EDITOR’S LETTER
ASPIRE TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF YOURSELF
Welcome to my first edition of Men’s Health as guest editor. It’s been quite a ride! This was destined to be the Adventure Issue when we first started planning it as a team.
Which made sense: I’ve seen a fair bit of adventure over my lifetime. Whether it was in Afghanistan or on Everest, I have tested myself multiple times to the brink of death. I have earned my stripes in that domain. But things change.
Circumstances change. Right now, the challenge facing us on the home front is big enough. So, instead, the message that I want to use this platform to expound is one of progress and positivity.
I try not to allow negativity to enter my life. I know what’s real, and I know what’s not. I’m happy with myself: I know what I’ve done, I know what I’m capable of, I know who I am. If you don’t have the mental resilience to be happy with who you are and confident of what you’re worth, it’s very difficult to be free. Trapped people want a sense of belonging. I want to encourage people to look for a sense of purpose.
Personally, I like risk. I believe that where there’s risk, there’s growth. But what I’m categorically not saying is that everyone should be like that. You’ll never hear me judging anyone, because everyone is different, and that’s what makes the world such a fascinating place. I want to advocate the idea that the best mentor in life is life itself. The best educator is life experience. I’m not an intellectual – everything I’ve learned has been through action. What I know about failure and success is not something I’ve picked up from a book. Many people like to preach what they’ve read. But have you tried it out? Have you put it into practice?
That doesn’t mean you have to climb the world’s tallest mountain. Each of us has our own struggles and daily battles. Yours will be different to mine, and everyone else’s. Identify what’s worrying you right now, then deal with that. It’s counterproductive to follow other people’s goals, stray too far outside your comfort zone, then fail. That’s when people give up, crawl back into their box and retreat into their safe environment. So, I say: challenge your own limits. Don’t let a situation define you. Define yourself.
After all, everything starts with you.
You have to look after number one first in order to take care of the life around you. If you can be the best version of yourself, everyone around you will benefit, be it a family member, a friend or a colleague. True integrity means being brutally honest with yourself and seeking to improve. Think of the magazine in your hands as an essential tool to help you do just that.