A rapid interview with author Frank Coles

1. QUICK FIRE INTERVIEW
WITH FRANK COLES
CURATED BY: PRASHANT HARISH HARI

2. Q1) IN THE CHAPTER "LEARN ANY LANGUAGE" YOU WRITE“, IT'S
UNDERSTANDABLE WHY MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE THEY HAVE NO NATURAL
ABILITY. WE ALL DID THE SAME THING, STUDIED FRENCH, SPANISH OR
GERMAN AT SCHOOL UNTIL OUR MID TO LATE TEENS AND THEN FOUND
THAT IN THE REAL WORLD WE COULDN'T EVEN ORDER A CUP OF COFFEE IN
OUR TARGET LANGUAGE“
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS? IS IT SOMETHING
TO DO WITH THE WAY LANGUAGES ARE TAUGHT AT SCHOOL OR TEACHING
OVERALL? OR DO YOU BELIEVE IT'S THE WRONG AGE TO BE PERHAPS
LEARNING A LANGUAGE? OR SOMETHING ELSE?

3. A1) In a nutshell, I think it's because most education systems
are tailored to one style of learning over another. Say for
example, my uncle, a translator, loves nothing more than a good grammar table and rote learning
while for others that would leave them cold, it would be too hard and they would be totally turned
off. Another linguist friend runs a German school for corporates called LernerLeben where he tailors
lessons to the students learning style. Now these two extremes both work, but I think the
essential thing that is lost in most learning is a sense
of play and the understanding of what good practice is
- always pushing to the edge of your comfort zone but not going past it.
Kids do it best, they play with different ways of learning
languages, repetition, cue cards, audio and
song, TV, wordplay, stories, gobble-de-gook, whatever, and they
learn languages easily over time. That's why I recommend Barry Farber's grown-
up 'multi-track approach' in Tank as it uses all sorts of tools to get you learning and having fun with
it. For those who need a working knowledge of a language quickly however then I always
recommend a book by an ex Green-beret called AG Hawke, 'The Quick and Dirty Guide
to Learning a Language Fast'. It'll get you up and running in
double-quick time.

4. Q2) IN THE CHAPTER "BARE ESSENTIALS" YOU TALK ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF HAVING THE RIGHT CLOTHES, FIT, AND
ESSENTIALLY STYLE AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS DEPENDING
ON WHAT A PERSONS INCOME IS. HOW
IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK IT IS
TO DRESS, LOOK AND FEEL
STYLISHLY IN ORDER TO WIN THE
WOMEN OF YOUR DREAMS? IS A
CONCENTRATED EFFORT ON OTHER AREAS LIKE YOUR
WARDROBE ESSENTIAL...OR IS A BIT OF HEART ALL
YOU NEED?

5. A2) Clothes are social engineering. I don't think they are important in the
greater scheme of things but they do actually make a difference to the
people who meet you and to how they perceive you. For budget you can
have all the money in the world and still look like a fashion victim. Whatever budget you
have buy clothes that fit you properly, in colours that suit you, keep them clean and ironed.
Buy the best that you can afford, but don't worry about brand
names.
For winning the woman of yours dreams feeling confident in
what you wear is important so that you behave confidently.
That's it. If you look as good as you need to that's good enough. If you spend
your entire time with this dream lady worrying about what you look like, preening yourself
in the mirror and so on then you'll be spending less time on having fun with her and
reacting to the situations you are in. So, get it right for the woman, the environment you're
in, then forget about it.
For me, back in the days when I was single, my baseline dress code to impress was
shirt tailored to fit me, smart jeans and comfy smart-casual shoes. You could add
jackets or sandals for cold/heat and if you have to go black tie or jungle practical then you
change up for clothes to suit those environments.

6. Q3) HOW LONG FROM NOW, UNTIL YOU THINK
TRAVEL INTO SPACE WILL BE
AFFORDABLE TO THE
MAINSTREAM AUDIENCE?

7. A3) I worked on a show in the 90s on the emerging space tourism market and
got to meet many of the leaders in the field and a few astronauts as well. It's
an exciting field to be in right now, real barnstorming days. You can already go
into space if you have millions to spare (to the ISS and there's a planned
private trip to the moon). And very soon Branson and
Burt Rutan over at Virgin Galactic will have
you going into low-earth orbit for a $100k
or so. However it will still be decades for it to be affordable to the
mainstream. Hopefully not too many decades. I'm certainly
planning on low-earth orbit before I die.

8. Q4) THE ENTIRE NOTION OF YOUR BOOK IS VERY VERY INSPIRING WITH
THE CENTRAL THEME AROUND: "FOLLOWING YOUR
DREAMS", "DOING ANYTHING YOU
WANT TO DO IN LIFE", "BELIEVING IN
YOURSELF”. IN TODAYS ERA OF RECESSION AND
TOUGH TIMES, WHAT PRACTICAL ADVICE
DO YOU GIVE TO PEOPLE TO DO
AS FAR AS DAILY MENTAL
EXERCISES ARE CONCERNED?

9. A4) Thank you, it's great to hear that. There are two heuristics that
I like to use that will get you out of any funk and into an
alert attentive state of mind.

