- Alternatives on the road to addiction
If your children, or the children next door, turned to a life of dangerous drugs, you'd be only too keen to look for a reason and try and find an excuse. Is that any help? It might be that it doesn't matter how the habit started, especially after a few years. What matters is giving up the self-destructive habit. Then we can talk about it. If there's a problem, maybe we can fix it. But that comes later, once you're off the road of addiction. - Alternatives to Arrogance
We all get above ourselves, sometimes. We think we're pretty smart, pretty important, but as one successful entrepreneur likes to say, really we're just 'insignificant worms'. Actually, as the author of this article points out, we're lower than that, really a lot lower, which makes for humility maybe and a greater sense of perspective. After all, it's a big universe, isn't it? - Alternatives to being natural
Smallpox is 'natural', it's just one of the things we don't really like in the world. But if it's yoghurt or blueberries, then the more 'natural' the better, apparently. We all love those 'natural' things. That must make them unique. In most people's lives, from the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed, practically everything we touch, use or make, is completely 'unnatural'. Is that so hard to appreciate? - Alternatives to being rescued by dolphins
Scientists are funny people. They're not content with knowing what they can see with their own eyes: they want to know 'why'. That's great, it's the foundation of modern civilisation, but not so helpful if you're in the sea, surrounded by sharks. And most of us are, aren't we? - Alternatives to being Roman
We're here and the Romans aren't. That's a good thing, right? Well, only if you believe that they deserved to get overtaken by the juggernaut of history and we have something special that means we'll survive longer than they did. A thousand years? We've have to have something very special to be that good. Well, how do we compare? Let's see. - Alternatives to being the best
Every day is an adventure and every road we go down gives us a choice, which way to go next. What would you choose, good or bad, right or wrong, the worst or the best. Let's look at a few examples and see how frail and stupid we can all be, if we're determined and really put our minds to it. The alternative, of course, is always better, but how many of us can choose that route? - Alternatives to books
Why are people so dense? Why won't they do what's good for them? Men in white coats have been sweating in labs for many years to invent the perfect e-book reader, so why aren't they everyhwere? Why can't people just ditch those smelly, crumbly, rotting woody things called 'books' and start living in Century 21? Ask author Mike Scantlebury and see if he has any suggestions. - Alternatives to catching criminals
Why catch criminals? Because they do things that are against the law. British Internet Author Mike Scantlebury has noticed an alternative trend. Why not look as though you're doing something about it, without actually succeeding? That way, everyone is happy, including the crims. It looks good, it sounds good, it's just not real. Well, isn't that just like modern life? - Alternatives to communication
Hello? Anyone out there? Are you listening? Got something to say? Amazingly, everyone's talking but no one can hear a thing. It's a problem: the new Social Networking sites promised to put people in touch and help them to share and to talk to each other. There's a lot of noise but is there any communication? Can anyone really hear what anyone else has to say? Is there a point? - Alternatives to conflict
Argue? Moi? Yes, well, the problem is that some people have opinions, which mean that if you ever bother to say what you think, (and you might not), then bet on it, someone out there is going to disagree with you. And why shouldn't they? But why shouldn't you, say what you mean? Is everyone right? Are we all wrong? Or would it be better if we could just figure a way to get along? Wanna try it? - Alternatives to diets
Got a plan? Sure, lose weight. No problem. But which fad will you be following today? The grapefruit? The seaweed extract? The squashed snails soup? Listen to what internet author Mike Scantlebury has to say on the subject and start living. Dieting is not a way of life for those who really want to make changes. Think ouside the box and inside your heart. There's things to talk about. - Alternatives to driving your life
Who are these people, speeding down the highway, overtaking dangerously and threatening lives and property? One thing is certain: they aren't successful in any other part of their lives, apart from burning rubber! Check out the reasons why we all need to be behind the wheel and in charge of our driving, not intimidated by it. - Alternatives to drugs
