This e-book/blog is dedicated to my wife Keshia & my beautiful son Charlie, who have supported me through thick and thin, who have been with me through my ups and downs during a period of confusion and change. They have enabled me to remain focused on an outcome I knew would come. 

It would be unjust of me to not mention others who have inspired me throughout my journey. Firstly, I would like to thank Siddhartha Gautama, who is better known as The Buddha. He created Buddhism and all of the fabulous teachings that have helped and inspired millions all around the world. Secondly, Marcus Aurelius, who was a Stoic philosopher and a Roman Emperor. I will never cease to be amazed by his Stoic lifestyle, which was full of heroism, a great love of nature and leadership that helped millions. These, in my eyes, fine chaps, have helped me and changed my attitude towards life.

I thank you for reading this e-book and I hope I can repay the favour in guiding you to your next adventure in life. 

Life is what we make it and not what others condition us to believe – Joseph Stewart 

Introduction

So, you have decided to read my e-book (with thanks again!) to understand how to live a purposeful life? And I hope you are willing to put what you learn into action, rather than carrying it around with you as just an idea. 

Life is tough, it’s 2020, you may be surrounded by stress, problems, and unnecessary humans. The Pandemic of COVID-19 has caused mayhem all around the world, but does this mean you have to sit back and put up with said stress, problems? Or do you do so just because that is what you are told to do? Or what you have been conditioned to do? In my opinion, no, no you do not. I want to be here to remind you that we are each our own being, we have our own souls and thus can always become our own person, our own individual, with our own beliefs and goals. No two humans are the same.

Should we copy the lives that our parents lived? Should we always abide by what our parents or caregivers taught us? Or perhaps we should always follow what our friends believe in? Once again, No! Once again, be reminded; no two humans are the same.

The aim of this e-book is to enlighten you and help you to gain a new perspective on life; a new purpose for living your own best life. This book will contain ideas, tips, and practices to help guide you on your way to a more purposeful life.

Now, this could have been a two-hundred-page e-book or blog, but the problem with that is I appreciate more than most that we all have work and other commitments that can get in the way. Having spent the past 3 years reading books of this nature, I felt compelled to write a shorter e-book to be read in a couple of hours when the kids are asleep or over a few days whilst commuting to work or on a lunch break. Big books can often be intimidating, especially, if like me 3 years ago, you’ve never read a book, especially a non-fiction one at that. I want to remove the gibberish that takes up a hundred pages and help you move forwards as quickly and purposefully as possible. Plus, I will be releasing this e-book in 3 parts starting soon on our website www.jkwellness.co.uk.

Me

I want to take you back to the beginning as I had to do so to pinpoint what was causing me such great concern and where my troubles started. In 2016 me and my wife bought our first home, my son was coming up to three years old, so the toughest few years of parenting were done. We both had steady jobs and were no longer eating beans on toast regularly. But I broke! I quite literally was found by my wife crying in the living room not knowing what any of the answers were. After 28 years of being the life and soul of the room the old Joe was gone. In the 3 years leading up to my break down a cascade of events had happened. A week after my son was born, my best friend passed away suddenly. Having known him since we were four years old, we had the type of bromance that saw us speak our own language and we could be found paying video games and bantering until the sun came up. Suddenly, just like that, he was gone. No build up, no diagnosis, he didn’t even drink or take drugs, but was taken at a time in my life when I should have been fumbling around finding my way as a new dad. I didn’t get time to grieve, I was a new dad with a wedding to help plan. So, I pulled my socks up, buried the image of his life support being switched off deep within my soul and trudged on. A few months on from this and my cousin was sent to prison for life, for crimes that are unforgivable, my mother confessed to have been having an affair and was leaving my dad after thirty years of marriage. It was a lot! But, for 2-3 years I just had to keep going, be strong, be a man! Not show emotion, support my child and my soon to be wife. My only escape was a few beers and a bit of footy (when the pennies or shift patterns would allow it!). 

I had absolutely no coping mechanisms for my conscious or subconscious. Growing up I wasted a lot of time in and out of school thinking about computer games or Football instead of learning important stuff about life. In fact, it wasn’t until a few years ago that I picked up my first ever book, like ever, ever. My break down was not solely due to the consequential events over those couple of years but actually perpetuated due to two decades of untreated OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder) that had finally caught up with me after all those years.

