STOP CHASING SHEEP.....unless you can!

"Your talent hits a target that only you can strike"

Ever found yourself in a place where you ask yourself, "What on earth is going on?"

Those times where things go on and you can't believe what you're seeing. Not in a bad way, in a hilarious, belly laughingly, laugh until your sides are hurting way. Last Friday was one of those times for me.

For those of you that don't know I'm a teacher. Most days are filled with something crazy going on, and moments that make you laugh, but Friday was different. As I was minding my own business, going about my usual work, I just happened to look out of the window to notice that the school yard had been taken over by a flock of sheep! 25 sheep to be precise! The sheep had broken free from the farm behind the school and made their way on to the school yard. It was hilarious.

What was even more hilarious was the sight of the head teacher running round the yard chasing the sheep, trying to round them up and get them out. But the truth was, neither of us could, we weren't farmers! We couldn't round them up. I couldn't help but stand back and laugh. The sight of us 2 trying to chase these sheep out of the school was hilarious. It's just not what we're used to. Sheep herding is definitely a talent, and not one that I possess.

However, this incident reminded me of a video I had once seen online. The video is of a farmer who, unlike me, has a very real talent for sheep herding. But this isn't just any old sheep herding. Watch this clip;

AMAZING!

Ok, maybe it's a welsh thing, but this is pretty impressive. Someone who really is using his talents to do something new. Something original. Something that hasn't been done before.

As I sat watching this video I started to think of those sorts of things I am talented at, seeing as sheep herding isn't one of them.

Tomorrow is my birthday (No blog tomorrow!) and it got me thinking, "What have I spent my time doing with my talents and abilities?"

And so I end with this thought.

All of us have talents. No matter what they are, they are talents all the same. We might not think they are much, but to others they are something.

So many times it can be easy for us to try and do something, or pursue something that really we're not cut out to do, just like me and the sheep. Very often when we try to do that which we're not meant to do in life, we fail. We get disheartened because the sheep just don't want to play.

But when we find what it is we're good at, what our talents are, and begin to use them, then suddenly we find ourselves using our talents to do new and exciting things.

I might not have a talent for sheep herding but there's plenty I am good at. How about you?

In life stop chasing the sheep, and start doing something new! Only you do, what you do.

Bywyd yn digwydd! - Life Happens!

Ryan :)

Jacket potato or chips?

I wonder how many times you've been out for a meal and been faced with the option of what side to have as part of your meal?

Very often, I've found that reasturants, in an attempt to seem healthy, give you the option of chips or jacket potatoes, or just plain potatoes. Ever had that experience? 

Over the weekend I managed to go out for a few meals. People who know me well will know that eating out is probably one of my favourite things to do. As I sat looking through the menu of this one particular reasturant, it was clear to see people trying to be healthy. All I could hear on the tables around me were, "I'll have the steak but with a jacket potato...I'm on a diet." 

This might be news to some of you but having a jacket potato is probably not going to balance out the steak or double burger you've just ordered.

As I heard all these options being given out, something occured to me. It was like a eureka moment. POTATOES! All these sides come from potatoes! Ok, so it wasn't rocket science but I suddenly started to think about how one particular way of cooking a potato can have so much of an impact.

At the end of the day, they might be three different options but they all come from the same place - the potato.

So where am I going with this?

I end with this thought...

In life we will come across all sorts of people. Different backgrounds, status, colour, country etc. Everyone is different just like chips and a jacket: completely different. But when you look past the differences you begin to see that actually, we're all made of potato.

Ok so some people might speak a different language, or look a certain way but ultimately we are all part of the big old potato we call the human race.

So often people treat others differently because they are different. Because they are a chip and the others are a jacket potato. But really, when we look past the differences, we are all the same. 

In life, dont catagorise people, like chips or jackets, don't treat people differently because they arent like you, don't focus on things that make you different but focus on thos thing that link you, realise that you are an equal to those around you. 

And remember - at the end of the day we're all just a bunch of potatoes.

Bywyd yn digwydd - life happens!

Ryan :)

Blog

Website of the Week!

So today's blog is just a short one! I've been a bit busy preparing for a special trip to London next week, which I will let you all know about next weekend! But I thought I would share something! Don't let a day go by without a blog....that's what I say!

Today I came across a site that I thought was brilliant and thought I would share with you. It's my Website of the Week!

Click here : Cardboard Box Office

Hope you've had a great day!

Life happens - Bywyd yn Digwydd!

Ryan :)

Hacked!

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves "

- Willliam Shakespeare 

Well today I was hacked! Shock Horror! And it seems from people on Twitter that it happened to a lot of you!

Somehow, something managed to send things from my Twitter account today, sending messages to people with links to random sites. What a nightmare! It sent it to people I didn't know, sent it to people I hadn't spoken to in a ages, sent it to family and friends and there was NOTHING I could do about it. I was stuck in work. No 3G. No internet. The only thing I had were texts from people letting me know that I had messaged them...when I hadn't! Grrrr!! Darn you hackers!

It was so frustrating. Knowing that my account was sending out messages willy nilly and I was stuck in work, unable to do anything. I just wanted to get online somehow and stop the account but I couldn't. There was nothing I could do at that point. It wasn't until I got home that I was able to change passwords and information to stop anymore damage, and let people know exactly what had happened.

Knowing something was happening and there was nothing I could do about it was the most frustrating thing! I wonder how many other times in life we find ourselves in situations that leave us frustrated? Knowing that things are going on that there's nothing we can do about it.