10. A4) Defunk your mind with the gratitude attitude.
Every day for the next seven days choose
five things to say thank you for. It doesn't matter what
they are. And this act, if you do it with full intent, will make you appreciate what
you have and see the world in a different more positive light. You will
also notice many great things about your life that you
normally overlook because of the noise of advertising,
society and politicians. Try it now. As you build up the practice you
will begin to see things very differently and automatically begin to think more
positively each and every day.
After your seven days, either keep going, or forget about it and return to the
seven day practice every time you hit a low spot.

11. A4) Respond as if you are really here.
Most of us are on automatic. All the time. How many
people go through relationships or jobs and
never really pay attention? Sometimes for
years. We are not present as a species more often than not. So try this. In the next
conversation with your partner, your boss, your colleague really listen. Really pay
attention and really respond to what they
are telling you.
Then keep doing it, you'll find you are awake and it will wake up those around you too.

12. Q5) IN THE CHAPTER "SWINGING DICKS-OFFICE
POLITICS AND HOW TO WIN EVERY TIME" YOU
MENTION "DON'T WASTE TIME ON NO-
HOPERS AND HAS-BEEN". COULD YOU
PROVIDE A DEFINITION OF A "NO-HOPER" OR
"HAS BEEN" IN YOUR OWN WORDS?

13. A5) Ah, that was a quote from another author. Following his advice
would lead you down a very bitter path. I then go on to give the reader
several types of common office-politics scenarios 'dirty tactics' that
everyone will know. With that quote, be careful, a
no-hoper may become your boss, a has-
been may have a comeback. It's a very
momentary perspective and very limiting.

14. Q6) YOU MENTION IN THE CHAPTER: IN PRAISE
OF IDLENESS "WITHOUT THE LEISURE
CLASS MANKIND WOULD NEVER
HAVE EMERGED FROM
BARBARISM". HOWEVER ON THE OTHER HAND,
YOU'RE SOMETIMES MADE TO FEEL GUILT FOR THINKING BIG
AND IMPROVING YOURSELF. WHAT ADVICE
WOULD YOU GIVE TO PEOPLE TO
AVOID THAT TRAP? SPECIALLY FOR
THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED HARD?

15. A6) Guilt is a cognitive trap, you're right. Simply forgive
yourself for whatever it is you're feeling guilty
about. In this situation two examples of black-and-white thinking are
messing with your head. Whether you work hard or are a lazy as hell as long
as you give as much as you take, are good to those around you, then
don't worry about other people's approval,
or what you think they might think, then
there will be nothing to feel guilty about.
As for thinking big, you sure as hell don't do
yourself or the world any favours by

16. Q7) IN THE CHAPTER "SMILE AT THE DEVIL AND
SPIT IN HIS FACE" YOU MENTION A NUMBER OF
SYMPTOMS FOR DEPRESSION UNDER THE
TITLE KNOW YOUR SYMPTOMS, WHICH WE ALL
GO THROUGH FROM TIME TO TIME. OF THOSE
LISTED, WHICH WOULD YOU SAY ARE
THE TOP 5 MOST IMPORTANT
ONES IN YOUR VIEW? AND HOW
TO BEST OVERCOME THEM?

17. A7)
For me the most common indicators that I've strayed from my path into the land of uber-moody
are:
• Feeling low-spirited for much of the time, every day.
• Being unusually irritable or impatient.
• Getting no pleasure out of life or what you usually enjoy.
• Waking up early, having difficulty sleeping or sleeping more than usual.
• Distancing yourself from others; not asking for support.

18. A7)
But there are another 15 or so indicators and what
applies to me might not apply to others. So check
them out for yourself.
I think you have to find the strategy that works best for you for all of these things. But the
basics are: eat better food (cut down/cut out booze, cigarettes, drugs), set up a sleep
routine (stick to it), exercise every day. Studies have shown that daily exercise (as little
as a 30 minute walk a day for three weeks) is equally effective as medication for all but
those severely bruised internally.
The gratitude attitude in
question four works well

19. Q8) IN THE CHAPTER "RELIGION AND
SPIRITUALITY" YOU MENTION:
"...SPIRITUALITY IS
SOMETHING THAT
EVERYONE CAN
EXPERIENCE..". IS YOUR PERSONAL
VIEW THAT SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGION
SHOULD BE/ARE TOTALLY SEPARATE?

20. A8) Again there are no right/wrong answers here. As a
species we've developed mental shortcuts (heuristics) to make life
easier for ourselves, when we are living on automatic if we then meet
situations in life that contradict what we think/believe we have large
amounts of 'What the...?' and 'Smite the unbeliever' - basically we
have what is called cognitive dissonance and it makes our brains
hurt. You can be religious and spiritual, sure,
but you can also be spiritual without being
religious, and religious without being
spiritual. Whatever level of religion or spirituality you believe
yourself to be you need to cut yourself and those around you some
slack, you don't have all the answers, neither does anyone else. You
will meet ideas and people that challenge yours. Enjoy it rather
than fight it and you will enable and inspire. Fight it and you will

21. Contact Frank Coles
Website: http://www.frankcoles.com
Email: mail@frankcoles.com
Twitter: @FrankColes
Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/How-Drive-Tank-Frank-
Coles/dp/0349122237

22. Contact Me
Twitter: @prazhari
LinkedIN: nz.linkedin.com/in/prashanthari
Facebook:
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Website: www.socialwizz.com
About me: http://about.me/prazhari
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