It's time to move on.

I don’t know about you, but having gone through the first lockdown unscathed, I found that the second one that lasted from November through to March really pulled me down.

I’m not saying that it made me depressed because I wasn’t close to that, but it certainly drained me of some of my enthusiasm.

Apparently, it’s not been uncommon. Many people have gone through the same thing. It’s felt a bit like treading water, still trying to plod on but feeling as though you’re getting nowhere.

I was reading the other day that the feeling has a name. It’s called languishing. It’s apparently become the dominant emotional state of 2021. I have to say, it’s certainly pulled the motivation and focus out of me.

I’m a dreamer, I’ve always got things that I want to do and I’m always working toward something, and that’s why I’ve felt as though I’ve been walking around in a bit of a fog since the turn of the New Year.

The thing is, if you’re at this stage, you have to try and pull yourself out of it or find ways to alleviate the feelings because if you don’t it’s a possibility that that downward spiral can continue and drag you toward depression.

It’s safe to say that for many of us, each day had drifted into another and all that uncertainty has pulled us down. It's felt as though we're in a void and that we've suffered to maintain focus.

However, there is a way out of it. For many of us, going back to work will be the start. Mind you, that can pull us down too after being at home all the time. Lethargy can make it harder to get back into that groove.

Doing meaningful work is definitely a way out of it. It will give your mind something to focus on, to do. Trying to see the lighter side of life can help too. For me, turning off the news on the telly helped. Starting a new hobby can help as well, or finding a new challenge that will excite you.

If you’re thinking about a new challenge, don’t worry about failing. Often when we're trying to accomplish a new thing, our steps don’t always go right (and often they don’t).

If you’ve been following me or reading my posts, you’ll know that I’ve failed a fair few times at projects I’ve attempted. I always look back to my Mum’s advice over the years to help me and she would often tell me not to look back in regret, but to move on to the next thing.

And that’s so true because if you don’t fail, it really means that you’re not trying; stepping out of your comfort zone. Failure teaches you more than you realize.

And each time you fail something, however small, if you look at it the right way, it’s a stepping stone forward. You can learn from it and use that lesson to propel you onward.

And that’s how I feel at the moment. I’ve got one foot out of the fog of languishing and I’m working my way toward a project that I’d put by the wayside because of the pandemic and I’ve started making steps to see whether I can take it forward.

Maybe I will, maybe I won’t. It doesn’t matter which way it goes really, because the one thing I won’t be left with is regret.

And I’m pretty sure that I’d regret not trying more than I would by failing because at least in failing, you know you gave it a shot. Another lesson is learned. And who knows, success is also a possibility. 

The thing is, if you don't try, you'll never know, and you end up looking back wondering whether it would have worked. That gnaws away at you. I know that from experience.

I truly believe that the obstacles in life are what makes you. The overcoming of obstacles big and small give you an enormous sense of well-being.

You have the choice. You know which one is the right one for you. And no one else has the right to judge you for the choices you make.

For me, however, I’ve looked at starting up two new businesses over the last 5 years, neither of which has come to fruition. I’ve been down at times when I feel as though I’ve wasted so much time.

But is it really a waste? In doing the research for those two projects, I became more knowledgeable and picked up valuable hints and tips that can be applied in whatever I do in the future.

And even though I felt down when I decided I wouldn’t take the project further, it still made me feel good inside that I still have things I want to achieve.

And at this moment in time, I’m back on my path. I’m on my way out of that languishing phase that so many of us have had of late.

My hope is that if you’ve been there with me, that you find something or have something in mind that’s going to help you leave it behind and bring your feeling of enthusiasm and excitement back.

It could be getting a new hobby that does it. It could be planning your next holiday. Maybe, it’s finding a new job or even starting your own business.

Whatever it is, it’s time to try the next thing and leave that languishing feeling behind.

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Touching base with my past

I talk a lot about being a Showman and I’ll recount anecdotes from my past often. It keeps me grounded and rooted in who I am and where I came from. It's my base.

Many people think of their base as their home town or the place they’ve been brought up in. Yes, I have connections to certain towns and places. Examples being Burnham-on-Sea and Weymouth the two places I’ve lived the longest at.

But my base point is my upbringing. It’s where I return to when I have situations in life. It’s where I go to seek answers. Who I am and where I come from is, at the end of the day, a Showman.

I’ve tried my hand at many things in life. They’re just ways to make a living. They’re not who I am.

I see people categorise themselves by what they do for a living. But what I do for a living isn’t me,  it's just what I'm doing at this moment in time.

Yes, when people think of a Showman, they see the rides, the bright lights, the rain (“it always rains when the fair’s here!”) – but being a Showman is so much more than that to me.

It’s a cultural thing. Just because I no longer travel on fairgrounds, it doesn’t change the values, the work ethic, the person I am.

When I think of my base, it’s back there I go. It’s where I can be me; it’s where I look back to for my lessons in life.

Being a Showman allows me to rediscover my roots. The stories I tell reiterate lessons old and new. They remind me that I was brought up in a loving environment.

And to me, that’s important in these turbulent times. Knowing who I am, who my family is and where I came from is my reference point.

I’m not stuck in the past. After all, it’s OK to have ambition and move on in life. But knowing my roots and having that solid foundation always reminds me of who I am.