And so I end with this thought.

Life is filled with moments where, at times, we find ourselves facing situations where we have no control. Those times where no matter what we do, there's nothing we can do to change them. Just like me, unable to sort my Twitter, stuck in place where there's nothing I could do about it, so too the same can happen in life. We get LIFE HACKED!

There will be lots of times in life where we find ourselves facing circumstances that we have no control over and very often it is those times that fill our mind. We stay concerned and caught up on those issues that we can't control, instead of focusing on those that we can.

There are times in life where we can't control what is happening to us, where we get LIFE HACKED, but thankfully there are far more times we can control. In life, try to focus on those things you can change and that you can do something about, and try to forget about those that are out of your control. Destiny isn't guaranteed, it's what you decide it to be!

Life happens! - Bywyd yn Digwydd!

Ryan :)

Fight that Fever!

" Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you'll start having positive results"

Colds! I hate them. Nothing worse than being bunged up. Nose blocked. Sore throats. Sneezing. Colds and flu are the worst. And today, I came down with one. Not feeling great!

It always amazes me how quickly the body comes down with cold. How quickly the virus spreads. One minute you're feeling fine the next moment.....BOOM! Headache, nose dripping, it's just an awful picture! I'm sure you know the feeling. It's crazy.

Ever wondered why is that it's not the opposite way round? Why is it that once the bug has gone you don't immediately feel better?

Fact is, the bad stuff spreads quicker and has a far greater impact than the good old fighting cells inside the body. So, cue the medicines. Those wonderful things that help us to feel all that much better.

The same can be said for life. Research has found that it takes 100 positive comments to outweigh 1 negative one. You see, the bad stuff spreads quicker!

And so I end with this thought.

So many times in life we can open ourselves to times where maybe we receive knock backs, or set backs and all of a sudden everything that had been positive and going right for us, is thrown out of the window. One negative experience, one set back and we're knocked of our feet. The bad stuff spreads quicker! All of a sudden we find ourselves in a place where we get deflated.

But there's always a cure. Always a way out of the negative. Always a medicine that can help us out!

The next time you find yourself knocked back and deflated remember all the positive things that have happened to you. Think over those times when you conquered something or met a goal you set yourself. Truth is in life there are so many positive things that have happened to us, it's just a question of pulling them out when we're faced with those bad bugs.

In life, don't let yourself get deflated, don't let the bad bugs take over, but fight back with the good stuff, the medicines, those good times that happened in your life!

Life happens - Bywyd yn digwydd!

Ryan :)

Be Yourself!

"The World is Full of Copies, but desperate for originals "

I don't know about you, but very often the news seems to be filled with random stories. Stories that maybe we don't think of as being important, but I guess are for some people. Tonight was, again, one of those times when the news reported a story that wasn't particulalrly groundbreaking, but I'm sure important none the less.

As a country that are part of the EU we very often have to meet certain guidelines and laws in order to trade and carry out business in Europe. As part of that trade, especially exporting goods, it's very common for certain products to be given a "protected status". A status that means that nowhere else in the world can a product be made. For example, Champagne has to come from Champagne, Parma Ham has to come from Parma ( I think that's a place?!) and so on.

Today, it was agreed that Salt which comes from Anglesey, the small island off the coast of Wales, was given protection status for it's salt. Anglesey Salt, only in Anglesey. Ok, so it's not the most exciting food substance in the world, but if it's good enough for Barak Obama, then it's good enough for me!

Read more here!

There were countries all across the world who had been selling salt as being from Anglesey but really it wasn't. Trying to make something it wasn't.

There are so many times in life where people try to sell things off as being something else.  FAKES! You only need to take a holiday to Turkey to find stores filled with items and products that are copies or remakes of originals - trying to be sold as something else.

So too can be said of many people in life.

And so I end with this thought.

In life, there are many times when it can be easy for us to try and be something we're not. There are so many people living lives that are not true to who they are. They are just like those different countries claiming to sell Anglesey Salt.

In life, don't waste time trying to live a lie. A copied life, a fake life. In every aspect of your life, be true to who you are. Live your life as you. Be you. You're the only one there is so be proud to stand out from the crowd.

You never know when other people will be calling for you to get a "protected status".

Life happens - Bywyd yn digwydd!

Ryan :)

Embrace the storm!

"Life has its own hidden forces which you can only discover by living."

So I'm pretty sure that we are all glad to see the back of the storms that have battered our country recently. It might not have really been the worst storm in History, but it's nice to see that we can get about the place again, without the aid of a rescue boat!

It's nice to come home to see news programmes reporting on other issues other than rain, flooded homes and battered coast lines. For a good while it seemed that there wasn't anything else going on in the world. The affects of the weather were massive. Homes ruined, sea fronts destroyed, it was a bad time for a lot of people and I suppose, when we think of storms hitting us, we don't exactly think of them brining us anything positive. Right?

Exactly what I thought. How can there be anything positive about a storm? It always ends in a disaster! But that's not always the case.

As I sat down watching the news from today, a story was shown about some amazing discoveries that had been made recently- all due to the storm. In Wales, UK, we have a lot of shoreline. It runs around the whole of our country and our coastal towns really took a beating during the storm. Disaster! But because of the high seas and nature of the storms that hit, a number of discoveries have been made on our beaches.

The first is a 200 year old canon, washed up and discovered on a beach. - Read Here

As well as a series of Ancient Historic Trees - Read Here

All great historic finds, discovered because of the storm!

And so I end with this thought.

