Home, UK          Wednesday 30 November, 2011          5pm GMT

Donations for Movember gladly accepted at http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

I’ve not written here for a few days. Sorry guys. I just got busy with some things.. Ok, I know it is not a good enough excuse. I should make time to connect with my readership here, however I didn’t have much to write about… On top of that my “Mo” hasn’t changed much.. So no real update to give there.

Life is such a magical thing isn’t it? At the same time it is so fragile. We go through life gung ho that nothing can happen to us and all of a sudden things happen which make us think…

What has made me think this? Yesterday evening, my little one had a tumble. Thankfully the little one is fine and dandy. Back to being the cheerful self.. letting us know exactly what is wanted and when. Hahah.. Precious. The staff at the local hospital doing thorough checks to give us peace of mind over the six hours spent there.

However when the little one fell, oh man, did that feel painful. It hurt me, a lot. Just imagine how much more pain the mother felt. I can’t even imagine it. Off to hospital we went to get the little one checked out and thankfully all if fine.

What is it that makes us feel the pain of close ones? My father was recently admitted to hospital and it worries me. He has been admitted a few times in the past couple of years. I also remember a time when my sister suddenly fainted while standing and talking to us. We were abroad at the time and she wasn’t feeling too well and she suddenly fainted. Luckily I caught her but it was a scary moment.. trying to revive her and she would not respond. Thankfully we could call on some very good doctors and all turned out well.

Now I care about the next human being as much as I do about myself… It is one of the reasons I do things like Movember. However I understand the difficulty in feeling pain for people we do not know or have not met. It is only when we come across someone who is suffering from an ailment that it makes us think. I have had family members who have suffered with cancer, some who have had scares. Coming across people in A&E last night it makes one aware that there are others who are going through pain.

How do we ‘feel’ for others? How do we keep that feeling alive so that we may continue helping them? I do believe that we should help our fellow brethren whether they are family or not. Are we as a society doing enough? I know that our own lives takes over, so what would give us the impetus to do more for others? Any ideas? Anyone?

I was able to raise more for Movember last year compared to this one. Only £150 so far instead of the 8 times as much last year. On this point I keep wondering what I had done or not done… what is the reason the funds raised this year are low compared to last year? How should I have done things differently? When I do this next year, why do I need to do to ensure I raise more funds?

So, today is the last day of Movember 2011 and  I have learnt a lot about my facial hair and how my moustache grows and what type I can grow and what type I really can’t.

Here is the “Mo” from today..

One thing is for certain.. I can not grow a bushy “Mo”. Ha! I have baldy bits in it too and I have been messing with different lighting to get the best effect in a photo. Oh dear..

Anyway, there is still time to donate to the cause. You may donate tomorrow or in the coming week too via my “Mo Space”.

It isn’t too late.. please donate (even if it is just £1 / $1 / €1) to the Prostate Cancer charity via my Mo Space at

http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

And below is a pictorial recap of my participation in Movember 2011 where you can see how I charted the journey from clean shaven through grizzly and onto well.. I dunno what you would call the style… En Guarde! Hahaha. Starting with 1 November, then on 15 November starting to show both sides of the face until 24 November and the final two pics are from today.

Home, UK          24 November, 2011          11pm GMT

Donations for Movember gladly accepted at http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

_robin_sharma Learn on a daily basis. No matter how successful you become, maintain the beginners mindset. Always be fiercely curious.

I only have to look at the little one doing this every single day. Just 10 weeks along and the little one has come leaps and bounds. I am shown something new every single day. Not only that, I notice a constant curiosity of what is happening in the surrounds. Wonderful!

Today’s pictorial update…

I’m wondering.. maybe I will continue with this “Mo” shape after the end of November.. see how thick I can get it.. before going back to my older style. I’m sure a lot of people will be pleased to read that. Ha!

The month of Movember is closing very soon… so please put your hands in your pockets and donate whatever you can to this cause. Thanks to those of you who are already supporting me in this. So far, £125 has been raised via my Mo Space.

