Whilst doing some research for this Addison Lee brief, I found an interview with John Griffin – the man who started it all.

In it, he talked about his son, Liam and his growth and development into a business man. Among other things, he mentioned how he had an ego, much like any other successful young business man does. The problem with it though, is that you need to learn how to control your ego to make it work for you, otherwise your cockiness will work against you.

In other words, your faults can be your downfall or your aid.

Over recent years, the one thing that has pushed and pulled me has been anxiety. It’s a little quirk in my brain chemistry that cannot be fully attributed to personality, but it is a part of me nonetheless. There have been times when it’s crippled me, but it’s also driven me to act and constantly seek change. When the main thing that you’re running from is yourself, personal development becomes quite a big thing in life.

I have to admit that the first week of this term has been fuelled by a rather large knot somewhere in the lower regions of my rib cage. It’s the feeling of fight or flight constantly lodged deep into your middle section, and whilst it’s possible to breathe it out, its shadow is always just there.

The question for me over the next few months will be if this can be rocket fuel, or a bag of stones. Like a performer can either be overcome by stage fright, or use their nerves to give them the bundles of energy to get them through the night, it’s a conscious decision that can, and will, be made.