Very often when storms hit, we only see the negative affects. We look at the damage that they do and don't realise what good they can often bring. If it wasn't for the storm that hit recently, these great historic discoveries would never have been made. They would have been left to lie undiscovered.

Often in life we go through times that we could describe as "storms". Those difficult patches we go through that we find tough to battle with. Those times when nothing seems to be going right and you can't see your way out.

But truth is, very often, storms don't just bring disaster, they bring discovery!

The storm was a disaster. But brought some amazing discoveries.

Whatever the storm is you are going through in life remember, storms don't just bring disaster, but they can bring you discovery. It's only when you go through the "storms" of life that you discover who you are, what you strengths are, and how you can be a stronger, better person!

So the next time you are going through a storm remember, yes it could bring disasters, but it could also bring you the greatest of discoveries.

Life Happens - Bywyd yn digwydd

Ryan :)

Have you had your Life MOT?

"We must let go of the life we have planned in order to accept the one that is waiting for us."

So another busy day has lay it's head to rest. And when I say busy, I mean BUSY! One of those days when it feels like your feet haven't had chance to stop. Crazy!

So what's better after a long day, than to do nothing. To sit back and just take a bit of time for yourself. Maybe read a book, maybe on the iPad, maybe watching TV. For me there's loads of things I like to do. Usually the gym is a good way for me to unwind, but one of my other favourite ways to unwind is definitely TV! I'm sure I'm not the only one. To just sit down, sit back and watch the box.

As I sat back this evening to watch a bit of evening TV, I was greeted by an advert offering people a "Good life MOT". 

Now, for those of you who read this and are not sure what an MOT is, here in the UK once a year, our Cars have to have a checkup to make sure they are safe. To make sure they are in good working order.  To make sure they aren'g going to collapse and fall apart whilst your hurtling down the road.

As I watched this advert for a well known vitamin company, and saw their new advertising slogan "Good life MOT", it got me thinking about what sorts of things we would need checked out, to make sure that we are living a good life. To make sure we don't fall apart as we hurtle down the road we call life. 

Maybe it's health? Family? Friends? Hobbies? Partners? Money? There are so many things that we could include on our list for a "Good Life MOT".

Usually I would list my thoughts about what makes a good life, but as I thought about this blog I soon realised, each of us will have different things that we would want to include on a good life MOT. It would be impossible to write the perfect list. It's not my place in this blog to tell you what makes your life good, it's a blog to get you to think about what you think makes your life a good life!

And so I end with this thought. 

For all of us, life holds so many different things. We all have our own ideas of what makes our life "good" but ultimately it's about being happy. Living each day with those people and in those places that make your life a good one. It's the one aspect that it is at the top of the "Good Life MOT" -  to be happy.

Whatever it is you have thought about as you read this blog, whatever you think of as being important in life, make sure that your "Good Life MOT" is full of those things that make you happy. Maybe even write your own "Good Life MOT" and make sure that you are having plenty of them every day.

Life doesn't come with an instruction manual. When you were born, instructions weren't printed on your back. Life comes by living it, and having an MOT every once in a while will make sure that you don't fall apart as you continue to drive along the road we know as Life!

Life Happens - Bywyd yn digwydd

Ryan :)

Just keep digging!

"Energy and Persistence conquer all things"

- Benjamin Franklin

One of the things I love about Sunday afternoons, apart from the occasional Sunday Afternoon kip, is sunday Afternoon movies. You can always guarantee that there will be some childhood classic on, or some film you remember from you were a kid. Today was no different.

As I sat down to watch a bit of TV this afternoon, in between working, a classic film was being shown. It's one of the newer Disney films. A film called "Holes". It's a film based on a book which has the same title, and if you haven't seen it I will give you a quick recap.

Basically, there's a camp set out in the desert for young offenders. Whatever the crime, whoever the child, rather than going to prison the offenders have the option to go to a camp where, as the title suggests, their main job every day is to dig holes. Sounds brilliant doesn't it?

Ok so maybe I've missed out lots of the action but the aim of the film is that these boys are digging holes to find some lost treasure which is somewhere out in the desert. If you haven't seen it try and watch it some time, especially if you are a disney fan.

If you have time here's the whole film for you to watch, Courtesy of YouTube;

A load of boys, out in the heat of the day, fed up, tired, digging holes. But as you can probably guess, in the end, someone finds something. After all the work, after all that digging eventually treasure appears. Ok, so that was a bit of a spoiler, but you could probably guess it was going to end up like that.

As the film plays out, you see this desert filled with holes, everyone looking for the same thing, the one piece of treasure, and eventually it turns up. It's all because of their persistence.

Persistance. It's something that sometimes we find difficult. To keep going and not give up. So often in life we can feel like we're just out in the desert digging holes. Tired. Fed up. Wondering when it will end and when we can go home.

And so I end with this thought.

Whatever it is we go through in life, be it in the hard times or the good times, learn to be persistent - not giving in at the first hurdle but to keep going until you find what it is you have been searching for. Maybe it's a dream you had or a goal you have set yourself. Whatever it is, don't give up after the first dig doesn't uncover it. Keep going.

In the film it would have been easy to have given up after the first hole, but because the boys were persistent and kept going, eventually they found the treasure  - the thing they had been waiting for!

In life learn to be persistant. Sure it might just feel like you're in another hole, digging away, but you never know when that hole you're in might just be the one that has your treasure!

Life happens - Bywyd yn digwydd.

Ryan :)

Think outside the box!

