Lifestyle

Much is changing in the world. The influence of technology has fueled the quantity of change and its speed. How do you keep pace with these changes, maintain your equilibrium and thrive? I believe that you need to consider your lifestyle. How it impacts upon your well-being, in terms of health, wealth and your reasons for being! Find out more below.

How it was

I am going to approach this by reflecting upon my own lifestyle changes over the last 20 years. Don’t worry, I’ll keep it brief! The man that inhabited this body 20 years ago was a close relative of mine, but he had a different lifestyle. In 1997 I was a busy father with one small kid and a pregnant wife. I had a fast rising career as a senior manager in college education and a burgeoning interest in long distance running. Life was quite compartmentalised, focused upon family and career success, with a side serving of regular exercise and mainly healthy food; although I did have a clear disregard for the quantity of alcohol consumed! Everything was very focused and my first computer had just arrived on my work desktop.

My education career ended in the following decade. The health crisis that precipitated this was brought on by my lifestyle and a failure to pay attention to the impact that it was having upon a body that was changing. I have written much about this here, so I’ll skip over the details of the impact, save to say that everything has changed: marriage, career, hobbies and way of being.

The irony is that my not paying attention has led to a current lifestyle that is all about paying attention. I have to pay attention to those signals our body gives us. Those signals that say slow down, rest, manage your commitments sensibly. If I don’t do this there are health repercussions. So over the last 3 years I have moved from doing a part time job, some project work for the Arts Council Wales, and developing my mindful approach to photography; all whilst practicing paying attention to how I am. I say practice because I still get it wrong. I fall over. I get up. I fall over. I get up.  However it is now time for the next lifestyle change.

How it is going to be

I have now left my part time job. This is to free up space and time to develop my Mindful Photography Online Course: a course full of videos, slideshows, practices, a private course forum and lots of other goodies. I had hoped to be able to develop this whilst completing the final year of my part time job, but I just never manged enough dedicated time, whilst keeping everything else in balance.

Lifestyle wise this is going to mean initially three months of course development and marketing before launching in September 2017. I have the financial bases covered for a few months, then all I’ll need to do is sell the course. Easy huh? Of course it’s going to mean more self discipline, some regular scheduling and blog development, whilst still paying attention to those supportive practices that are a key part of maintaining my well-being: yoga, meditation, mindful photography, walking the dog, a (reasonably) healthy diet, social interaction (to replace that from the work environment) and fun!

I am very excited about my new lifestyle and my Online Course. I know that I have developed an original way of using mindfulness to enhance your photographic skills, support the development of a mindful approach to your life and to consider a little self exploration. I think that it’s innovative, supportive and fascinating. If you agree then why not subscribe in the box on the right of the blog page and you will receive my regular newsletter with news about photography and the development of the online course.

The Photos

All of the photos were taken this week when practicing mindful photography and represent new beginnings. Spring is a special time of new growth, abundance and vibrancy. I hope that some of the season’s qualities rub off in your world.