Don't Look Back - Boston

Lyric - A new day is breakin'…

Now, in this time of uncertainty and change it's only too easy to join the masses and panic. Doom, gloom and uncertainty is rife in the news and panic buying photos and self-isolation messages dominate our social media.

If you are of the mindset that this is a ‘temporary situation’ - then don't be - as 'a new day is definitely breakin' andthings will never, ever be the same again. Our world is changing. Changing faster than it ever has before. Forget the Industrial Revolution or the invention of the Internet, this is happening right in front of our eyes - in just a matter of days.

How we adapt to that change, is how well we’ll cope with the whole Covid-19 Crisis and possibly formulate how we go on to lead our lives in the future. Having been through the loop once already with my own battle with Guillian-Barre Syndrome in 2016 - I know from my own personal experience how much life can change in a moment. Foreverin fact. I had to learn how to adapt to a new life which bore little similarity to the old one and set new challenges and life goals based on a fresh ability rather than ambition to give my life purpose. It worked too.

You see, in recent times we’ve become extremely comfortable with our surroundings, with our health and with our lifestyle. You see, it’s only too easy to go with the flow when everything is going along nicely and when health related issues are on a personal level – it’s a sporadic and often carefree existence for most, stuff happens but in general we get through. The problem we now have to contend with is that the world has entered a full eclipse of darkness - together. A darkness we can share but one that we will have to deal with on a personal level. You will need all the strength you can muster and more in the next few weeks and months. Make some time to make it personal.

I found a more healthy approach to my Guillian-Barre Syndrome when I made it personal. Sure I listened to all the medical advice I was given and read everything I could find online but I reached my own conclusion on how to approach and overcome my single biggest lifetime challenge and got through. At first I was in complete denial and very gung-ho, I thought it would simply go away and everything would return to normal (sounds familiar?). But it didn’t. I didn’t want to change and couldn’t see change. Funnily enough things only got worse.

It was only when I changed my outlook, that things started to happen and there was light at the end of a very dark tunnel.

My mindset changed, dramatically over the five-month period. My open mindset got me through and it will get you through the Covid-19 Crisis too if you let it. Where we’ll be in five months’ time from now? No-one knows. But it won’t be where we are now all I do know from my experience is that things will be different and that you’ll be different too.

Stay healthy - Keep Safe - Amen.

1,052 Marathons - 255 Ultras - 9 Guinness World Records - 15 Marathon des Sables