'Advice for parents'? Who needs it? But author Mike Scantlebury is reassuring when it comes to thinking about the lessons that wise elders are sharing with the young, like 'Study hard' and 'Work for tomorrow'. It may not be fashionable but the alternative 'philosophy' is based on a lie, says Mike, exposing the sham justifications that allow young people to pollute their bodies, crash their minds, and hock their future. - Alternatives to emotions
There's a mountain of books out there that will encourage you to 'listen to your heart' and 'go with your gut'. Mike Scantlebury, ever helpful, swims against the tide as usual and urges caution. Just because you feel something inside, it doesn't mean that it's going to help you with your life. It might just be indigestion. Or it might be an innate fear. Fine, but if you want to move forward, you need more than that. - Alternatives to excuses
Trying to get out of bed in the morning? It might be helpful to think about what's going through your head. Mike Scantlebury, Internet Author and creator of many self-help books and articles, looks at a few examples and asks some hard questions. Most important, if you aren't fooling anyone else, why go on trying to fool yourself? - Alternatives to Fairyland
Children love fairy stories, tall tales of short elves and beautiful maidens. Is it fair to shatter their illusions and puncture their dreams? Certainly not! But what if that 'child' is 21, or 41, or 61? Should they still be allowed to believe in fairies? Doesn't someone, anyone, need to tell them the truth about the economy? Why should they be encouraged to live in Fairy Land forever? - Alternatives to filling teeth
There have been plenty of health 'scares' in recent years, but none more alarming than the one right under your very nose, that is, right in your mouth. Teeth fillings. They're harmless, right? Well, if you're a Baby Boomer, they'll be made of a metal amalgam that is mainly mercury. That's a poison, right? Maybe you need to know more. - Alternatives to flouride
Why should we do what's good for us? Well, apparently, we don't. Despite all the good intentions in the world, not everyone is convinced that medicating the water supply is the best way to treat people in the 21st century. Anyway, they've found other things to do. These days it's drinking water out of a very expensive bottle. People don't always do what they're told! Sorry. - Alternatives to gangs
What are teenagers really getting up to in their spare time? Should parents worry, or is there something more positive they can do? Join self-help expert and Internet Author Mike Scantlebury in an exploration of social trends and sample a sliver of the book he is currently working on, full of useful, no-nonsense advice for parents. - Alternatives to GM foods
Well, somebody says that GM foods are good for you, but wait a minute, isn't that the same person who sells it to you? Isn't that the same person who is ripping off Third World farmers, stealing fields from Canadian farmers and concealing the amount of GM in everyday purchases like rice and soya? Uh, do they have my best interests at heart? Or is it their own interests that weigh most heavily? Who's the puppet, and who's pulling the strings? - Alternatives to good ideas
All you need is a good idea, right? Well, no, because there's always the problem of other people. Some of them, out there, seem determined and doomed to mess things up. Watch out, in case they get in your way, and let Mike Scantlebury show you the real road to where you want to go. - Alternatives to good service
Met any surly waiters? Unhelpful Help Lines? Hostile helpers? Why do people think they can get away with it? You're the customer. Don't like it? Take your money elsewhere. Or, if you want to keep the custom, listen to Mike Scantlebury's sad experience and learn what he had to learn. It's an interesting lesson. - Alternatives to great riches
You wanna be rich? But what is 'rich'? If it's so important then why is rich publisher Felix Dennis giving away ninety per cent of what he's got? Is there anything else in life? More important, is there something for you? What do you want? Join Mike Scantlebury in the discussion and think about making plans. - Alternatives to Heroes
Nobody said that life was easy, but why try and pretend that those who make a go of it are somehow superhuman? Because it excuses the rest of us. It can't be that we're laid back, lazy, lackadaisical and lecherous. No, it can't be. The few who achieve great things, we say, are somehow 'heroes', the rest of us aren't. Or aren't yet. Who knows, maybe we'll get the hint eventually. - Alternatives to leading a double life
Every one of us is a superhero. You may not see that, because most of us spend more time living as Clark Kent, mild mannered reporter, than we do as Superman. Unfortunately, keeping such secrets is hard work and uses most of our energy. We don't have much thought and inspiration left to perform super deeds, when we're pre-occupied hiding. Why not make a change? Dash into that phonebox now. Get changed. - Alternatives to losing at gambling