"If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can’t, you’re right."

So it's fair to say that over the Christmas period my room had started to build up a nice collection of rubbish. Wrappers, scrap pieces of cello tape, receipts, off cuts of wrapping paper. It was just such a busy time, there wasn't enough time to sort it. So today's mission; mission christmas clean up.

As I started to go through the stuff that had built up in my room I began putting it into piles before eventually placing it in boxes. There was so much stuff and quite simply there wasn't room for anymore in my room. Somethings had to go. So boxes and straight to the attic it was.

As I began to fill the boxes, I soon realised that there was not enough room in the boxes I had, and I had to find something to do with the things I had left over. I had to think of other places I could store things, or even throw things away.

Well, after a good 2 hours sort out and mass clean job, my room was back to normal. Everything in it's place, organised, clean and best of all....plenty of space. Probably ready to fill with more rubbish over the next coming months.

As I was cleaning I couldn't help but be reminded of the saying;

"Think outside the box."

As the boxes were filling, and I was running out of space, it was clear that I needed to think of other ways, outside of the boxes, that I could sort my stuff. With a bit of thought, I was soon able to sort everything out and be left with a clear room, free of clutter that I had let build up.

And so I end with this thought.

In life, so often we accumulate things. We let things build up and before we know it our lives are filled with clutter. It looks disorganised, it looks messy, and we don't really have much room for anything else. So often we can get caught up with the clutter around us that we find it hard to see past things. We try and fill boxes with our worries, troubles, concerns. We try to push them all into boxes. Those things that were anxious about, stressed about, all squeezing into a few boxes.

But it doesn't take to long to realise there aren't enough boxes for all your things, and really you need to think outside the box.

In life, try not to fill your life with clutter, try not to let your life become so crowded with "stuff" that you have no space to live. In life, try to think outside the box. Get rid of some things, store other things away, but ultimately get yourself some space.

Most of the time it's not about thinking outside the box but it's realising "Actually there's no box around there at all!"

Life happens - Bywyd yn digwydd.

Ryan :)

Slow down tiger!

"The trees that are slow to grow, bear the best fruit." 

As I was out driving today, on my way to work, I had a moment that was all to familiar to me! Yes, you've guessed it. A flasher!

If you've been keeping up to date with my blog's you will be familiar with my recent post about friendly flashers on the road. You can go back and read them if you haven't! Today it happened all again. Driving quietly on the road, minding my business and then, out of nowhere, a flasher. No...not that type... a flashing car.

But this one was different. No wave from the driver. No smile. Just a flash. There was something different about this flash. And this time I knew exactly what it was.

Speed Camera!

Now I know it's apparently illegal to let people know when the police are out with the speed camera's but its always helpful when other road users let you know they are coming up. I think there would be a lot more tickets if they didnt.

Fortunately, I was well with in the speed limit and wasn't one of those needing to slow down. It's always funny to see people slamming on and slowing down when they see the police camera. It usually causes more accidents and problems, and usually, by the time you have slowed down, the camera has already got you. If you don't want to get caught, keep it slow!

Now from speed cameras to puzzles! How does that link exactly? Well read on....

Growing up I always loved puzzles. Not so much the jigsaw type, but those that play tricks on your mind. I guess its the cleverness of them that I enjoy.

Below is favourite of mine that I was shown recently. All I want you to do is to find the hidden tiger in this picture. That's it. Don't scroll down for the answer. Give it a try first!

Found it? - Keep looking.

It's right there.

It's there.

It's staring you in the face!

No?

Ok then. Click this link to find out the answer : Answer


See. I told you. It was staring you in the face and you missed it (or maybe if you were really clever, you found it!).

And so I end with this thought.

Very often in life, we live at 100mph. Everything is fast, everything is quick. We dart from one thing to another, dashing here and there. So often we are so impatient of waiting in life, that the very thing we forget to do is just that...wait.

Life is filled with so many questions, so many puzzles and very often we can find ourselves complaining when we don't get the answers straight away. Or when we are waiting for something to happen, it's not happening fast enough.

Truth is that very often the answer we need is staring us right in the face but we move so fast that we miss it.

Life is fast. So fast in fact that very often we miss the very things that we are looking for in life. We get caught up in the day to day, carried a way by life's busy challenges. Dashing in and out of life's important moments.

The fact is, whatever it is we are doing in life, wherever we are doing it, we need to learn to slow life down. To take in our surroundings, to pause, to take our steps one foot at a time. Not slamming on the brakes and speeding up every other second, but to keep the car, that we call life, running at a slow and steady speed.

So the next time you find yourself getting impatient waiting for an answer to life's questions just take your foot off the gas. Learn to stop, pause and look.  It might just be that the very answer you are looking for is staring you right in the face.

Don't forget the answer is always hidden in the tiger!

Life Happens - Bywyd yn digwydd

Ryan :)

Are you feeling ill?

"What you do today, can improve your tomorrows"

I wonder how you would feel if you had worked all day, a long shift, and then had to go to a training course for an hour and half later? Well....I did today. That was certainly a challenge. Just when my brain is getting ready to wind down, I had to concentrate on what was going on.

Safe to say, I drifted off a few times, but there was one line used on the course today that really stuck out, and I knew would form the basis of my blog. As soon as I heard it, it sent my mind into overdrive. Getting any work done from that point on was a real effort!

This was the line that was used;

"You don't need to be ill to get better."

What a great saying! In whatever way you think of it it's a cracking saying. You don't need to wait for the bad before you improve.

