Lost my uncle and a close friend in the last two weeks. Not gonna dress it up… it’s been heavy. And I know exactly what the old version of me would’ve done —straight back on the booze. No question. That would’ve been the answer.Numb it. Block it out. Pretend I’m alright. But this time… I haven’t touched it.And I’m not going to. Not because I’m strong or switched on or anything like that…just because I’ve been down that road enough times to know where it ends. And it’s not somewhere I’m willing to go back to. That, for me, is a win. Not a loud one. No big celebration.But it matters. Made me think though… What do you run to when things get hard? Booze?Food?Scrolling?Shutting yourself off? We all have something. But the real shift happens when you start catching it…and choosing something different. Even if no one else sees it. That’s the stuff that actually changes you.

Imagine we were sitting around a fire for a minute. No pressure, no pretending… just a bit of honesty. Here’s a question I’ve been thinking about lately. Would you be proud of the example you’re currently setting for your kids? Not the version you plan to be one day. Not the version you talk about becoming. The man you are right now. - The way you handle pressure - The way you treat people - The habits you show them every day - The way you deal with setbacks - The way you look after yourself Because the truth is… kids rarely listen to what we say. They copy what we do. So here’s the fire pit question today: If your kids grew up to live exactly the way you live now… would you be proud of that example? No judgement here. Just a moment to think about it. If you’re open to sharing, drop your thoughts below.

During my police career I dealt with some pretty awful stuff. I then lost both my Wife and both parents all in the space of 13 months. Yes I went a bit wobble, had some CBT and now I am on the straight and narrow again. Or at least I thought I was. A week ago we had Green Monday a very big bank holiday where we eat, drink , socialise and fly kites. All was going well until it came to putting the meat on the BBQ. I opened the cool box only to fince the spices had spilled everywhere. I was really pissed off. I tried as best I could to clear it all up. Then having finished I stood up and whacked my head on a branch (bloody hurt). It was like a switch had been flicked and I seriously lost my shit. I hadn't even been drinking. I have not flipped like that for well over 10 years. The rest of the afternoon I was very subdued and angry with myself for loosing it. But also alarmed how easy you can flick that switch and boom your almost in a rage. I'm still reflecting on it now. For someone who was often described as so laid back in almost horizontal. It's really bothered me..

I didn’t sleep last night……too many things running through my head. I met my sister for the first time last night…. It was great to meet her and sit and talk to what happened to us both….i gave her a cuddle and it was like we had known each other forever! The old me wasn’t capable of meeting her as he was too angry and lost in the past….new me welcomed the moment and it’s helping me grow into the man I know is waiting….. If you have things from the past that haunt you…..face them head on! This was the same situation last week when I also met my brother for the first time. Control your chaos…..don’t let it control you

Morning gents, here's an issue im kinda struggling with and wondering if any of you guys have experienced anything similar. In 2024 I retired from the Police service after 20+ years service. In 2023 I had been diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer and my mindset was it was time to get out and enjoy some life with my wife and family. The maths all worked out so I made the desicion to retire from the service at 56 years old. At first the novelty was great, I joined the everyman project, lost a load of weight, increased my fitness levels and generally felt much better than I had in years. I left the project just before Christmas ( it was just a financial drain after 8 months ) and if im honest i'd kinda got used to having the group around, the zoom calls, the accountability with the coaches and the general craic from being part of the group. Problem is is that now I'm kinda isolated, wife's at work all day and my family is 150 miles away. I have plenty of hobbies, photography, motorcycling etc.. but im feeling a bit lost and im starting to lock myself away in the house, not going out . I can go a week or more without speaking to a soul during the day, I know its winter and the weather in Wales where I live can be restrictive but its more than that, its almost a confidence thing where I struggle to get out on my own. It's really starting to affect my mindset, my training suffers and im generally starting to feel flat and unmotivated. Im determined to find some kind of solution before I tip over the edge into self pity and depression which is all to easy to do. Sorry for the ramble, I'd appreciate everyone's thoughts and tactics to tackle this is you've experienced anything similar Cheers Steve