Why do some people walk out of the casino with a fat wallet and some exit with no shirt on their back? What are the factors that decide winning or losing, and, more important, does this have anything at all to do with real life? Are their 'gamblers' at other things too, apart from cards? The answer, surprisingly, is simpler than it sounds, and the rules, if you choose to follow them, can produce worthwhile results. - Alternatives to morality
Some people say 'If it ain't against the law, then why can't we do it?' but there is more to life than that. There's morality. People might disagree on the details but discussing 'right and wrong' is topical in any culture. What works now? Join Mike Scantlebury in thinking about consequences. - Alternatives to Plumbers
Why would anybody in England prefer to get their leaks fixed by Polish plumbers these days. Why would they? Why would they favour foreigners over their home-made counterparts? Could these Poles have something that English people don't? Are they doing something their British colleagues aren't? Mike Scantlebury, Internet Author, has an opinion. - Alternatives to positive thinking
What's all this 'positive' stuff? Why do we have to keep smiling? What's this obsession with always looking on the bright side. Maybe there are other world views, and this article points you in that direction, out there in the world, maybe China. Find out more about being positive where it counts, in planning and doing. After all, the question is, where are you - now and in the future - not what you can say about it. - Alternatives to pretending
We are who we think we are. Are we? Or are we who we say we are? Or, more accurately, we seem to be whom we pretend to be. That's good, surely, making out you're more than you are; more important; more - everything. Not according to this author. You spend effort pretending to be who you're not and you'll spend up, with nothing to show for it. Try another way. - Alternatives to profiting from crime
Who's that guy in the expensive clothes and the flashy watch? Well, it could be a successful businessman, a sports personality or a criminal dealing in death. Why? Why do we let the gangsters get away with it? Why don't we have the courage to say, You do the crime, you give up the flash. That would show them! If they can't show off, then what's the point of dealing drugs? It isn't a career, it's just trying to look good. - Alternatives to speed
Who do we think we are fooling? When we rush around hectically, always hurrying, do we seriously think that people are conned into believing that what we are doing is important, and where we are going means anything? Are we rushing in order to convince ourselves that any of it really matters? - Alternatives to standing still
It's common sense. Standing still takes no energy and jogging burns up calories. Wrong. Life's not like that. Every day we struggle and strain just to stay where we are, not because we like it, but because it feels familiar. We interpret that as comfortable and safe. Wrong. Changing course is almost as difficult as staying in the same rut. Try it. - Alternatives to story telling
If the medium changes, so does the message - or so the message went in the 1970s. Does anyone still believe that? More likely, the skills, experiences and ingredients of good story telling have actually stayed the same over the years, even if quill pens have given way to computerised word processors. At least, that's what this author thinks. Agree? Or disagree, it's up to you. - Alternatives to SUMO
'Moving On' is good advice for all kinds of self improvement, but is it essential to 'Shut Up'? Mike Scantlebury explores the options for trying to ditch bad feelings and make progress in your life. Find out what 'SUMO' means, then compare it to 'TOMO' or 'SOMO'. One way or another, it's possible to get to where you want to be. - Alternatives to the differences between men and women
Everything's out in the open, these days. Or so we are told. Unfortunately, we're not told everything. In doctor's surgeries and clinics, people find it as difficult as ever to have full and frank discussions. That can't be right, surely? We live in modern times. Not at all, says this article, and goes on to raise several important issues. Well, what do you think? - Alternatives to the downward spiral
How come 'bad luck comes in threes'? Because good luck comes in 3s too, and 5s, and 7s. Things are linked. One item often piles on top of another. If it's bad news, then there's more to come, and soon you're on the downward spiral. But - something that most people don't stop to think about is that good news never travels alone either. One good thing can lead to another. There's an upward spiral as well as a down facing one! - Alternatives to the past
What's so good about the past? It seems so certain, so solid. It's there to tell us who we are and where we came from. Actually, it doesn't exist. It's there in our heads and we have to recreate the details in our minds. It's actually as flabby and full of fantasy as our dreams about the future. Let Mike Scantlebury demolish your obsessions and chip away at your bad memories. After all, they're holding you back. - Alternatives to The Secret
