As I've said on this blog many times before, we all have the chance to create our own stories.
We can all create a narrative that says our glass is half full or half empty, and then get on with working with that narrative; however, it makes us feel whatever it motivates us to do.
So if you've been sad or low, or sick or feeling a bit sh*t or unattractive or unloved or any of those things which come to all of us at different times and in various combinations, perhaps you should read this Wikipedia page here, the one of Mark Pollock.
On Friday, the 13th of June, I had the opportunity to spend an hour with Mark in a side room at the Marlborough Clinic Dental Conference. I was supposed to watch him speak later in the day and even go out in the evening, but I decided I needed to go home instead. Busy times, lots going on, family time, support, comfort, all of that.
David and Brenda very kindly set up a meeting for me to chat with Mark for a little while. Mark is provisionally booked to open The Campbell Clinic unit 4 building, which is due to be finished sometime around the end of next year (watch this space, though times can vary).
Just to give you a quick summary, though, Mark was a Commonwealth rower who won a medal at the Commonwealth Games when the rowing was actually staged in Nottingham for the Manchester Games. Then he went blind with a degenerative condition but continued to do extraordinary things, including reaching the North Pole Marathon, extraordinary ultramarathons, and all sorts of other things to raise awareness, raise funds, and look after other people. He also rode at Henley as a blind athlete.
In a terrible accident only weeks before his wedding, he fell out of an upstairs window and broke his back; not only was he blind, but he was also in a wheelchair.
Following that, he went from strength to strength.
He has lectured at Davos.
If you don't know what that is, look it up.
He studied at Harvard, and he's currently doing a PhD
He's been intricately involved in the design of the exoskeleton for paralysed individuals.
He is, without any question, one of the most extraordinary people I have or you could ever meet, and the result of that, sh*t the f*ck up and get on with what you're doing.
If we do not have the ability to see that our minor issues are minor issues, and other people with much more major issues can be better people than us, then how can we create the narrative to move forward and get on with things?
Life is not supposed to be Netflix and Deliveroo every day of your life; it's challenging and cumbersome and messy and untidy and upsetting and difficult and emotional, but that's what makes it wonderful, so many other parts of the time.
What a privilege.
How did I get to be here?
Honestly - brilliant.
Blog Post Number - 4199