And so I end with this thought.

In life, sometimes we wait until the bad times, the rough times, the down times, before we try to make something of ourselves. So many times I've watched documentaries and interviews with people who only made something of themselves after they found themselves in a tough spot. Simon Cowell was left with £5.00 to his name which he had to spend on a taxi, before realising it was time to improve. Gary Barlow found himself at a point of wanting to give up on music, and now he is one of the leading Male Musicians in the UK. there are so many examples I could list. People who waited until they were in a hard place, before they eventually made something of themselves. But why?

In life, don't wait until things get bad, don't wait until the hard times before you decide to make something of yourself. There's nothing holding you back from chaining and improving who you are right now. When things are going 'good' for you, why not strive to make things 'great' for you.

We don't need to wait until we're down and depressed before we realise our strength. Greatness is in all of us, sometimes we just have to realise its there.

Remember, greatness is inside you - it always has been, always will be.

Life happens - Bywyd yn digwydd.

Ryan :)

Stargazing LIFE!

"For the wise man looks into space and realises life has no limitations"

- Lao Tzu

I love space. I think it's one of the most amazing aspects of Science there is. The fact that there is so much up in the atmosphere, and that we are only a small part of it. It's mind blowing when you try to think about it. Space is just endless. It's vast. And we're just a tiny little part of the whole thing.

At the moment in the UK, every night on TV there is a program being broadcast called Stargazing Live.  A program which is dedicated to taking a look at Space - right as it is now. There are people all over the place looking at the stars from different countries, and different guests that have been into space or have studied Space. Each story is amazing and every single one different in their approach to space.

If you haven't seen it, here's a clip of what happens on Stargazing live;

It's amazing to think of planets, stars, comets, shooting stars, all taking place right now; not to mention the sun constantly burning away. Our solar system is amazing. As I was watching the program this evening, it got me thinking about life.

And so I end with this thought.

Life is massive. If it was a picture, or a painting it would be enormous. I guess it's best to think of life like space. Space is a vast place filled with loads of different elements, and we are just a small part of it.

So to the same can be said about the experiences in our life. Life is vast. It's huge. It's going on all the time, taking place all the time, filled with loads of different elements. And what we are going through now in life is just a small part of the whole picture. Just a tiny little part in the vast space that we call life.

Sometimes we struggle to see past today, but as another day ends on this planet we call Earth, remember, that life is made up of lots of experiences and events. Just like the stars in the sky; all playing their part in the night sky, so to, the events in our lives are just playing their part in the story that we call life.

Today, remember that life is enormous, it's vast, it's just like space filled with lots of different elements. I might be watching stargazing live, but I'm more concerned about my stargazing life!

Life Happens - Bywyd yn digwydd

Ryan :)

If only life had a tardis!

"I would find myself getting deeply distressed if I lived in hindsight all the time"

- Andrew Lincoln

Hind sight. A time when you look back over something that's happened and think about how it might have been different. Ever experienced it?

Today I was reminded of this concept of Hind sight, looking back and wishing it was different. Let me explain. One of the great things about my job is that I get to work with and meet people from all walks of life. Today was no different.

As part of my work today, I managed to meet a lady who used to work and live in Germany. It was great to talk to her about life in Germany and the way that things are done there. You would never think that somewhere like Germany, a member of Europe like us, and a strong economy, could have such a different society to our own here in the UK. But it has.

During the conversation, the area of history was brought up, in particular the topic of World War 2. It was interesting to know how this topic was approached by people in Germany.

Here in the UK, World War 2 is a huge part of our heritage, a huge part of our history. Even to this day pupils in schools across the country are taught about the facts and figures associated with World War 2. And it's not just schools. Remembrance day and armed forces day are all times when we reflect on this important time in our history. Germany however - quite the opposite.

I was amazed to find out that World War 2 is one that is absolutely not taught in school. It is not talked about. It is left to be forgotten. In fact the words 'Adolf Hitler' are banned in the country. World War 2 is simply a time in the past that Germany wants to forget. People there won't talk about it as it is considered shameful. Quite the opposite to us in the UK. They simply want to forget that particular time in their past.  Hind sight is something they have to struggle to live with.

As the lady was taking about this, a part of me felt somewhat sad for those people in Germany. The decisions of one man have left them feeling ashamed of their past, and yet it's nothing to do with those people living in Germany now. To be left regretting past events is an awful thing to live with. Certainly a time when hind sight would have been a wonderful thing.

So where am I going with this? Well here's what got me thinking...

As she spoke about the people in Germany trying to forget their past, I was reminded of hind sight in my own life. I'm sure, like me, you have times in your life where hind sight would have been a great thing to have. Those times you look back and think "If only I had....". Those times when a tardis would be really helpful, to go back and change the past.

And so I end with this thought.

All of us make mistakes. FACT! No one is perfect and we all have things in our past that maybe we look on and wish we hadn't. Hind sight. That thought that if we could go back, we would undo what we have done. But why?

I don't think 'hind sight' is all it's cracked up to be and here's why!

The truth is our mistakes and failures are all part of making us who we are. They build us to be the people we are. Sure, we can look back on past times and think "If only I had done that differently", but the truth is you are who you are today because of those times. We shouldn't use those times to hold us back, we should use those times to make us stronger, better people.

Truth is, we learn from our mistakes. People in Germany try to erase the past by trying to forget it, but truth is it will always be there. It's part of history and it's made the world what it is today. Not just Britain and Germany, but countries across the world.

