customers are gone before you even start. Clarity beats cleverness. Every time. Look at the some of the biggest brands in the world: Nike → Just do it. Apple → Think different. L’Oréal → Because you’re worth it. Google → Organise the world’s information. Tesco → Every little helps. McDonald’s → I’m lovin’ it. Adidas → Impossible is nothing. Airbnb → Belong anywhere. Harley-Davidson → Live to ride. Ride to live. Subway → Eat Fresh KFC → Finger Lickin’ Good Coca-Cola → Open Happiness Pepsi → For the Love of It Ford → Built Tough BMW → The Ultimate Driving Machine Audi → Vorsprung durch Technik (translated: “Advancement through technology”) Mercedes-Benz → The Best or Nothing Volkswagen → Drivers Wanted Jaguar → Grace, Space, Pace FedEx → The World on Time Disney → The Happiest Place on Earth Lego → Play On eBay → Buy It. Sell It. Love It. Visa → Everywhere You Want to Be Mastercard → There Are Some Things Money Can’t Buy De Beers → A Diamond Is Forever M&M’s → Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hand Red Bull → Gives You Wings Burger King → Have It Your Way Dove → Real Beauty Netflix → See What’s Next Spotify → Music for Everyone BBC → Inform. Educate. Entertain. LinkedIn → Connect to Opportunity YouTube → Broadcast Yourself None of those lines are complicated. But every single one connects.Instantly. Simple is memorable. Simple is powerful.Simple scales. If you need a paragraph to explain your business, you haven’t yet got a business that connects. If you can’t pick up your phone right now

Ask what you can give. Today is another day of service for me here in Cambridgeshire. This morning I’ll be at Great St Mary’s Church, Cambridge, alongside the Lord Lieutenant, where i will be presenting and reading the citation for a lady receiving the British Empire Medal: ...an honour recognising more than 20 years of voluntary service to her community, where she has genuinely made people’s lives better. This afternoon I’ll be back in Peterborough, conducting a Citizenship Ceremony - welcoming individuals and families who will become British Citizens, receiving not just their passport, but the full rights, responsibilities, and protection of the King and our society. Two days a week of my life are committed purely to giving: to my community, to charity, and to helping others. Not for recognition. Not for reward. But because contribution creates connection. Gaining is rewarding, but giving brings a deeper sense of meaning that trumps gain every time. If in doubt, ask any parent... nothing compares to seeing the look in their child’s eyes on a birthday or Christmas morning. To give is always more fulfilling than to receive. Yet, in my view, the two are connected, because when you give wholeheartedly, life has a way of giving back in return. I’ve always believed there’s a universal law of return: that when you give freely, without expectation, life somehow finds a way to give back. Churchill said it best: "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give" Yet too many today want to receive before they contribute. They wait for proof before they show belief. They hold back help until they see what’s in it for them. The truth is: it doesn’t work that way. The world rewards those who plant seeds before the harvest. So, ask yourself: What have you done today, this week, this month, that was completely selfless? Where you gave your time, your energy, or your talent with no agenda, no transaction, no expectation... only the intent to help. Because those are the days that define you.

Most people treat life like a race to a destination. Work hard, climb the ladder, save for later. We’re told to keep pushing.... the big reward is coming. But here’s the uncomfortable truth… For many, “later” never arrives. And if it does, it’s often too late to dance. Alan Watts once said that existence is best understood by analogy with music. You don’t “work” the piano, you play it. Because the purpose of music isn’t to reach the final note. It’s to experience every sound along the way. Yet our system teaches us to chase milestones: School, job, promotion, retirement. Always waiting for the next step. And by the time we “arrive,” the music has already faded. If all we ever do is celebrate the end, we miss the entire point of the song. This short 3-minute clip from Alan Watts will either inspire you or unsettle you deeply... depending on how you’re living right now. Either way, it’s worth the listen. Because sometimes the reminder we need most isn’t to do more… It’s to pause, breathe, and remember to dance while the music’s playing. https://youtu.be/gTLYiOg9C6M?si=qOZqfHnDMPICsnQ_