Category: Blog

1. Quote I’m pondering “Unless we make Christmas an occasion to share our blessings, all the snow in Alaska won’t make it white.” – Bing Crosby

2. I’ve made my yearly Wikipedia donation. I use Wikipedia a lot (including links here on my blog). It’s not perfect, it’s not always 100% accurate, but wow what would we do without it? If Wikipedia has helped you at all this year, consider donating, it’s a non profit and has no other way of existing. You can find donation links here: https://wikimediafoundation.org/

3. The Danes love sweet potato’s, and there’s no shortage of them. I love them to (we all do in the Purvis clan). So we’ve been enjoying this sweet potato smoothie for a while. Unlike white potato varieties, sweet potato is supremely alkaline and doesn’t create gas or wind (phew). Try it and see, the below ingredients serve 2:

1 sweet potato, 2 carrots, 2 oranges – Peel the potato, top and tail the carrots, peel the orange and break into segments, add to the juicer – voila!

4. I’m looking at my list of books to read in 2018 and have found this list of non fiction I’m really looking forward to. Take a look at these 8 books and see if they get your reading buds going too:

5. I’ve been reading this article on stress. Thankfully stress for me is not perennial, though it can be chronic for some. Reading this has helped me realise that much of our stress can come from the fight between the logical voice in our head and our heart. The author shares several ways to overcome and reduce this type of stress. I’m pondering on the below a little this week:

When your life and success accelerate, you need to up-level.
You can’t keep operating from the same dialogue that worked before. It’s not going to be enough. It’s not going to fit.

I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Life is for adventure, that’s how the saying goes. Though for many, life feels like a whirlwind of work and family commitments.

How much adventure do you have in your life? How much of that adventure is attitude and how much of it is choosing to get out of your comfort zone?“

“Adventure isn’t hanging on a rope off the side of a mountain. Adventure is an attitude that we must apply to the day to day obstacles in life.” – John Amatt

This time last year I was 3 months into a new role. One where’d I’d chosen to leave the comfort of a large corporation and dive headfirst into a smaller, growing company. A company that has arguably changed the way video games are made forever. Like Apple’s app store, which spawned new business groups and new millionaires, Unity has done the same for  video games. Democratising the ability to create, enabling anyone the opportunity to make a great experience for little or no financial cost upfront.

Over that Christmas period of 2017, I was going through stages of regret. What had I done? I’d tripled my commute time, I’d left a company with quite possibly the best CEO in history – Satya Nadella –  (He’s the Abe Lincoln of CEO’s). I’d taken a pay cut, I’d left my friends and I’d also given up working on Minecraft, one of the biggest gaming franchises in history (my son still hasn’t quite forgiven me). Yet I was on an adventure, one where I was out of my comfort zone both physically and mentally (attitude).

”Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure” – Bob Bitchin

Now we’re coming up to Christmas 2018 I’m pondering my decisions from the last 12 months. I’ve moved with my family to Denmark, taken on more responsibility at Unity, I’m surrounded by a language no one else in the world speaks. I’m not able to put aside as much money to my f#ck you fund due to the high cost of living here, and I miss popping out for the weekend to see family and close friends. Yet I’m on an adventure, not just an attitude adventure, a lifestyle one too. It’s one that reminds me of when I was in my twenties, flying off to America for train hopping and then Nigeria to volunteer in a remote village.

Back then I had little knowledge on how to deal with the stress of being out of my comfort zone, other than constantly pushing myself to not be in one. Years later, I can see I have a mature mental toolbox for dealing with the daily challenges of a zero comfort zone life. I’ve learned there is good stress (eustress) which we need for our overall wellness. I’ve also learned that attitude is quite possibly the single most important piece to frame each and every day.

So as this year is rapidly coming to an end, I’m reflecting on the madness I’m putting myself and my family through. My reflection is helping me see that it’s not actually madness. What’s madness is not living a life with adventure, a life where you haven’t examined your attitude.

A life lived where you’ve not taken yourself out of your comfort zone, and grown into the type of person others benefit from, is a life with gaps. I naturally gravitate to those people who strive for zero comfort zone lives (either consciously or unconsciously) and I aspire to be one myself.

I wonder if we all did the same, the world might be better for everyone?

”Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell not stuff to show.”

My life is more peaceful since moving to Denmark. It’s not as crowded here, and although Copenhagen is like many cities, with its large corporations and highly competitive jobs, it’s relatively quiet, I like quiet. I can get a regular break 5 minutes from the office, where I sit down on a bench and the only conversation available is with the ducks who come and say hi. Perfect during a busy day of meetings.

People seem content here. Western media continually cites Denmark as one of the happiest nations on earth. Yet after being here for 6 months, I can say that in my experience it’s not the happiest, what it probably is, is the most contented.

