I found good headspace by walking around New Zealand
Iwas going nowhere, fast. I found myself headed down a dark road. I was a 16-year-old boy who needed a lifeline, I just didn’t know it yet. It wasn’t until I found myself smashing a car window because of a deal gone wrong that I realised, this wasn’t how I wanted to live my life.
The moment itself may seem insignificant, but for me it changed everything.
I’m a ‘‘go big or go home’’ kind of guy. I definitely don’t do things by halves. I have ADHD, which makes decision-making easy (never mind if it’s the right decision) and gives me a fierce drive to accomplish my wildest dreams. So I decided I would fix my life by walking around New Zealand.
Six hundred days later, I became the first person to walk the coastline of New Zealand and, looking back, that trip saved my life.
Since completing my first expedition, I have gone on to cross the Greenland icecap, circumnavigate Vancouver Island in a kayak and most recently, cross Australia through the deserts on a push bike.
Every one of these trips has taught me more about myself than I would have thought possible and I am so grateful that I managed to turn my life around and, with the support of others, gain perspective on what is important.
It is crucial that we as
humans stay connected to nature. This was one of the most significant and life-changing things I learnt on my trip around New Zealand. Nature is part of us, it is healing in ways we don’t understand and it benefits our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health.
In the modern world, it is so easy to disconnect from the natural world. Some people go for days without their feet connecting with the earth. That scares me. We are literally losing our natural foundations.
During all of my trips, I met some wonderful, generous people. I try to harness people’s positive energy and carry it with me. There is nothing more powerful than positive, human connection. For me, it is the secret to life. It is what helps me through the dark days and what drives me to help others. The gratitude I have towards everyone who helped me on my trips is immeasurable.
I have learnt that I am responsible for my own happiness and that true health comes from within. My head is what gets me through some situations others would consider impossible. The mind is such a powerful tool and once you realise that and you use it to your advantage, you will be unstoppable.
Go outside, walk in the bush, swim in the ocean, look up at the stars. Receive as much positive energy as you can from others and always pass it on.