A Beautiful Mind
Oh my goodness I am so glad I decided to watch the movie starring Russell Crowe "A Beautiful Mind" again. I saw it with new eyes. I have to say what a fantastic Personal Development story.
The movie portrays the life of mathematical genius John Nash Jnr - a highly intelligent man who develops schizophrenia. When navigating unchartered waters feeling terrified & disempowered we turn to the "experts" for help. John Nash dutifully submitted himself to the treatment protocols of the day - ECT 5 days per week x 10 weeks or something to that effect.
When deemed safe to return home to his wife & baby son he was on a daily dose of whatever medication. The problem for him was although it diminished his visual hallucinations (in the form of 3 different & benign characters & the belief that he was to carry out important decoding of hidden messages in published magazine text for American Intelligence Service) the medication also dulled down his useful abilities that added value to the world.
What a stressful time for this young married couple. His poor wife must have wondered what she'd signed up for. Anyway, John Nash Jnr approached this dilemma as he did any other problem - using logic. He decided to take control of his situation to come to a happy medium that didn't completely dull his brain so he could still do his work yet didn't allow the hallucinations to "take over" so that his sense of reality was all but completely lost rendering him unable to function in the world productively.
He took a much lower dose of his meds & learned that the hallucinatory effects of his overly excited brain could be kept at bay by observing them as a side effect of a brain with "schizophrenia" & not interacting with them. They never left him however they grew quieter & kept in the background more.
Gosh I so admire this guy. That is a tough journey he got delivered & he found a way to live his best life with his loved ones adding great value to the world. He was a beloved campus fixture of the University library where he mentored students he affectionately referred to as "eager young minds".
His marriage survived which is epic - a wonderful love story of endurance, unconditional love, acceptance, space-giving, learning & growing.
Poll: Are Kiwis allergic to “exuberance”? 🥝
In The Post’s opinion piece on the developments set to open across Aotearoa in 2026, John Coop suggests that, as a nation, we’re “allergic to exuberance.”
We want to know: Are we really allergic to showing our excitement?
Is it time to lean into a more optimistic view of the place we call home? As big projects take shape and new opportunities emerge, perhaps it’s worth asking whether a little more confidence (and enthusiasm!) could do us some good.
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42.4% Yes
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31.6% Maybe?
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26% No
Scam Alert: Fake information regarding December Bonuses from MSD
The Ministry of Social Development is reporting that fake information is circulating about new ‘December bonuses’ or ‘benefit increases’
If you get suspicious communication, please contact Netsafe.
Police urge caution on Southland beaches
As the weather warms up and Southlanders begin flocking to the beach, Police are reminding people of an important fact – beaches are roads and need to be treated as such.
Senior Sergeant Scott MacKenzie, Southland Area Road Policing Manager, says while it is legal to drive on Oreti Beach, you still need to adhere to the road rules.
“The beach has a speed limit of 30k/h – there is no excuse to be over this limit.
The days are getting warmer and with school holidays it can be expected that a lot of families with small children and animals will be heading to the beach to enjoy the sun."
“Anyone driving on the beach needs to be mindful of this, and stay focused on your surroundings,” he says.
The risks of injury or worse, to yourself or others, are just the same as on traditional roads.
Senior Sergeant MacKenzie also reminds beach goers that any form of antisocial road-user behaviour will not be tolerated.
“Some people seem to think that road rules don’t apply to you when on the beach – this is not the case.
Antisocial driving behaviour is unacceptable, on and off the beach, and we encourage the community to report the driving behaviour immediately."
“It is best to make a report while the incident is occurring to allow our staff the opportunity to respond immediately and hopefully disrupt any offenders in the act.
Please take note of as much detail as possible, such as registration number of the vehicle, any identifying features of the vehicle and its driver, or even take a video of the driving behaviour if safe to do so,” he says.
You can report information to us by calling 111 if it is happening now, or through 105 for non-emergencies.
Alternatively, you can report information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
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