In every loss, there’s an equivalent pain and sorrow. Now, how does anyone overcome the fear of death?

1 year on; thoughts on life, what you make of it and an open invitation to change yours…

So 365 days ago today my grandad passed away

I’m always mindful of such personal posts; with people sometimes thinking the worst that such things are being leveraged for likes and social love

(FYI I’m as good as can be; he passed knowing he was loved a long life and was peaceful in the final hours – and I got to say goodbye. All is ‘ok hun’)

But I treat FB many times like a journal. I’ve needed to process some thoughts for a while and – examining my posts over the last week or so – it’s clear I have not been myself

To coin a phrase from a wonderful human:

‘I’ve been feeling some type of way’

Knowing that this coming up has been on my mind; I’ve been reflecting over the year that was

That, and timehop has been breaking my heart reminding me of a life of mine that once was, but alas – is no more

Now I know that I’ve spoken more than once about dying and death; and how I’ve used the knowledge of my own mortality as a motivator

It once was my biggest fear and I couldn’t sleep at night as a young lad due to thinking about it

– had to have a light on and fall asleep to music –

Now?

I’m very much ok with it

– totally at peace with my eventual parting from this world –

I’m not religious (And if you are, that’s great) but I believe in energy and matter and from what we came from, one day we will become again

Stardust

But I digress

When it comes to death?

I don’t actively chase it of course; but as I remarked to a fiend this morning should what’s left of my life be snatched away from me in an instant?

I’ve lived a good life

I’ve made a difference

I’ve done things that (honestly) ‘someone like me’ didn’t think they would ever do

On the balance sheet of my overall existence?

I like to believe I’m firmly in the black; and like to think I would leave the world a better place than when I arrived

That brings me joy

But equally lately I’ve been examining my life; there’s no secret that – now – I would like to meet someone and have a family one day

I want to see more of the world

I crave adventure; to do things and stuff that can only be experienced by the you own senses

I have (albeit a bit of a ‘hack’) planned how I can get into space which I have dreamt of doing since I can remember as have been fascinated by the cosmos

I want to meet all the people

Help all the humans

Write all the books

Share all the content

Do all the stuff

I fucking love what I do for work and the fact that Im an actual author to this day – makes me more happy than you can imagine

(And the people I get to work with are the reason I show up daily and love to work)

But I’ve also come to realise that in certain areas of my life?

Played small

Scaled back

Shied away from what I truly want to do

One year on?

I am proud of the fact I’ve kept of the drink, attained a degree of stability, helped 1000’s and been there for some key people in my life when they needed me the most

– I kept my word –
– I stepped up –

It’s fair to say in some aspects that 2017 and prior Dan could not do that consistently

As someone very dear to me said:

‘You are looking for light in dark holes’

As I sit here typing this I realise that there’s so much I have yet to do

So much that I want to do

Hence today in honour of my grandad, my family, my mentor, my team, those that invest and support me

The chains are off

I’m done

I’m totally fucking DONE

I’m done with not doing the things that light up my fucking soul

I want to feel things again

I crave new experiences

I want to work

I want to create

On a level I have not yet achieved

Because my life’s work is not remotely yet done

I simply want to DO and BE…well…

More

And like I said – I’m DONE with the ‘cages’ in my life – both real and mentally constructed – that even someone who has a book called ‘How To Be F*cking Awesome’ has, from time to time, to break free from

No matter how good or strong or stoic or powerful you think you are

There are areas that, deep down, you KNOW you need to attack but your brain keeps you back, wants to play it safe

And quite frankly?

FUCK playing it safe

It’s shit

I share this because I’m sure that there are many of you that *should* be happy with lot in life

But why should you?

Why can’t you have more success and impact?

Why can’t you experience a deeper love?

Why can’t you have the freedom to spend with those you want to be with and do what you want to do?

Why can’t you do the thing you’ve always wanted to do?

FUCKING WHY!?????????

The answer I believe is simple

And it’s a statement that, I hope, next time you think you can’t do or be or have something you mentally tell yourself this instead

‘Why not?’

So in celebration of a life well lived, and a tip of the digital hat to those who refuse to settle and want more from life

I’ll come back to this statement in a year

– timehop this time will be my friend –

I expect my life to of changed considerably; and if somehow it hasn’t?

Call me out on that

Because how on earth can I expect to lead without leading by example?

If this message resonates with you

I would, truly – human to human – love to know below what you would like YOUR life to look like in 365 days time

You have one roll of the dice, so why not live the life extraordinary?!

It’s too short

And I refuse to settle

And you shouldn’t either

I wish you the very best of luck; you can do more think

Really you can