Today, Sunday 26th July, I took the train to Charing Cross and walked down to the Horseguards Hotel.

Kevin Brown, an expert at creating WordPress blogs had organised a seminar featuring two of my favourite internet gurus – Kevin Riley and Lee McIntyre.

I learned a fair amount from both of them and from Kevin Brown himself. I was especially impressed by the way Kevin Riley encouraged the use of more images in ebooks etc. He can create his own outstanding ebook covers which make you want to buy the ebook just for the cover.

Lee told us to keep working at improving the conversion rate of our websites. Too often people give up on a website which does not sell well. Greater patience could lead to big improvements and great success.

I left the seminar cockahoop thinking I could make great strides in making money on the internet.

Perhaps my pride or conceit deserved a fall. I had a big fall going down the steps of the gents at Charing Cross. I crashed downwards banging my knee and left shoulder and hip. I thought I must have broken a bone or two.

To my amazement I could stand up with very little pain. All I have now is a swollen leg and a scratch or two and a greater awareness of the importance of keeping one’s balance!

No one stopped to give me a hand as I plummeted into the depths. Maybe they were rushing to catch a train. However, the caretaker ran to try and break my fall and help me to my feet. I made it home in one piece and was delighted to hear that Lewis Hamilton had won the Hungarian Grand Prix. Great to hear the national anthem once again.

How little we know about other members of the human race. How little we know even about our own neighbours and their lives.

On today’s walk on Saturday July 11th 2009,I met two of my neighbours. The son of one of them had hearly had his caravan stolen from in front of his house at 11 a.m. a day or so ago. Three men were involved and one was sawing away at the lock. They had a large car ready to tow the caravan away.

Fortunately a policeman lived nearby who saw suspicious activity going on. He walked towards the caravan with his doberman. The men took off.
A policeman can be a very useful neighbour!

As I walked up Wimborne Avenue, a large black dog started barking at me. I told it to shut up. Then I reflected that it was only doing its job – a similar one to the policeman’s! I felt a little guilty!

As I turned into Clarendon Way, another neighbour caught up with me. He had been in the Rifles in World War II. He was shot by ‘friendly fire’ in Italy. The bullets hit his tommy gun which he held by his side. The tommy gun probably saved his life although some bits of metal wounded him in the side.

Meanwhile his mother was back home in London enduring the blitz. She also experienced a miraculous escape. She was about to move forward at her house when intuition or an angel or God stopped her. At that moment a bomb hit the house throwing her into the air. Amazingly she landed without injury on a nearby bed!

About this time I was sitting outside my hut in a Japanese concentration camp in the middle of China. Eric Liddell of ‘Chariots of Fire’ fame was in the same camp.

A Japanese soldier was walking towards me spinning his pistol on his finger. Instinctively, I moved into our hut. The gun went off. The bullet might have hit me if I had stayed put. Another miraculous escape!

I can’t talk about consistency with any feeling of superiority. I have failed to write a blog post on this blog since May 2009. However I do walk consistenly once a day.

Today, Tuesday July 7th 2009, i delayed walking as there was the crashing noise of thunder followed by heavy rain throughout the day. Eventually I got out for my walk at about 7 p.m.

I soon met up with a neighbour and her little dog that I had not seen for a long time. We got round to the subject of death for some reason.
I commented that I would rather be murdered or even hung rather than endure a long painful terminal illness.

She described how the husband of her friend had come home after a day out and sat down asking for a cup of tea. Her friend came back to find him dead on the floor. She could console herself with the thought that this was exactly how he would have wished to go.

Later in Berens Way I noticed large numbers of parakeets flying around. I had not seen any before this in the heat wave. Maybe they prefer the cooler weather! I certainly do and would love to see days like today every day of the year. Thunder and rain makes life seem meaningful!

Back to the theme of consistency. Early this morning, I listened to a great video tape by David Wolfe. He said the secret of success could be summed up in one word – consistency. We consistenly clean our teeth ever day. This is a daily discipline. We all have the ability to express our discipline by doing things consistently.

Great athletes and those who excel never miss a workout or practice session. They gradually become extraordinary at what they do.

Wolfe used a great analogy – pumping water. We may need to pump away a long time before we see any results. Many give up believing they will never see results!

We may see a few drops of water and again stop pumping because we believe that such meagre results are not worth the effort. If only we had kept pumping we would have seen a steady flow of water.

Some give up when they see the steady flow of water and eventually lose these satisfying results. Consistent pumping or taking daily regular action is the solution and the secret of success in anything.