The problem was that it went untreated and when my brain could not take any more, I was left in quite a state. I will never know why it took that many years to hit breaking point, but the added pressure and drama meant that I just wasn’t living in real-time, or reality even. I had become a cog on a massive wheel and had no idea how to jump off and save myself without actually jumping off and saving myself! 

After breaking down, with the support of my wife we sought and paid for treatment in Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, I also attended a weekly session for 8 weeks called Talking Change. I went to the doctors, who prescribed medication and I decided to buy one of these book things with self-help stuff in it and finally do something myself about my life. The book was called Break Free From OCD. From that day, everything changed, I realized self-help books can work and erm… Help. 

After reading the book twice, I managed to learn about the intricacies of OCD, but more importantly the power of the mind to help yourself get past the OCD.  Within a few weeks of putting some of the practical elements into practice, my OCD was pretty much cut in half. Now, a hundred or so books later, I cannot get enough of reading about anything and everything and becoming more enlightened along the way. I have changed from being a football loving average Joe (no pun intended) who works out in the gym to build muscle not soul (and saw myself living this way for eternity) to now, being someone today who is called upon for help by others, exuding and feeling more secure in myself than I ever imagined possible. 

There was another book called The Mindful Path Through Worry and Rumination by Sameet M. Kumar which got me considering mindfulness and meditation on a serious level. Of course, at first, I was a bit sceptical about meditation, and what people may think of me for doing it, but after a while I moved on from these negative thoughts and feelings and now, I love meditation and even teach meditation to other adults and children, through my company JK Wellness.

Next up was another huge milestone, Yoga. I absolutely fell in love with Yoga and continue to embrace as a part of my everyday life. I used to be so inflexible but can touch my toes with straight legs and do headstands. Who would have thought it! My wife says she is a married to a different man than the one she met, but in a very endearing way – honestly. 

Throughout my journey of self-help, I have read tons of books and developed my understanding and practice of meditation and yoga, these good habits encouraged me to enjoy nature a lot more and life in general to be honest. 

As of today, I continue learning new things, reading more books, and am literally making up for the lost years of not learning anything. I want to be more. I want more from life and will push myself to do so. We only have this life, this one moment in time. During the 1st Lockdown in the UK, I spent more time reading books. In the second lockdown I started to learn how to play chess. It’s the small things that count.

So, let’s make it count!

What work do I do?

In April 2018, JK Wellness became my new baby. Having worked in the fitness industry for 10 years for a reputable organization I decided the only way to truly embrace the journey to freedom was to believe in myself, trust my gut instinct and go it alone. Since then, I have been running a successful Wellbeing business offering Personal Training in a unique setting. I deliver small classes that I feel are great aids in helping to combat mental health challenges, like Yoga, Meditation and Mindfulness. Something I am also super passionate about is helping future generations to get to grips with their inner self and feelings early on, so I also create and deliver a kids Mindfulness course. I have Diplomas in Fitness, Life Coaching, and Mindfulness, and now I’m writing this book. A Few years back? I was running around playing Pokémon Go and wondering where I could frequent to watch football games. My life certainly changed for the better and yours can too!

As of today, me and my wife opened a new Studio for classes, Personal Training, Meditation, and all kinds of wellbeing. We also have a retail shop at the front of the studio selling fresh fruit & veg, incense products, handmade candles and much more. We didn’t let the Lockdowns or COVID stop us progressing with our lives. How many people would dare open a new Studio/shop during this pandemic? We would of course.

Your Turn

So, I have reluctantly, shyly, but wholeheartedly, provided you with the reasons for my change, and I would now like to help you along your journey to finding purpose in life and change what needs to be changed.

We are all conditioned at a young age and build up good habits, but also bad habits. What we need to do is invest some time to banish the bad habits and embrace more of the good; a reconditioning if you prefer.

Let us not waste any more time on gibberish and get started so as we can embrace some of these benefits pronto. Good habits you will learn from this e-book include:

  • Improved Wellbeing
  • Mental clarity
  • Appreciation of life
  • Kindness to yourself and others
  • Improved knowledge and intelligence
  • In tune with nature
  • Living with purpose
  • Living your best life
  • Pursuing a career path
  • Getting past obstacles and learning from them

 

Now it is time to take a deep breath, show me your best smile, and read with real purpose. Part one will be available soon, follow us on our website to get emails when new blogs and part 1 of this book become available.

Thank you for joining me on a new journey.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

– Lao Tzu

Part 1 Coming Soon.

 

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© Copyright 2019 by Joseph Stewart – All rights reserved.