It does not seem that long since we were getting back to normal, whatever that is, after the mayhem of January and the 2024 Self-Assessment Return filing deadline. We should be used to it. That deadline has existed for 30 years. It should not come as a surprise to anyone, but I still get asked why HMRC collects self-assessment tax in advance, i.e. the payments on account. Never mind, all will change soon with the introduction of MTD and quarterly reporting, just 9 months away. Anyway, we have seen the longest day for this year and now we can start counting down to Christmas but plenty to do before then!
Have you noticed just how many people open their mouths and criticisms and moans are all that come out, you get it on the radio and television. Presenters are looking for the negatives in everything. It was one of the reasons that I have not watched Breakfast Television for many years. I just could not be doing with that daily dose of depression every morning. Most politicians are just as bad. They don’t seem to be interested in what is best, just criticising their opposition. Or am I being a bit negative here!
There was a point many years ago when I realized that I did not need to have an opinion on absolutely everything. This was particularly the case with situations and events that are totally out of my control. I cannot do anything about them, so why waste energy worrying about them.
But, it seems that these days, everybody needs to have an opinion about absolutely everything and tell everybody. No thanks, I have got better things to do than listen to all that noise. What a waste of my time on this rock.
There was something I came across a few years ago. It was that nobody builds statues to critics. Statues are reserved for people to guide, nurture and motivate, who encourage others to participate in something bigger than themselves. The BMWs of this world eventually get sidelined and forgotten. By the way, BMW stands for bitchers, moaners and winers. Something I picked up from a motivational accountant many years ago.
So, the lesson here is don’t be a BMW. If you haven’t got anything constructive to say, keep quiet. I neither need nor want to listen to you.
There is an interesting exercise that I adopted many years ago. In any situation, always find something positive to say, however bad it may get. In reality, there is always a positive in any situation, you just have to look for it. Behind every grey sky is a blue one. It’s quite uplifting. Remember there is good in everybody no matter who, so look for it. Take the positive path. It’s not that it will do anything for them, but it will have a marked impact on you.
People are funny aren’t they. Helen and I were out for a walk on the links down by the sea on Sunday. There was a handful of people doing the same. One woman came up to Helen and asked if she spoke English. We must have looked like tourists. She confirmed that she did, and the woman proceeded to tell us about a Black Backed Gull she had just seen “hunting”. I said to Helen that she should have said that she spoke Orcadian, not English. Well, she does have quite a distinct accent and even more so when speaking to her siblings. However, she does tone it down for us lesser mortals, but she can never completely disguise where she is from. Anyway, the woman understood her and went away to tell others what she had seen.
Of course, I do not have an accent!
Alan E Long
The Long Partnership
07770 738770
