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The Phil-oli-sophy of Existing & Other Things

A collection of articles I have written so far on: ideas, advice, experiences, opinions, observations, intrusive thoughts and the wisdom that has been imparted on me by my dearest family & friends. If you haven't already subscribed enter your email below to get a message whenever I have published an article :)

Edison light bulb hanging from a lamp.
Featured Post

Newsletter #6 - Test. Learn. Repeat.

Test. Learn. Repeat. I thought this would be a timely post that fits in nicely with the start of a New Year. The time when people set new goals, plan the year ahead and ponder what will be ‘in’ and what can be left behind in 2025. And this got me thinking. We’re so quick to identify who and what we ARE, based on what we do. But equally, can’t we also find out a lot by testing what we’re not? Think about it. Everything you are and love now came from a new experience, a long time ago. You’re...

We Are Never Quite Finished: Lessons from the Sagrada Familia Recently, I visited the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona—a building famous for being designed by the renowned architect Antoni Gaudí. One of the most striking things I learned was this: the original design for the Sagrada was meant to resemble something closer to Westminster Abbey far more than the organic, nature-inspired sculpture it has become today. The Sagrada represents an imperfect mash-up of ideas, creativity, and...

Stacks of gold coins with one coin on top

Newsletter #4 How to Get Rich Quick!!!!! (Not Clickbait) Lately, I’ve been pausing more. Watching the light fade in the evening. The leaves fall.. Driving home from work with my music on. Bingeing 90s Tom Clancy films (The Fugitive is still number 1, for now). Noticing. These tiny moments, mundane to some, make me feel one thing: wealthy. Not in pounds or possessions, but in comfort, freedom, and choice. In love. In luxury of the everyday kind. It almost feels greedy. So here’s my pitch… to...

Autumn oak leaves in warm sunlight

Autumn (without the fall) Falling leaves. Darker nights. Colder mornings. Autumn used to hit me hard. It’s a time of year I have always struggled with. I blamed it on being a ‘summer baby’. Born in June = thriving in the sun. But maybe it’s less about birthdays and more about being an outdoors person. Summer gives me light, time and the warmth to do what I love. An extensive period of fun and adventures. I remember a morning back in April where, given the unbelievable temperatures we had, I...

Silhouette of a person drinking coffee by the window.

“So, what do you do?” Ah yes, the classic icebreaker—designed to fill silence whilst often triggering a mini existential crisis. I lump it in with other surface-level spirals like: “What’s your five-year plan?” “Where’s your career heading?” “Who do you want to be when you grow up?” Why are we so obsessed with planning? Forecasting every step? Mapping out life like a step by step recipe? Scott Stillman, in I Don’t Want to Grow Up, writes about how animals live for the day – every day. Some...

#1 Growing with Gaia I recently watched a video of a man explaining a concept I haven’t encountered before – the idea of Gaia. If you’re curious to explore the video yourself, you can find it here: Gaia - YouTube video Gaia is not so much a philosophy or belief as it is a realisation. It feels like one of those “ah ha!” moments, where something suddenly clicks and the world makes a bit more sense. Gaia is a beautiful recognition of the interconnectedness of beings, objects, moment, and atoms...