I hope more of you can support my “Mo” growth by donating (even if it is just £1 / $1 / €1) to the Prostate Cancer charity via my Mo Space at

http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

London, UK 23 November, 2011 4pm GMT

Donations for Movember gladly accepted at http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

Yesterday I spoke briefly about Prostate Cancer… how many people it affects and so on. Now, although I am participating in Movember to raise awareness and funds for Prostate Cancer, I have not forgotten about cancer in general and how much of a killer it is.

Around this time last year I posted some controversial thoughts about cancer. I basically said “Cancer is Life” and the whole point was to rethink what we know about cancer and look at it in a different way. If we treat cancer as life, then should we not suffocate it? If cancerous cells survive without oxygen then how do we suffocate them? Give lots of oxygen in the area to kill them off?

[Update Edit, 21 March 2012: It has come to my attention that it is not all black and white as it seems and I may have generalised a bit here. Certainly cancer is formed through some mutation that may be caused by lack of oxygen, even cancer cells require amounts of oxygen to survive. The tumour area needs to be starved of all things that keep it surviving.]

Certainly, I think research in cancer must continue, but we also must think about how research may be done differently and also about prevention. If we are to think about treatments in a different way then we must turn the whole concept of cancer on it’s head. I am not trying to trivialise the disease… more I am trying to think about how we as society can think about cancer differently to find better cures… cures with no side effects. We seem to have got into thinking that radiotherapy and chemotherapy are the only ways of getting rid of cancer and have accepted the side effects of these methods. Why?

Why are we treating symptoms rather than fixing the root cause.

I still believe in this and so I quote parts of that blog below:

Today I am going to rock the boat a bit and say “Cancer is life”.

I’d like us to think about this.. I’d like us to think about cancer in a different way so that we may understand it better.

In no way am I dismissing the pain and suffering caused by it. In no way am I dismissing all those people who suffer or have suffered with it directly or indirectly. Cancer is a real problem.

However, let’s turn this on it’s head… what is cancer? Is it not mutated cells that are just multiplying, just as cells are meant to? Cells are living things… they multiply and grow in number… non-mutated or mutated, that is what they do. It is natural… it is life.

So, the cell has mutated for a reason… most likely it has mutated as an evolutionary process. Something within the body has changed that means the cells in their normal state can no longer survive.. it could be a lack of oxygen in that area for example. So, the cell evolves to survive in that new environment… it evolves, and it splits into two which then splits into four and so on.. the cell in it’s new evolved self is just doing what it is meant to.. grow and multiply… and it takes over because it is survival of the fittest.

So what causes a change of environment within our bodies? For one, we ourselves are the main cause due to our habits. It could be smoking for example. There are also external factors which could cause this… pollution for example. There are many reasons.

Have you noticed how these causes are man-made or influenced by humans? Some within personal control, some out of our control.

I’ll be the first to admit not knowing much about treatments for cancer. Of course, I have heard of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However to me these seem to be the zapping up of the cancerous cells (and in the process of doing so, zapping some of the good cells too) rather than going to the root cause of the cancer… ie fixing the environment within which these cells thrive. Of course, when the cancer it at a late stage then the zapping up is the right thing to do… but what preventative measures do the various health services take? What measures are in place to prevent the thriving of mutated cells?

Anyone able to comment on this to assist with increasing my knowledge in this area?

Today’s pictorial update…

The month of Movember is closing very soon… so please put your hands in your pockets and donate whatever you can to this cause. Thanks to those of you who are already supporting me in this. So far, £125 has been raised via my Mo Space

I hope more of you can support my “Mo” growth by donating (even if it is just £1 / $1 / €1) to the Prostate Cancer charity via my Mo Space at

http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

Home, UK          Tuesday 22 November, 2011          11pm GMT

Donations for Movember gladly accepted at http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men in the UK. 37,000 men are diagnosed with Prostate Cancer every year and there are currently 250,000 men in the UK are living with the disease.

The Prostate Cancer Charity organisationin the UK is one of the few organisations that conduct research into Prostate Cancer and provide support to those that suffer from it. Movember, through it’s participants, raises funds for such organisations globally and I am glad to help with such a cause.

Today’s “Mo”:

Total in donations is now at £125.