In your life, don't look back on past problems or mistakes and wish they'd go away. Don't try to erase it from history, but use those times to build you up, to learn and to move on as a stronger person. It is, after all, those mistakes that have made you and brought you to where you are today.

Remember - Life doesn't come with a tardis, but it does come with experiences!

Life happens - Bywyd yn digwydd

Ryan :)

Panicking about panicking!

"Worry does not empty the sorrow from tomorrow, it empties the strength from today."

- Corrie Ten Boom

So today was the dreaded day. The first day back to work after the holidays. It's not that I don't enjoy work, but it's the dark mornings and early starts that I'm not exactly a fan of. Especially after having 2 weeks off not having to get up early!

As I set the alarm and tried to fall to asleep, the dreaded sleep panic happened. I don't know if its something you have experienced yourself but I will try to explain. Picture the scene...

You've gone to bed. You're pretty pleased with yourself that you decided to have an early night in preparation for work or an event that you are going to the following day. As you get into bed and close your eyes, you're pretty pleased that you are in bed early. A few moments pass and you start to relax... but soon you seen realise the worst.... you can't sleep! Eyes wide open, mind ticking over a mile a minute. You are not sleeping!

You try all the tricks. Counting sheep, watching tv, listening to music but....nope....nothing. You're still wide awake. Maybe if you lie there for a bit you will just nod off. But the longer you lie there the more you realise that you're not anywhere close to sleeping tonight and that time is passing you by.

How will you ever get the right amount of sleep in now? You'll never get 7 hours in, not even 6! Suddenly....Panic! You close your eyes tight but then you start panicking about panicking about not sleeping. Its one big vicious cycle. There's nothing you can do. Your body has decided it wants to stay up and that's that.

Ultimately, it's a loosing battle. There's nothing you can do about it. You're just going to have to lie there and wait until you eventually drift off. You will fall asleep eventually and somehow you will make it through work the next day.

That is sleep panic! Im sure I'm not the only one who has it!

This whole incident last night got me thinking. It's funny how the littlest things can panic us. Even when really there's nothing we can do about it. Even more, how often do we panic about things that really, in the long run, won't affect us. We panic about panicking!

And so I end with this thought.

In life there are many things that cause us to panic, worry or stress. But how often are those things that worry and stress us small, insignificant things?

Yes, there are times when we face things that naturally bring us concern. That's just life. But very often the things we panic about in the day to day are usually small insignificant things which we can't do anything about. And usually, they are things that won't really have any long lasting impact.

Think back to a time when you worried in the past. Does that time still affect you? Has it had a lasting affect on your life today? Answer is - probably not. It's probably a distant memory that you look back on and think "Why did I Panic/worry so much?"

In life, there will be times when concern and worry will be a natural reaction. Times like facing a new job, attending an interview etc. That's normal. But very often we can end up panicking about small things that we have no control over, and really, things that don't have any major impact on us.

Yes, I lost sleep, but it was hardly worth stressing about. I made it through the day, I'm off to the gym and guess what, I'll do it again all over tomorrow.

In life don't panic over the little things. Don't be concerned about the things you can't change, but focus on those things that you can change; those things that can influence your life for good.

Life happens - Bywyd yn digwydd

Ryan :)

Life's reflex reactions.

"Don't let the fear of striking out, stop you from playing the game"

Reflex reactions. Those things you do without even thinking about it.

When I studied Biology for A level, one of the aspects of the subject that fascinated me was learning about the human body. The more you start to learn about how the body works, the more fascinating it becomes. One of the features that I used to find interesting was that of Reflex Reactions. The reactions the body does without thinking about it. Those automatic responses that occur to protect the body.

For example, when you put your hand on something hot, your brain automatically tells your hand to take it off. You don't think about it. It doesn't take time for you to look at your hand and think "I better move that because this is burning me." It's reflex - an automatic response!

But somehow, over time, it's not just reactions to protect us that have become reflex. Let me explain.

As was out driving this morning, I happened to drive past a car, the driver of which somehow knew me. They flashed at me and waved at me. And what did I do? I flashed and waved back. I didn't think about it. I just did it. It was reflex.

After the car passed I suddenly realised, "I have no clue who that was."

I didn't recognise the car, I didn't recognise the driver, but they flashed and waved at me and so my automatic response was to wave and flash back. They might have been flashing me to warn me of an accident, they might have been flashing me to tell me something was wrong with my car, but I just took it as them knowing me and that was that.

And that got me thinking about this topic of reflex reactions. Those times we do things without thinking. There are so many things we do in life without thinking. They become second nature to us.

And so I end with this thought.

In life there are many things that we let become reflex. I'm sure you can think of things in your own life that you have let become reflex in your life. Some things good, other things not so good. Very often we can let past experiences affect our futures and cause us to develop reflex responses that don't help us.

What do I mean? Well, think of it like this. When you've tried something new and not been successful at it, you can feel like you've failed. After that point our first reaction to new experiences can always end up being negative. We let failure become our reflex response to new things. That can happen in so many different times in life.

But just like so many of those reflex reactions that we have developed, that are not natural to us,  so we can also undeveloped them. In life try to make your reflex reaction to new experiences and challenges something positive.

Don't let negativity be the reflex reaction to the new experiences in your life. Make positivity and success your reflex reaction to everything that happens in life!

Life Happens - Bywyd yn Digwydd

Ryan :)

It's not impossible - it just hasn't been done yet!

"Nothing in life is impossible. Even the word itself says "I'm possible"

- Audrey Hepburn

So some of you might be reading this whilst floating round the room. No? Have no idea what I am talking about?

