The Great Gordino Newsletter – Tues 17th Feb 2015

Hi,
I hope all is well with you.

This week – comedy, chocolate, curling…

Something I have written a lot about over the years is having fun. It may sound glib, but having fun is, in my view, an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.

There are many reasons why fun can be overlooked – the pressures of everyday life, expectations, worries about the past, worries about the future – they can all add up to a recipe which has us forgetting to simply have fun in the present moment we are in!

"Gordon Bryan"
So, the comedy.

On Thursday I had fun being MC at a comedy gig. When you are MC, you have responsibility too bring all the acts on and off, get the crowd going, generally host and keep the event tied together.

It has different challenges to ‘just’ going on once and doing your act, and it’s a challenge I enjoy and would like to do more often if I’m honest.

"Ferrero Rocher"
The chocolate.

So may people moan about how Valentine’s Day is no more than a money generating exercise for various industries, including the chocolate industry. Er, yes, of course it is! It’s no good moaning about it! You either get onboard and decide to enjoy it, or you don’t get sucked in, and just don’t make the extra purchases, no-one is forced.

As it happens, I currently don’t have anyone buying chocolate for me, which means I go and buy it for myself. I’ll be honest, that happens most days of the year, not just one! I did see a rather nice big bar of Toblerone though…

Speaking of chocolate, Michele Ferrero has died. Head of the Ferrero business, and Italy’s richest man, with more than a few pennies in the bank. Nutella spread is the product which cemented the family fortune, but it’s probably the Ferrero Rocher chocolate which most people have in their minds.

I’m amazed to see it was only introduced in 1982 – that means the first 16 years of my chocolate fuelled life missed out! (I’ve made up since, let me tell you).

There was some great marketing behind the product. Here in the UK, the Ferrero Rocher TV advert is one of the best remembered of *any* product, as the waiter walks around at the Ambassador’s party with a pyramid of Ferrero Rocher chocolates for the guests.

That put the idea in the mind that the product was of a higher class. Wrap each on individually in a gold wrapper and a little paper dish, package them up in a see through hard case, with a price to reflect the perception, and lots of money will flow!

Great marketing. And my enjoyment of Ferrero Rocher and Nutella will be going on for many more years yet!

Fascinating fact – did you know that Ferrero use 25% of the world’s hazelnut supply!!

"The Great Gordino Classic"
The curling.

Sunday 15th saw the 8th staging of The Great Gordino Classic. In my early days of playing curling I was lucky to be in a team that won a really nice trophy. I decided that the only way to guarantee getting my name on a trophy every year was to start my own!

I have written lots about taking action on ideas, so that’s what I did – I found a nice pewter curling plate from Switzerland, sorted out a base to put the winners names on, found some nice curling medals from Spain, booked the ice, and it’s been going for 8 years.

It offers a combination of a few things. There’s a friendly feel to the event, and it’s completed in one day. Having said that, it’s full on competition, with people playing to win, win, win !

I didn’t win. That doesn’t matter though, ’cos my name’s already on the trophy!
In the photo you can see the winning skip Karen holding the trophy quite tightly, that’s because she had just dropped it on the floor… 😉

So, lots of enjoyment, lots of fun for me. How about you? Are you having fun? Are you doing things you enjoy? If not, then why not?

Really, why not? There will be reasons, but if your answer is ‘I don’t know’, then that’s not good enough. You need to know the reasons, because unless those reasons are powerfully strong, then having fun, more probably than not, is simply a choice you can make, and it’s a choice you can make *today*.

Ok, that’s it for today, let me know what you think, I love the feedback, and if you fancy sharing the newsletter around social media, I’d appreciate the added exposure thanks!

‘Til Next Time,
Health & Happiness,
Gordon
P.S. Don’t forget to grab my free guide about turning your passions into profits:
FB Passion Profits – The Basics!
P.P.S. You’ll also enjoy my book, which talks about allowing yourself to be happy: ‘Transform Your Life in 21 Days!’

Do leave a comment!

Leave a Reply to gordino X

4 Comments

  • I’m a chocolate lover too! Especially chocolate mixed with caramel. It does mean however, that I’m always finding ways to have fun and work some of those bad calories off.

    Nutella evidently became more popular in Europe long before it did here in the States. I bought some not long ago because my grandson wanted to try it. He loves it. Me…not so much. The number one ingredient in it is sugar. Might as well eat granulated. And, there really is not much chocolate in it either.

    I would have loved to see you as an MC at the comedy gig. Laughter heals so many things. Perhaps someday you can record a gig and share it with us?

    • Hi Dawn,
      I’m about to go back and edit the post – you are right that there isn’t much chocolate in it, in fact that’s how it came about. He tried mixing hazelnuts and chocolate paste because of the price of chocolate, getting his wife to do the tasting until it was ‘just right’. Also, I was amazed to read that Ferrero use 25% of the world’s hazelnut supply!
      Cheers,
      Gordon

  • Hi Gordon
    I just love your newsletters always I learn some new fascinating tidbit ie I never knew that Ferreo used 25% of the worlds hazelnut supply. Having fun ? mmm well let’s see – sitting here thinking I really don’t have much fun in my life at the moment – it has certainly given me something to think about and I will have to ensure that I incorporate something fun! into my life on a daily basis – even if it’s only dancing in the lounge room to a favourite tune and eating a small ! piece of chocolate – trying to reduce the hips not increase lol. Anyway love your newsletters keep em coming. Regards Karen

    • Finding a small amount of time to make room for fun is always good, it makes a huge difference!
      (I also like the idea of it being chocolate!)
      Thanks for the kind words, I appreciate it 😉
      cheers,
      Gordon