Confusion is normal. Act first and reflect later. You can change the world if you want to. Help is at hand to stay sane. These were just some of the nuggets of advice espoused by three authors here representing the London-based School Of Life, which has recently published its “How to…” guides.
Roman Krznaric’s talk was How To Find Fulfilling Work, addressing those with a rising expectation of more than a mere salary for their labour. Krznaric recommended ‘radical sabbaticals’ – trying out different jobs – or Aristotle’s advice to look for your vocation where the needs of the world and your talents meet. Whatever, there are jobs out there which are big enough for our spirits.
Phillippa Perry was at pains to distinguish between sanity and certainty. How To Stay Sane was aimed at those who regulate their feelings on a spectrum of somewhere between “chaos”( slavish to emotional feelings) and “rigid”.
In John-Paul Flintoff’s provocative How To Change the World, he explained his own success at inspiring vegetable growing in his locality, apparently having simply knocked on his neighbours’ doors with toddler daughter Nancy, and a box of home grown apples to share out.
All this made for an interesting Sunday afternoon. However, the after-effect is to recognise how privileged we are to even dip our toe into such conversations, which take for granted a career, mental health and leisure time. Another title in the series, How To Worry Less About Money, was not available to buy here.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article