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Wild Camping on the Path to Mindfulness

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Ever had the feeling that there's something missing from your life, but you can't quite put your finger on what?  I have, and it really started to bug me - I have an amazing partner and am the happiest I've ever been, my children are doing well and are happy, I have a lovely home, good friends, I'm healthy and enjoy my job.  Everything seemed to be great, yet I had a nagging sensation that there was a gap in my life; an itch that needed scratching. Now, I am one of those people who are naturally very reflective and am always searching for ways to try and further improve myself.  I continually try to better understand and explore my high-level values so I can align my life with them. I meditate regularly , keep fit (running marathons and open water swimming ), continually try to expand my mind through continued education (whether with work related courses, attendance of the highly recommended  Guardian Masterclasses , or numerous and varied online courses suc...
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The Wow Factor - Feeling Brilliant in Open Water!

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In my article about the New Year Resolutions I set myself this year, I boldly stated that I wanted to "have more fun - & just say yes more' - with the first brainwave being to join an open water swimming club. A bold statement for this time of year, but having read of the many  benefits  of this ‘magical activity’, I decided to say yes to myself (it was a great idea...) and joined the  Serpentine Swimming Club  without a second thought.  For the princely sum of £20 per year, I now get to swim in the Serpentine every day from 05:00-09:30 - not that I think I'll ever be there at 5! After I joined, I emailed and asked what they thought I should wear for my first swim - I wasn't sure whether I should wear a wetsuit as I'm actually someone who takes about 5 minutes to build up the courage to get into a normal swimming pool as I think that water's cold.  “Just bring your trunks, a cap and goggles” was the response, followed up by “... oh, and as it'...
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Enjoy the Smell of Optimism in the Air!

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As the year draws to a close, now is a great time to reflect on the highlights, and lowlights, of the past 12 months.  Just think about all the amazing things we have all d one and seen this year, what we have achieved, who we have helped and the great times we had.  Many fond memories are in danger of being forgotten unless you consciously remember the year that was - and what a shame that would be!  So, give it a go, give yourself 10 minutes to quietly remember the highlights of the last 12 months.  If you do, I bet it puts a smile on your face 😃 Just as important as remembering the fun times is to reflect on the things that didn't quite go quite as you expected.  Sometimes we let ourselves down, sometimes others let us down, and sometimes life lets us down (we can't control everything).  The trick here is to accept what happened, it's done and can't be undone; all we can do is try to see if we can learn from these experiences.  Don't bea...
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How to survive Brexmas in 5 easy steps...

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Christmas is a time of cheer and happiness for all.  Yay!  Or it was, before... Brexit.  Boo!   Here's a quick guide on how to get through the festive season as painlessly as possible: 1.  The golden rule is - avoid Brexmas at all costs! Whatever you think about Christmas and Brexit, under no circumstances should you attempt to mix them - else you'll likely regret it!  Normally, I believe that if you like any two things, they only ever get better if you mix them - like boiled eggs and marmite (try it, delicious!).  However, I strongly suggest no one wants a Brexmas as it will just repeat on you endlessly and leave a rather bad taste in your mouth (who really likes Brexit after all?).  If at all possible, don't talk about Brexit, listen about it, read about it or even think about it.  Don’t worry, it will still be there in the New Year, unfortunately... 2.  If you are cornered by some dullard bashing on about it (or even worse, a ...
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Homophobia is a Choice - let's stamp it out!

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Personally, I can't understand homophobia - just as I can't understand racism, sexism, nor simpler things such as people who throw rubbish out of cars.  However, whilst I cannot begin to comprehend why someone would be homophobic, I do know that it a problem we can all actively try to help prevent.  Homophobia has no place in our society - nor does discrimination of any kind.  We all need to help stamp out homophobia and have a role to play in doing so.   This article examines: - What homophobia is - Why it is a problem - Where it takes place and  - What we can do about it.   Even if you don't 'class' yourself as homophobic, we can all do more to help stamp it out. What is homophobia? Homophobia is a term that covers a wide range of negative attitudes and feelings towards people who are, or perceived to be, homosexual -  whether that be lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans or queer folks (LBGTQ+).  It takes many forms, from physical to ...
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Plastic Society - The Silent Killer

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Did you know that plastic bags can take 20 years to decompose, plastic bottles up to 450 years and drinking straws, up to 500 years .  No?   I'm not surprised to be honest.  As with everything else, it's all too easy to be unmindful about the impact our behaviours and habits can have on the planet and other people.  I'm sure you're not to blame, are you?  Well, maybe, just a bit - after all, we all are.  As an example, and without conscious thought, we cause 17 million barrels of oil to be used every year to produce disposable plastic water bottles.  Did you actually take that in?  17 million barrels of oil every year, just for water bottles - that's enough to run one million cars for a year!  Whenever discussing plastic pollution, the numbers soon get staggeringly incomprehensible.  The scale of the problem is enormous - and mainly all because of our 'on the go' unconscious behaviour rather than anything malicious. If ...
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Sharing the Good (Simple) Life

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Explore how gardening can enrich your life - and help others. Until I recently moved into a little home of my very own with my amazing wife, the closest that I'd ever really got to growing my own food was based on distant memories.  Watching my father dig over the vegetable patch at my grandfather's house and watching  The Good Life on the television when I was a youngster.  Neither really resonated or enthused me to be honest, mainly because until recently I never liked vegetables - or rather, I thought I didn't.  Childhood memories of being told to eat my vegetables and salads, with the ubiquitous salad cream dolloped on top, still send shivers down my back. However, that's all changed now - big time; in fact, so much so, that for about a year and a half now I have been a very happy pescatarian.  Why? Two reasons - firstly Guosto  and secondly, being lucky enough to have my own home with enough space for a small vegetable patch.  Both have cha...
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