🐥The Paradox of Now #29

Pickling Pursuits

Hi people!

I’ve just spent a long weekend in Telford at the Pickleball English Open.

Which means I’ve now spent three out of the last four weekends in Telford… what is my life.

It all felt a bit ‘culty’, but in a good way.

And maybe I’ve got pickle goggles on, but I really believe this sport is only going to keep growing the more people try it. It’s the most inclusive sport I have ever seen and would encourage anyone to give it a go down their local leisure centre this weekend.

There were no medals for me this time, but it’s still a step up from last year when the English Open was the very first tournament I ever entered.

A reminder to keep chasing improvement, but also to stop and appreciate how far you’ve come.

That goes for all of us, no matter what we’re pursuing.

Oh…and have some fun along the way!

Now let me give you a taste of what's coming:

🐥 Flavoured toothpicks? WTF!
🐥 My ideas on having ideas
🐥 An apology to Telford

🥚Eggstra News🥚

Your weekly dose of some fascinating and fun finds:

🪥 Pick’em – Flavoured toothpicks… and part of the reason I got my current job (long story)

🧘 Sam Harris – A modern-day philosopher. Not for everyone, but always makes me think deeply

🧮 Frysquared –The new Carol Vorderman/Rachel Riley in my eyes. Maths but makes it iconic

The Paradox of Now

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Is any idea truly your own?

It would be mad to think all of our ideas are our own.

If we dig further, it could be argued that no ideas are our own. As they are formulated and constructed through inputs we cannot control and a subconscious that we cannot comprehend.

The funny thing is we know more than our brain could ever comprehend.

And I wrestle with this notion. And I wrestle with this feeling of being like a fraud where I am merely passing on existing knowledge that I come across, rather than offering completely new thoughts and ideas.

I’ve learned them. Heard them. Read them. Stumbled across them in my short time on this floating rock.

But I still feel like they’re worth sharing. And that’s the whole reason this newsletter exists.

In fact, one of the original names I considered was The Facilitator. Because that feels as though it aligns with the person that I am.

It’s something I see mirrored in a newer part of my job too. I’ve been training to offer career advice to students. Helping them figure out their next steps. And when I strip it all back, what am I actually doing?

I’m providing a bit more knowledge than they already have. I’m signposting. I’m nudging. I’m saying, “Hey, this might help.”

And yet there’s this strange guilt that follows me. The same guilt that turns up when I write this newsletter.

That voice in my head asking:

But when you take a closer inspection, what really is original anymore?

Philosophy, science fiction, productivity hacks, personal development books, fitness plans, motivational talks, mindfulness, self-help, religion…

Most of it is saying the same thing, just wrapped in a different story.

So maybe the challenge isn’t to create something totally new. Maybe the challenge is to make something your own.

And for me, that’s where the conflict lies. I’m a facilitator by nature. But deep down, I still want to be original. I want to feel like I’ve contributed something that didn’t exist before.

And sometimes that feels incompatible.

Especially in a world where everyone’s sharing the same trend in a slightly different tone.

Like the recent one about how time moves faster as you get older. You’ve probably seen it too. Everyone was posting about it like it was their grand realisation.

But I’d just heard it on a mainstream podcast.

Then it rippled out. No source cited. High engagement. Mass applause. Comments acting like the poster had unlocked a universal truth.

And I get it. I don’t even blame it. But it made me feel weird. It made me feel stuck between admiration and... irritation?

Because I’ve done that too.

I’ve spoken about Proustian Moments, The Provisional Life and many other concepts I didn’t invent. And if you asked me now, I couldn’t even explain them properly without going back to my notes.

But I still felt something when I came across them. I still thought, “More people should know this.”

So maybe my role is not to invent the ideas. Maybe it's to bring them to the table in a different way.

A Paradox of Now way.

Because the truth is, most people who read this newsletter might never come across these ideas otherwise. And maybe that’s enough.

Maybe originality doesn’t have to come from the source. Maybe it lives in the retelling. The reframing. The remixing.

And the weirdness. And the flow. And the LEGO ducks.

Maybe I’m just trying to be the best storyteller I can be. Not like my ancestors who carved them into the walls of the caves, but through the clicking of keys on a qwerty keyboard.

Because this is not just copy and paste. It is me taking the ideas, stories and lessons I come across and running them through my own filter before sending them out into the world each Friday at 2pm.

It is simply what I do with what I know.

Plenty of people take things in. Fewer turn them into something they share. This is my way of doing that.

Not for money or recognition, but because I think there is value in passing along what might resonate, spark a thought or make someone feel less alone.

So if you are reading this and something lands, thank you for being here.

I am not the source. But I might be the signal.

And maybe that is enough.

🐥 Haiku’s Haiku 🐥

People always stare when Haiku’s getting his photo taken.

Not because it’s a grown man photographing LEGO, but because Haiku cat-calls himself at full volume. Something about not getting enough attention as a duckling.

Now that I think about it, I’ve no idea what Haiku’s voice actually sounds like in conversation.

My guess? High-pitched.

🌴 Palm Tree Euphoria 🌴

I may have been a bit harsh about Telford earlier, so I’m using this space to make amends and say a proper thank you to my parents for coming to watch me compete.

Thank you for your ongoing support and love.

And if you ever find yourself in the Telford area, I can honestly recommend a visit to the Iron Bridge. It completely took us by surprise. It was beautiful, and yes… I’m going to say it… quaint.

Charming bookshops, toy stores, infamous pork pies, and some genuinely great coffee.

An oasis in the Telford gentrified desert.

P.S. if this redeemed Telford in your eyes, forward it to a fellow duckling who’d appreciate a day out with a side of unexpected charm.

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