Incase you didn't know, or incase you missed it, today was "Zero Gravity Day". What is that exactly? Well today Jupiter and pluto aligned with the earth and for a short amount of time early this morning, if you were to jump it would have taken you 3 seconds to come back down! Don't believe me... here's a link for you to read!

Zero G Day

Ok, ok so it doesn't take a genius to work out that this didn't actually happen today, and that whoever suggested that it was probably a little disappointed that he didn't float around the room this morning. But it was nice to believe for a short while that we might have actually been able to experience what it might be like to live without gravity, even if it was only for 3 seconds. It's simply impossible.

And yet even though everyone knew this would never happen, that it was impossible, I'm pretty sure that were still those people out there who thought it would actually happen.

So many times in life we can have goals and dreams that maybe to others seem impossible; just like having no gravity on earth. To most of us, "Zero G Day" was never going to happen, but to the one who thought of it, this was something he believed would happen, even when the rest of the world was against him.

The truth is even in the most impossible situations, with the most impossible goals, we can still be working towards achieving our dreams. Others may think of what you are doing, or are trying to achieve, as being something impossible. But if you believe you can do it, and have determination to see it come to pass, then you never know when something might actually happen.

Zero Gravity Day was never going to happen. It was impossible. But it trended world wide, it was posted across Facebook, across worldwide news sites and newspapers. Suddenly the impossible, as crazy as it seemed, became something that people began to believe could happen.

And so I end with this thought.

In life there will be many times when we try for something that others may think of as being impossible. And sometimes that might be the case. But every now and then the impossible becomes possible. Walking on the moon, travelling in the air to different countries. These were all "impossibles" at one point and now its something that doesn't seem so impossible anymore.

Whatever it is you are working towards this year, whatever it is that you are striving for in life remember; every possibility starts with an impossibility.

Life happens - Bywyd yn digwidd

Ryan :)

How strong are you?

"Where there is no struggle, there is no strength"

- Oprah Winfrey

For the new year one of my goals (I won't call them resolutions as they don't tend to last) is to get in better shape. It was something I had been thinking about back towards the end of 2013. So, in preparation, I joined the gym back in October. Now for those of you who are gym addicts my hat goes off to you. Sometimes it can be really hard to find the motivation to go, but for those of you starting back at the gym, the more I am going the better I'm getting at wanting to go. So much so that now I'm there pretty much every day, and feeling that much better for it too. It's ok, don't panic, I won't be rivalling Arnold Schwarzenegger any time soon.

Even with the weather being as bad as it is, it's not really an excuse not to go. In fact it's one of the only places you can go in weather like this. Today was no different. Roll out of bed, get dressed and head on over to the gym. I'm always amazed at the variety of people that you find in the gym. Those people who are just cyclers or runners, staying on the treadmills and bikes, those who are focussing on their fitness and then, of course, those who love the weights.The weights area has never really been an area I have felt drawn to personally, but I've made it my goal to use the area more. And so far....so good.

Now those of you that know me will know I'm not exactly Mr Muscle (although that is improving). I've always dreaded going over to the weights area because there were always people so much bigger than me there. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels a little bit awkward trying to lift a small weight when Bob next to me lifts weights the equivalent to two small elephants and a family saloon with his little finger. Slightly off putting. But the more that I have used the gym, the more I've come to realise what a variety and range of people use it. There's not one particular type of person that stands out, and no-one is really out of place there. Sure, there are those that are massive and clearly work hard in the weights area, but there are also those, like me, who are just there to try and gain a little bit more muscle so that we don't slip down the plug hole whilst in the shower.

It's quite easy to look at people in the gym and quickly measure their strength by judging their outward appearance. To judge those who use the weights and those who don't. Maybe its the size of their arms, or their chest that tell us how strong someone is? There are a good few in my local gym who could, quite literally, pick up a house quite easily without breaking a sweat. Surely it is these people that are the strongest ones? Right? Well, not necessarily!

For christmas a good friend of mine bought me Gary Barlow's new album. I have to admit I am a bit of a fan. He is a musical genius! Can't help but like his music. Anyway, I digress. There's one track on his album in particular which has been stuck in my head. It's called 'Face to Face' and I've linked the video at the start of the blog.

As I listened to this track today, a line from the song really stood out and it's this;

"You can measure the strength of a human, by the weight of the love that surrounds them."

And so I end with this thought.

In life it is easy for us to judge people on the outward appearance. Rich, poor, tall short, strong, weak etc. Just like being in the gym. It can be easy to look around and pick out those people who we might consider to be the strongest just by judging the outward appearance. But the truth is that Physical strength isn't the only thing that makes a person strong. Strength comes in many different forms and physical strength is just one of them.

A new year is a time to identify how you can be a better person but before you can do that you have to identify what your strengths are already. All of us are strong in some way be it emotionally, physically, psychologically etc. The question you have to ask yourself is what makes you strong?

As we continue on the 3rd day of the new year ask yourself, "What it is that makes me strong?", then work out how you can make that strength even stronger. You don't measure the strength of a person solely by the weight of the metal they can lift in a gym, but you measure true strength "by the weight of the love that surrounds them".

As we continue to work out in the gym we call life remember - You are strong, sometimes you just don't realise it.


Life happens - Bywyd yn digwydd!

Ryan :)

Life is like a big ole' drain!

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

- Winston Churchill

So we're 2 days in to 2014 and so far so good. I'm alive, I'm breathing, the world hasn't ended so, I can safely say, 2014 is going well so far!