I hope more of you can support my “Mo” growth by donating (even if it is just £1 / $1 / €1) to the Prostate Cancer charity via my Mo Space at

http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

See you all tomorrow…

Home, UK          Monday 21 November, 2011          11pm GMT

Donations for Movember gladly accepted at http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

Amazing how we adapt to new situations very quickly. It wasn’t that long ago that my broadband connection was giving me speeds of 3Mb/s until I upgraded my Internet access to FTTC when my company started offering it. Now I get 40mb/s and what a difference. At first I noticed the change in speed, but then I got so used to it.

Until today.. when something went wrong at the local exchange and I have been without my fast broadband connection all day long. I am having to wait for a BT engineer to turn up and in the meantime have relied on my 3G connected iPad and iPhone. I got most of the work done, however there were some things that I needed to do on my unconnected laptop. It dawned on me that for most work purposes I am not reliant on any particular computers or devices.. the way I work has changed over the years.. however there are still some bits of work I do that have not changed and I found it difficult to achieve some results due to not being able to use my laptop. Hmmm.. that needs to change.a I am certain it will happen.. We humans are resilient and adapt to changes very quickly.

Once again, I didn’t do much with the “Mo” today… didn’t even shave around it.. a bit if a stubble has showed up. I am really hoping that the baldy bits fill out by the end of the month… Maybe I should take up the offer of the person on Google+ who offered me his shaved off beard.. I can then stick them on to my facial baldy bits. Anyone know where I can get some glue safe enough to apply to the face?

Anyway, I’m rambling.. It was another long day and before I knew it, the end of the day and I had not even started on this blog.!

Total in donations is now at £125. I am disappointed with the lack of donations this year, however I must thank those of you whom have already donated. This really is a worthwhile cause to donate to, so please put your hands in your pockets and donate some loose change.

I hope more of you can support my “Mo” growth by donating (even if it is just £1 / $1 / €1) to the Prostate Cancer charity via my Mo Space at

http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

Until another wonderful day tomorrow…

Home, UK          Sunday 20 November, 2011          11pm GMT

Donations for Movember gladly accepted at http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

DalaiLama Even more important than the warmth and affection we receive, is the warmth and affection we give.

The above quote is so true… even if you did not want to do it for an altruistic reason, you will find that you get a lot more back anyway.

Helping others, even if we do not know them… Should we not help others if they need our help? Should we not help others especially if they are worse off than us? Is it not our human duty to do so?

I find that my caring for friends and family brings me love and blessings in return even though that isn’t what I expect or the reason I care for them. My unconditional love for the little one in return brings me joys I have never experienced before.

This weekend brought new joys. The little one today showed the beginnings of an ability to control the hands and fingers. Observing others and copying. I did not realise it would happen so early on. Regardless, I am overjoyed.

Didn’t do much with the “Mo” today except shave around it. I am really hoping that the baldy bits fill out by the end of the month…

Total in donations is now at £125. I am disappointed with the lack of donations this year, however I must thank those of you whom have already donated. This really is a worthwhile cause to donate to, so please put your hands in your pockets and donate some loose change.

I hope more of you can support my “Mo” growth by donating (even if it is just £1 / $1 / €1) to the Prostate Cancer charity via my Mo Space at

http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead…

Home, UK          Saturday 19 November, 2011          11pm GMT

Donations for Movember gladly accepted at http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

Spent part of the day in the company of little children… well, babies actually. Amazing, delicate, not a care in the world except for eating (drinking) and the opposite of that, sleeping and being entertained. Their whole life ahead of them and my instinct of just wanting to protect them.

Oh, and yes, I enjoyed being a child with them.

I was able to get an early-ish night last night and it is most likely I will be able to do the same tonight. Nowadays it all seems to be about getting sleep. Never thought I would say that. LOL.

The “Mo” was trimmed again this morning, to allow it to blend in with the thinner bits. I may need to use a black marker to fill in the bald bits. What do you think? Haha.

Total in donations is now at £120.

