On Friday 25th Jan 2008, I walked round the neighbourhood at around 10 p.m. It was a cold night but two joggers and two walkers were out and about.

Usually very few people are around at this time of night but the
neighbourhood is not a scary one compared with many parts of the UK.

I passed a house which was supposed to have been demolished on August 11th 2007. The house is still standing but the scaffolding is already up so that it can be demolished without damaging the houses on either side.

The employers of the demolition team are obviously aware of Murphy’s law that things will go wrong if they are given half a chance.

Hard hats must be won on site. Protective goggles should be worn to protect the eyes. Protective boots should be worn for obvious reasons and all workers should wear a highly visible jacket. The jackets are usually yellow.

I experienced Murphy’s law myself on Thursday night. The central heating stopped completely. I nearly choked on a strawberry, part of which went down my windpipe and then as I was about to drive off to take my martial arts class, my car battery went competely flat.

A fox tiptoed gracefully along the other side of the road as I neared home. It was quite large and a light brown colour. It crossed the road about thirty yards ahead of me and disappeared into the gardens along Marlings Park Avenue.

It looked untroubled and completely at home. It probably was totally unaware of Murphy’s law.

I’ll finish with a great quote I came across today:

“You just have to believe in yourself…

The only way you can succeed at anything in life is if you believe you can. Is there anything in life that you are doing right now that you previously thought would be impossible?

When you were a baby, before you could walk, I bet walking seemed like something that would be impossible. But you kept trying… You would fall down a lot but you never gave up, and today you walk without even thinking about it.

Getting RICH is the same thing. You may fall down a couple times in the process but as long as you keep trying and never give up, you will do it.”

Today, Wednesday 23rd January 2008, I changed the long light which is high on the ceiling over my desk before heading off for my usual walk round the neighbourhood.

I expected the following to go wrong:

The small step ladder would break under my weight as I used it to climb on to my desk just as the attic ladder had collapsed under me a few months ago.

If the ladder did not collapse I thought the desk might collapse if I had to put all my weight on it. My computer would then hit the floor with major damage and so would my monitor not to mention the phone and everything else on my desk.

I would also hurtle to the floor breaking several bones and ending up in agony!

Even if the desk did not collapse I would not be able to fit the light into the holes at each end of the light fitting and even if I did that the light would not work!

In other words, I was believing Murphy’s law that everything that can go wrong will go wrong. In the event, everything went right although at times I struggled.

The ladder and the desk held up under my full weight – over twenty stone – and the light is now shining brightly above me.

When I opened my emails I came across one from Christopher Westra which had a new law inside which I now prefer to Murphy’s:

Everything that CAN go right WILL go right. Expect Miracles!

He called it Bijan’s law and added the following comment:

“I came across this today and really like it. I hope you liked it too. It’s my philosophy, but I like the way Bijan phrases it.”

This morning, on Monday January 21st 2008, I walked round the neighbourhood soon after midnight. All was very quiet. I walked again at around noon.

Two walks are usually better than one. I nearly always find I achieve far more after two walks rather than after one.

Two To Do Lists are probably also more powerful than one.

One To Do list could list the things you plan to do every day to build up good habits and good habits are very powerful according to Educator, Octavia Butler:

“First, forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you, whether you’re inspired or not…Habit is persistence in practice.”

Your second to do list could simply list what needs to be done today in addition to your habitual practices. This could even be broken down into two or more lists – the important and urgent tasks and the less important but still urgent tasks and the tasks that can be delegated to some one else.

Another list could detail the tasks that could be safely delayed or even ignored.

Try out for yourself the power of two or more in connection with both walks and lists.

Happy New Year! Have a great 2008!

Before my walk today, Wednesday 9th Jan 2008, I came across two outstanding quotations.

The first one is by Kacper Postawski:

“Success happens whenever you decide to do something and you DO IT. Or whenever you decide to NOT DO something and you DON’T do it. I know it sounds simple, but 99% of people can’t even do just that!”

I found this quote helpful in getting me out of the house into the cold of the new year. I decided to walk and walked! Later I decided not to eat anything before taking a nap and didn’t. I had a great nap.

I now feel like a success!

The second quote was also helpful today:

“It is not work that kills men, it is worry. Work is healthy; you can hardly put more on a man than he can bear. But worry is rust upon the blade. It is not movement that destroys the machinery, but friction.”

Henry Ward Beecher

So much of our discontent in life comes when we stop working and just think about all the work we have to do instead of just doing it. Take action, get going and do whatever you have to and there will be no room for worry to knock you down and out!

Instead of thinking about walking and the cold and the effort, just get out there and walk! You will then be able to worry about something else!