It reminds me that whatever life chucks at me, I’m from strong stock, from people who aren’t frightened of making mistakes, who are willing to step out of their comfort zones in order to move on. To never think they can’t turn their hand to anything.

I love touching base with my Showman life. Yes, it has downsides. I’m not saying every showman is perfect. After all, we’re all different.

But being a Showman, my base, is where I was before I got lost in the hustle and bustle, the trials and tribulations, and the road that life has taken me on.

And yet, it’s the one place I can look back to and find my starting point. It’s where I learned right from wrong, it’s where my character was moulded, and it’s that loving environment to which I’ll always return, not necessarily physically, but in my mind, my spirit, my soul.

For me touching that base, is what keeps my feet on the floor, and stops me from thinking I’m somebody I’m not.

It keeps me being proud of who I am and it’s why I don’t need to pretend I’m someone that I’m not.

And that has to be a good thing, wouldn't you agree?

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Want to be happier? Turn off the News

I was thinking about this lockdown the other day and I’ve realised just how much I’ve enjoyed it since last March.

In that time, I’ve picked up my signwriting brushes again and done some signs, I bought some paint pens and started drawing and designing, I bought some new software from my PC and started designing on that and it has lead me to starting a new business.

Would that have happened had there not been the first Lockdown? No.

During this second lockdown, I decided to start trying to develop better habits than I used to have. And one of them was to start writing on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter what it is, but to write something.

I already knew that I use writing to help me to clarify things in my mind, so I knew that it would help. Now I’ve discovered how much I actually like writing.

It’s the same with designing prints. I’ve set myself a challenge to make a new one each and every day.

My days are more full and I’m enjoying the process of being productive.

And do you know what I attribute this state of mind to? Turning off the News! 

You don't really need to hear, "Hello, and here's this evening's dose of death and destruction," do you? Especially if you've heard it over and over again for weeks and weeks.

The news just pushes negative into your life. Agenda-driven journalists don’t cover what’s going on, they slant their questions to put the interviewee on the spot.

And you can watch it hour after hour, day after day. Let me ask you a question. How does it make you feel?

Do you feel energised? Do you feel at ease? Does it make you feel happy?

Of course, it doesn’t. When I was watching the news, I’d get wound up like a coiled spring. I’d get frustrated. I’d be so angry that it would be all I’d talk about.

I’d go on Social Media and see all the experts sharing their knowledge. You know the one’s who were experts on racism in the summer, and Brexit before that. Or as my Dad used to call them ‘Know-all Nothings.’

Argument after argument ensues. Then we watch the news, and the story is relaunched at us again. They make the situation worse by using hindsight, which is of course 20/20 to make the interviewee look bad.

Is it any wonder we’re all angry?

Then we pick up the paper to read yesterday’s news which we’d already been stewing all over because our tellies are tuned into Sky News or BBC news with its non-stop negativity.

And we get angrier and angrier. It's a continuing circle

Here’s a quick and simple solution – turn the telly off and stop reading the newspaper.

You’ll still find out what’s going on because whoever you talk to, be it on the phone, on zoom, on social media or even across the path when you’re on a walk. It’s still the only topic of conversation for most people.

I’m pretty sure that even though I’ve not watched the news for almost a year, I know what the situation is at the moment.

The only difference between me and all those other people is that I’m not choosing to have it driven down my throat every hour of the day.

Not much really changes on a day to day basis. I’m still locked down. Like you, I haven’t seen my family for ages. My only breaths of fresh air are when we go out for a walk.

But those hours I’ve not spent glued to the box in the corner means that I’ve had time to do things that I like to do.

Yes, just like you I get bored, and just like you, I want to go and see my family and friends. And every now and again, I want to be a couch potato and sit in front of the telly all day.

What I’ve discovered by turning the news off, however, is that for me, my life has been remarkably stress-free compared to most people I’ve talked to.

And I truly believe it’s because I’m not watching the continuing negative input and I’m not tuned into the minute by minute bashing that goes on.

I’m as affected by the situation as everybody else but I’m no way as miserable and angry as so many others.

I promise I’m not gloating or bragging. I’m just sharing something I’ve discovered by turning the news off.

And if it’s working for me, it can work for you too. I’ve found ways to fill my days that makes me feel as though I’m doing something worthwhile.

The lockdown has been a hindrance but it’s also given me the opportunity to do things I’d never have done otherwise.

We’re going through a period of our lives that has changed the way we live. We can choose to do with our days what we want, obviously within the parameters available at the moment. 

I get to stay at home with Debz and Niall. I’ve got time to spend with her that we wouldn’t have normally. We’d never have the chance to walk in a normal situation. It’s good because we talk all the time we’re out.

I’m also getting to spend time doing things I like doing, and I’ve discovered new things that I enjoy, such as writing.

Yes, I still sit in front of the telly. However, it never crosses our minds to put the news on – we’ve got DVD box sets of things we like. We hunt for things that we enjoy on the TV and we don’t watch anything that makes us feel bad, like the News.

Go on, I dare you. Don’t watch the news. Don’t read the paper. Cut down your time on Social Media so you don’t have to see all the arguments and opinions.

Keep away from the news and I’ll bet within a week, you’ll start to feel less stressed.

And who knows, you may discover that there are things you’d rather do or like to try.

It’s a win/win.

You can always turn the news back on if you’re not feeling miserable enough.

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