I hope more of you can support my “Mo” growth by donating (even if it is just £1 / $1 / €1) to the Prostate Cancer charity via my Mo Space at

http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

Wishing you all a relaxing Sunday ahead…

Home, UK          Friday 18 November, 2011          11pm GMT

Donations for Movember gladly accepted at http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

A bit of a lazy day today. Lazy in terms of not having shaved. Other than that it was quite busy. Catching up with work and taking a much needed walk in the bright and sunny yet bracing cold weather.

No words of wisdom today… Instead I’m feeling quite tired and may just be able to get an early night’s sleep.

Total in donations is now at £120.

I hope more of you can support my “Mo” growth by donating (even if it is just £1 / $1 / €1) to the Prostate Cancer charity via my Mo Space at

http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

See you all at the weekend…

On the train, London, UK Thursday 17 November, 2011 10.45pm GMT

Donations for Movember gladly accepted at http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

London's Regent Street tonight.

I’m currently returning home from a most fantastic evening in London. I was invited to a bar/restaurant called Circus by an events team at the company that runs Odeon cinemas to showcase the venue for holding an event. I had been to Circus about 12 months ago and the acts they put on in there.. spectacular! I spent time networking with a few people… I knew no one there when I walked in but by the time I left the place had exchanged a few business cards and had some decent conversations.

Having left this place, the next stop was one of Odeon’s cinemas, for the private screening of the film Arthur Christmas 3D. This is the first film I have watched in 3D… more than that though, I loved the film. The story itself, the emotions that were portrayed in it.

Briefly… it portrays the character of a person who cares for people.. even if it is one out of billions of children… he simply didn’t want that one child to feel left out.

There are lessons to be learnt here. In our daily lives we go about thinking that as long as we do our best for the majority of people then it is ok. Even in business we tend to think of pleasing most rather than all.. We are always told that we can not please everyone.

Arthur, in the film cared for the one person that everyone thought, well we have hit 99.9999999% of our target, so it is ok to let that 0.0000001% down.

I am not saying it is feasible all the time, however I am saying that we must constantly try. Have you ever done something for someone and seen their face light up? It makes it all worth it, doesn’t it? Imagine the feeling you would have if you did that for pretty much everyone you had to do something for?

Walking around London this evening, the Christmas spirit was in the air, the Christmas lights sparkling, people going out with friends after work, and people were smiling. It felt good. Smiles are infectious.. And one of the things that people can easily do is keep smiling.. the feeling spreads to others around you.

Smile, just like the Heal UK charity worker I came across on the tube tonight. He was beaming from ear to ear the whole time. When he got off the tube I chatted with him for a short while and took the pic…

Anyway, throughout the film I felt like a child again… it felt good. I love being a child again.. and I get that chance everyday now with my little one. I can be as crazy as anything, sing in my donkey like voice, dance and prance around with arms flailing all over the place, and the little one does not judge or mind. Hahahaha.

My challenge to my readers.. be a child again, even if it is for five minutes a day. I promise you will love it.

On to Movember…

I am again attaching pics of the left hand side and the right hand side of my “Mo”. The very thin hair bits of the moustache are irking me a bit though.. The shape is there but it all looks a bit disjointed. I guess I will just have to see how it goes over the rest of the month…

Running total in donations remains at £110.

I hope more of you can support my “Mo” growth by donating (even if it is just £1 / $1 / €1) to the Prostate Cancer charity via my Mo Space at

http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

On this night, where the moon is sliced perfectly in half… I bid thee a good night…

Home, UK     Wednesday 16 November, 2011     11pm GMT

Donations for Movember gladly accepted at http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

Just a quick pictorial update today. I have always maintained that we must make time to do things, and I am that way inclined myself. Lately however my time has been taken up with some other important activities and there are only so many hours in a day… 24 is not enough, even with reduced sleep.

I trimmed my “Mo” a little today, to allow it to blend in more with the extended bits I am growing.. the extended bits being the ones that do not grow too thick.

I am again attaching pics of the left hand side and the right hand side of my “Mo”.

Running total in donations remains at £110.

I hope more of you can support my “Mo” growth by donating (even if it is just £1 / $1 / €1) to the Prostate Cancer charity via my Mo Space at

http://uk.movember.com/mospace/789888

Until tomorrow…