However the same can't be said of the weather. It's awful out there. But I suppose you can't have everything right, and if the weather is the only bad thing taking place in 2014 then I can live with that.

As I was out on the roads today, I couldn't help but notice the rivers and puddles that are slowly taking over the roads. Very shortly it won't be a car that I will need to get around, it will be a speedboat! The images of flooding and high waters have plagued our screens recently in the UK, and it doesn't seem to want to give up. Fields are flooded, homes are fighting water, roads are flooded, even the rivers are flooded...how does that work? Anyway, you can't go far without seeing the effects of the endless rain.

Driving out on the roads today, it seems that almost every drain around here is bursting with water. I can't help but shout and rave about paying crazy amounts of tax, and blaming the council for not unblocking the drains from the leaves and rubbish. But as you look closer at the drains, you can see that it's not because their blocked, it's not because they are filled with rubbish, it's simply because there is so much water around that the drains can't take anymore. Water is just overflowing. So much so that the drains can't do anything with it!

Now you are probably wondering "What on earth is this blog about? Why the focus on drains?" Let me explain.

You see, as I looked around at the endless, overflowing drains, it reminded me again of the excitement that a new year brings. The drains are simply overflowing with water because there is so much already in them. The same can be said for each of us at this, the start of the year.

Life has soooooo many opportunities for us this year. So many things that this year will bring to keep us on our toes, to keep life exciting, to make us who we are. It's just like a drain.

And so I end with this thought.

Very often you might think that there's nothing for you in life. That 2014 doesn't mean anything good for you. That life is just full of leaves and rubbish, that everything is swallowing and drowning you out - just like the drains.

But as you start to look closer, you soon see that actually there are loads of opportunities waiting for you this year! It's not that there's rubbish or leaves blocking your life, it's just that there's so much potential in life, so many opportunities that sometimes we miss them.

Truth is, just like the drains, our lives are overflowing with potential and opportunities to change our lives. Sometimes it just takes a little bit of 'plunging' and hard work before we can see it clearly.

So whatever your view on 2014, don't forget - Your life is like a drain. Not blocked up with leaves and litter but simply overflowing with opportunities!

Bywyd yn digywdd - Life happens!

Ryan :)

New year, new start, new blog! - Oh the cliche!

"Your life isn't written in cement as a child. You write each chapter as you go along!"
- Harry stack Sullivan

So it's been a while since I have written a blog and definitely time to get back to it. Its a new year so time for new blog. Let's see if I can keep this one up! 365 blogs - ouch that hurts the brain!

I guess I should start by saying "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

You probably haven't had to look very far over the last 2 days to find a wide range of different New year messages, tweets and Facebook statuses appearing on your computer.  The usual cliche messages we read every year. I guess New Years is a time of the year when you have to just expect the old cliches. New year, new me, new start, new chance etc. In fact the very title of this blog is, I guess, a little cliche. But it's true!

New years is a time of newness. A time when people have a new hope, a new expectation, that the coming year is going to be a time when they will make the most of opportunities that come their way, that they will be better people, that they will make the most of life and what's wrong with that? Answer - Nothing!

This year it seems that lots of people have been on a bit of a mission against these sorts of statuses and tweets. People complaining about the usual statuses that appear at this time of year. And even though everyone knows they are a little bit cliche (even those posting them) does that really matter?

How many times in life do we do the 'cliche' things that people have come to expect from us? Dressing up for a national day, putting up statuses on valentines day, remembering special events like birthdays and christmas. I guess these are all times when we have come to expect the 'cliche' moments to happen - but is that really a bad thing? No!

Truth is that New year is a time when people have a hope for the year ahead, they have an expectation that they will be bigger, stronger, better people. And personally, no matter how cliche it might be, that can only be a good thing.

And so I end with this thought.

New years is a time where people are filled with hope, with an attitude that they will make the most of every opportunity. A time when people forget about the barriers and events that held them back last year, and look forward to a year when nothing is going to stop them. We become sort of like superheroes, looking at life as if we are invicnible and I think that is a great attitude to have.

Sure all of us will have times this year that aren't great, and we're probably not gonna bring world peace around in 2014. But that's not important! What is important is that whatever this year brings you, you can look back next New Years and say to yourself, "This year I am bigger, better and stronger than I was last year." No matter what happens in 2014, if you can say those words on January 1st 2015 then this year will have definitely been a success.

Have I become famous in 2013? No. Was 2013 a brilliant year for me? No way! Did I make it through the 2013 without any troubles?  Nope! But...

Can I look back at 2013 and say I am a bigger, better stronger person than last year? Absolutely! Can I look back over the last year and say I overcame difficult situations and circumstances I thought would never end! Yes! Has there been anything that has defeated me? Not at all. Truth is, no matter what happened to you in 2013, you are better than you were last year!

So as 2013 becomes a distant memory and 2014 stands before you, be confident that this year you will be a bigger, stronger, better person than you were last year.

Don't let past hurst, events, situations or circumstances effect your outlook on the year ahead. 2014 is full of endless opportunities and you never know what could be waiting for you just around the corner - no matter how cliche it sounds!

2013 has gone. Last word written. Full stop in place. It's time to turn the page and begin writing Chapter "2014". Hold the pen, ready to start the new chapter. It's about to begin and it's completely unwritten!

Happy new year to you all, and may it be the best one yet!

Bywyd yn digwydd - Life happens!

Ryan :)