What's the attraction of a secret? Why go out looking for something new when you already have the answer in your own hands? Are the answers we already know too mundane and too much like hard work that we have to go on seeking, questing, even when the only things we ever find are the same old tired formulas and exhortations. How old do we have to get before we will start looking in our own backyard for the wisdom we already possess? - Alternatives to The Switch
Why make a big deal out of it? If you really want to be rich, there must be a simple place to start, surely? Mike Scantlebury takes up the challenge, by giving you a simple exercise, so simple that 99 out of the hundred people who read the advice are sure as hell not going to take it. 'First make me rich' is the usual demand. No, that's not it. First do and act like you're rich is actually the best place to start. Everything else follows. - Alternatives to Torture, 1
Do we have all the answers? If we know so much, why do we have to torture people to find out what they know? Why don't they tell us? Is it because they know less than we do? Internet Author Mike Scantlebury is good at putting the questions. See if you know more than him, and fill in your own answers in this conundrum of an article. - Alternatives to Torture, part 2
Bad things happen to bad people, don't they say? If people get tortured, it must be their fault, right? Nobody is going to break your legs without a good reason. Probably. On the other hand, if you had actually done something, you'd be in court, not in a dungeon, far from home and not known about. If you're secret, then who has got something to hide - you, or us? - Alternatives to Viagra
Men are hopeless. Most of them are useless in bed, and worse, they don't want to discuss it, so will never find out where they are going wrong. Problems? Viagra is no answer, but who wants to hear that? What man wants to hear how he can improve his performance if it involves time, effort and - worst of all - talking. No, far better to waste money on the internet and hope the little blue pill isn't 'fake' ! - Alternatives to working
People are careful not to pick your pocket, but somehow they still expect to be given the keys to your car and the password to your bank account. That's stealing! Why go onto the internet and expect a new set of morals to have taken over? Why should you profit from someone else's hard work? Is it because you simply don't want to have to work? Is there any alternative? - Internet Authors are farmers, really
As the age of Traditional Publishing draws to an end, authors are finding that the internet can now meet all their needs, for getting published and being heard. Writers make contact with readers through the web, get feedback and improve their craft. Their work grows in the sunlight of positive criticism, watered by the rain of encouragement. The author brings in a well-deserved harvest. Just like farmers, maybe? - Internet Authors are Market Traders
Internet Authors set up scruffy and unprofessional web sites to display their wares. What does that remind you of? Why - the market stalls that clutter the pavements of downtown areas in cities all over the world. Maybe this 'new wave' doesn't need the plush offices of Traditional Publishers. Maybe they scorn the fripperies of clubs, lunches and award ceremonies. The question is - are the books any good? - Internet Authors are protest writers
If several authors are writing books on similar themes does this make a 'trend'? Traditional Publishers don't think so. They've never heard of Protest Novelists or Challenging Writers, but this could be the 'next big thing' in the world of books. To find it, you might have to look on the internet, but that's no bad thing. There's plenty of good stuff out there, just waiting to be read. - Internet Authors are the new Black Swans
Life is so unpredictable. Just when you were pretty sure that all swans were white, someone goes off and discovers Australia, where swans can be found that are black. No one was expecting that. Likewise, no one is expecting the edifice of Traditional Publishing to crumble, but after 250 years it is finally beginning to shake. Internet Authoring is the way of the future. That's a surprise too. - Internet Authors aren't carnivores
Calling people names doesn't solve anything, and for Traditional Publishers to pretend that Internet Authors aren't what they claim to be is hardly going to advance the debate. Join Internet Author Mike Scantlebury in looking at the pros and cons of putting up your newly-written book on the web, and just see if what he is saying doesn't make sense. It could be the best move you made all week. - Internet Authors aren't Dummies
Why do would-be authors put themselves down? Why do they assume they must be 'dummies', just because they haven't been published - yet? Everyone has to start somewhere, but why should clever, creative people assume they have to go back to kindergarten? Get your books out on the internet and sidestep the harrassing and negative feedback, so-called 'advice' and putdowns.
|