I live in what is seen as a rich neighbourhood, my neighbours have expensive cars and houses. Yet they’re leaving for work at a reasonable hour in the morning and are already home when I return in the evening. They’re also at home on the weekends. To work in the UK and have the sort of income many of these people have, would mean anything from 60-80 hour weeks in the office. Not so here, they prioritise home time with family and friends, and their work place doesn’t penalise them for it.

Seeing how content people are has helped me see differences in how life is here, compared to the UK or US. Danes have no need to worry about the cost of utility providers, as much of it is controlled by the government (to ensure fairness). They don’t have to worry about losing their job, as they get looked after by the government while they look for a new one. They have no need to concern themselves with hospital bills and healthcare, as it’s all provided free to everyone (and contrary to some of the US propaganda, it actually works). It’s very expensive here and saving for retirement is still not a worry, as the government ensures you are looked after when elderly and no longer working.

So, the nation of Denmark is no more happy than other western nations I’ve visited. But they do appear more worry free, at peace with life and very content.

Having an ecosystem to take many of the worries away and protect people seems to work. In fact, isn’t this what government was created for originally? So without getting political, I wanted to share a life lesson from my short time here in Denmark.

Create your own kind of safety net, one that eliminates worry in the present and worry for the future.

We don’t all benefit from a proactive government like Denmark. So here are 3 ways I’m achieving a worry free life.

1. Consume less news media – Since I stopped watching the news many years ago, I’ve not only felt a reduction in anxiety and darkness, I’ve made more time for happier moments. It turns out news doesn’t just exist to inform you, it is also there to conform you. The Guardian (somewhat ironic) has an excellent piece on why giving up the news makes you happier.

2. Focus on generating wealth over a job to pay the bills – Invest every spare bit of money you have at the end of each month. Make it grow. Whether it’s $5 or $500. Read The Simple Path to Wealth by J L Collins  and look at the data as well as the methods he describes. I have high risk savings in cryptocurrency and lower risk in Vanguard index funds. This is my f#ck you money. That is money I can live on if I want to quit my job. A lot of worry goes away when you don’t have to work.

You don’t have to be wealthy to be worry free, yet having any kind of buffer that grows, no matter how small, has a surprising impact.

You can read the book for free on his blog here too: https://jlcollinsnh.com/stock-series/

3. Embrace Hygge in your life – This 3rd part is the one I’ve added since being  here in Denmark. In essence, it means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. There are many websites and books available covering Hygge, my favourite website on Hygge is this one and book is this one.

So for those who don’t  have the Danish government to take those practical worries away, why not take control and design safety your own way?

From small moments, small investments and extra time for happiness, it’s easy to see you don’t have to have a high income, nor do you have to live in Denmark to have contentment in your life.

When I was a kid I dreamed of travelling the world and being my own kind of Indiana Jones. I wanted to experience the world and get out of farming land as my only viewpoint.

I was lucky enough to spend much of my twenties hopping around various countries. Sadly not with a whip and quick one liners to disarm any enemies I might have met along the way. But I did wear khakis and a cool hat at times.

What became apparent after anchoring my life and starting a career in the video game industry, was that I could travel and work at the same time.

So as my role expanded and promotions happened, I visited some amazing places, while at the same time staying at terrific hotels. What I didn’t realise was how accustomed I’d get to accommodation like the Four Seasons and Hyatt Regency. I’d become spoilt and was in a bubble. This was especially noticeable when it came to travelling with Microsoft, where being in downtown Seattle or Redmond town center (think the Truman show with music on the streets and free umbrellas for when it rains), was so comfortable, it was easy to forget how privileged I was (and I did).

“What separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.” – Brene Brown

So I initiated life change when an opportunity appeared.

On business trips I no longer get to watch Netflix from a Jacuzzi bath that could fit 4 people (if you’re ever in downtown Seattle and can stay at the Four Seasons I would recommend the experience). It wasn’t just the travel either, I no longer have a home office enabling a private space to work and write. I no longer have a car, one that tells me where to go and has more lights and switches on its dashboard than the original space shuttle. What I do have are the beginnings of a deeper living experience. I’m fitter than I was, my mind is clearer, I’m a calmer person and I really appreciate the smallest of things.

I didn’t consciously choose to change everything, I’d love a home office again and miss it dearly, yet there are pro’s to not having such luxury (like being better able to separate work and home).

It was a joint decision my wife and I made, to change our lives with the opportunity that faced us. We wanted something different, something to take us away from the heavy consumerism and conventional lifestyle. When that opportunity arose we took it.

There are still days where we wonder what we’ve done and what we’ve taken away from our children. These doubts come and go, mainly when talking with friends and seeing what they’re doing back in the UK. But right now we’re on a path, one that’s made us more grateful for what we had, what we have now and whatever we’ll have in the future.

It takes practice and I’ve a long way to go, yet I don’t need certain things anymore and that’s made me a happier person. Change and having less can be good for us all.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy