THE 1,000th POST

This marks the 1,000th post in http://www.leatherpotato.com – a record of sorts.

When I first started out, I did not really have any “milestone” goals for this blog / website. Looking back now, I only like or is it “like only” started tapping keys on keyboard to computer (putting pen to paper) in the middle of the year 2020. There were two reasons to this.

The first being the Covid-19 pandemic, which took the lives of millions of people around the world, and left families, businesses and the world at large; devastated. Every bit of news we got was how the pandemic was on a rampage, showing or knowing no mercy for innocent children, women and men. People were at the mercy of an “enemy” they knew little or nothing about. Country after country declared lockdowns which were curfews. Businesses, even industries; were forced to shutter. People lost their jobs, their livelihoods, their will to survive.

I wanted to make an attempt to provide some hope. We just needed to keep going, believing the sun was going to rise the next morning after having gone down the night before. People needed to hang on to that belief, that everything was going to be ok. If one person could have that glimmer of hope, he or she could spread it to the next person. Hope was one “infection” worth having.

They (I keep asking, who are the “they”? This is a mysterious group of people, who seem to hide behind the description “they” and not want to identify themselves or even take ownership of what they) said I would be wasting my time. The world is so big, that I wouldn’t make a difference. I knew I was not going to be able to change the world, that was a given. But if I could add a little value, even if it was a blip to the people around me; giving them something to hang on to; my time used would be all the worthwhile.

I did not want to wait and spend precious time creating organizations and other such groups to get something simple moving. This was not going to attract media cover. I suggested to others to do the same, with a “pass it on” ripples effect. We, the people from all over the world, were glad that the Covid-19 pandemic ended. The idea of making a caring difference was to continue. Everyone needs a spark to touch their lives.

The second reason was “Can or not?” (Local Chinese speaking the English. I am not Chinese but I find this humorous 😂.) It was a goal. At that time, I could not see just past a few days. Writing an article each day or every few days, was an activity that would take up my already cramped schedule. I started writing. The next year (2021), I set a target of 100 articles to write. In the middle of that year, a good friend of our family, Richard Kok, who was keeping tabs of my articles; gave me a wake up call, stating that I had written only a few articles; and wondered if I was going to make the hundred article mark. From then on… the rest is history.

Over the past one and a half years, I have written at least 1 article per day. And wrote a book, too. According to my publisher, the book will be coming off the press this Friday. I’m so excited. I will fill you in on the details soon.

I want to thank each and everyone of you readers, for your support and constant feedback, on how my work resonates in your lives and with your lives. Please keep your wonderful messages coming in.

Now, to the future, the next moment onwards.

IN SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS

THE BOX IS A VERY CONFINING SPACE.
WHENEVER WE HEAR THE PHRASE, “THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX”; MOST OF US WILL THINK THAT THE BOX IS SQUARE IN SHAPE, WITH A COVER ON IT.
HOWEVER, BOXES COME IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES.
THEY ARE STILL VERY CONFINING IN SPACE. ITS PARAMETERS LIMITS US IN EXPRESSING OUR FULL POTENTIAL.

IN SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS, IT M AY BE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU, YOU JUST DON’T RECOGNISE IT.
YOU MAY THINK THAT SUCCESS IS THE KEY TO HAPPINESS.
IS IT?

IF YOU LOVE WHAT YOU ARE DOING, YOU MAY FIND YOUR HAPPINESS. YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.
THAT IS IN MANY WAYS, “THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX”.

~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller

SUCCESS COMES

REMEMBER WHO YOU WANT TO BE.

STOP WISHING. JUST DO.
ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE A BEGINNER. THERE WILL BE MISTAKES ALONG THE WAY.
NO ONE STARTS OFF BEING PERFECT.

SUCCESS COMES WHEN YOU ACCEPT THE PAIN OF DISCIPLINE.

~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller

COMFORTABLE BEING UNCOMFORTABLE

STEP OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE TO EXPERIENCE NEW POSSIBILITIES.

THE ELEVATOR TO SUCCESS IS OUT OF ORDER. YOU’LL HAVE TO USE THE STAIRS.

GREAT THINGS HAVE NEVER COME FROM COMFORT ZONES. SUCCESS BEGINS WHEN YOU ARE COMFORTABLE WITH BEING UNCOMFORTABLE.

~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller

Leigh Ashton

THE ACTION STEPS

BEWARE OF THE HALF TRUTH.
YOU MAY HAVE GOTTEN HOLD OF THE WRONG HALF WHEN YOU WERE TOLD THAT SUCCESS ONLY COMES THROUGH HARD WORK.

WHEN IT BECOMES OBVIOUS THAT YOUR GOALS CANNOT BE REACHED, DON’T ADJUST THE GOALS; ADJUST THE ACTION STEPS.

TRY SMART WORK INSTEAD. DON’T FORGET TO HAVE FUN IN THE PROCESS.

~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller

King Kaka

RISK THE USUAL

IF YOU WANT TO BE SUCCESSFUL,
PREPARE TO BE DOUBTED AND TESTED.
LIFE WILL ALWAYS BE FULL OF CHALLENGES.

YOU HAVE TO BE WILLING TO RISK THE USUAL,
OTHERWISE, YOU WILL HAVE TO SETTLE FOR THE ORDINARY.

~ ALAN IAN ATKINSON
Writer, Author, Storyteller