Hello there all wonderful readers of the Mindful Minute.
Firstly, let me apologize.
I haven’t been as consistent with this newsletter as of late.
There’s a simple reason, I’ve been very busy.
As you may have seen on Twitter, I had my final day teaching in Japan.
My Mother and Sister are currently over here as well.
I’ve also been building out my coaching program in the background
(not officially launched yet but keep your eyes peeled for this AUTO DM giveaway - It will signal a major switch in content strategy and approach moving forward)
There have been many blessings indeed.
Anyway, I’m going to be more consistent moving forward. That’s my sincere promise to all of you here.
So, back to the main topic of the story.
How I went bald at 18..
Now, this didn’t just happen randomly.
It was the result of a HUGE amount of stress (and suffering).
You see..
I had lost my Father, Aunt, Grandmother and a player on my soccer team over the course of a few years.
I was completely broken down.
But here’s the kicker..
In England in my generation, you weren’t allowed to show “weakness” in the form of emotion.
Oh no, not as a man.
So I bottled everything up. I was immensely stressed. Drinking every weekend and getting into fights. Waking up in hospital.
I was on a dark path to destruction.
I had no idea how to manage my emotions.
I distracted myself by playing World of Warcraft for 15 hours day.
Blowing up at anyone would disrupt my “peace”.
Look, it was a rough period. I didn’t have any of the emotional tools and strategies to deal with so much loss.
This was compounded by me being utterly disillusioned with school and at a complete loss of what to do moving forward.
We didn’t have all the amazing information on YouTube or Twitter like we do now..
We had to figure things out for ourselves.
This was, in many ways, a blessing.
Anyway, all the stress, resistance, tension and pain was causing me to lose my hair.
Fast.
For reference, this is me at 15 (with my beautiful hound Layla)
My hair melting away quicker than a Cornetto in the Cornish sun seemed of little importance at the time, despite all my friends and peers reminding me every 5 mins.
I had so many other bigger things on my plate to deal with.
Fast-forward 6 months..
I was starting to heal.
I was starting to come to terms with what had happened..
I dare say that some seeds of hope were starting to bloom.
I was starting to feel space, relief, peace, acceptance about my situation.
One day, I looked at my rapidly receding hairline in the mirror and decided it was time.
I was only 18..
But I shaved it all off.
I felt a sort of immense relief, it was symbolic of all my struggles and all that I was holding on to.
My family and friends were shocked, some people asked me if I was ill - The shining chrome dome in stark contrast to my baby faced appearance.
I shaved it off and my sister posted this photo on Facebook (with the loving caption)
Looking back..
This really was the start of genuine healing.
Of moving from a place of stress, tension, anxiety, fear and rampant attachment..
To a place of love, acceptance and growth.
Ultimately in life, the way we view our circumstances is directly related to the amount of satisfaction and joy we feel.
To one - An event like this will lead to spiralling anxiety and depression..
For me, it was the gateway to freedom and letting go.
I’ll leave you with a quote from “The Master Key System” that reinforces my point:
How are harmonious and desirable conditions secured?
Harmonious and desirable conditions are
obtained by right thinking.
What is the cause of all discord, inharmony, lack and limitation?
Discord, inharmony, lack and
limitation are the result of wrong thinking.
Change how you view a situation, and you change your reality.
It’s as simple as that.
My love to all of you, have a blessed week.