Ben Owen’s Post

𝑫𝒐𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝑮𝒐𝒅𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕..... The last few weeks have been very challenging. Balancing personal and professional commitments has been an uphill battle, and to top it off, I have been grappling with serious medical issues in family with old age parents. Anyone who has experienced the complexities of caring for aging parents understands that it goes far beyond the realm of medicine. The parameters have been a rollercoaster, refusing to stabilize, and the process and days have been like an emotional marathon. In these testing times, doctors have been doing their best, striving to pull us out of the situation. Amidst the uncertainty, a young doctor walked into our ward room one evening, and what he shared resonated like a beacon of hope. 𝗛𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻 - 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹. In the face of despair, he urged us to cling onto hope, not the false kind, but a genuine belief that things can and will get better. He emphasized the significance of our role as well-wishers, encouraging us to shield our loved ones from our despondent faces. Medicines, he said, work best when complemented by the patient's inner determination to heal. That one meeting sparked a transformation. The collective mindset of the entire family shifted, fueled by a newfound determination. 𝑰𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒓𝒆𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓.  We were inspired to keep fighting, to push through the toughest moments with unwavering resolve. And, by the grace of God, the situation is gradually improving. This journey has reiterated and taught me once again that even in the most difficult and trying times there is a flicker of hope.   It's a testament to the strength that resides within us, waiting to be harnessed. So, to everyone facing their own struggles, remember - it's not over until it's over. Keep the flame of willpower burning, and keep fighting. P.S. - I haven't missed on my commitment to show up everyday on Linkedin despite all this. 🙏 #willpower #nevergiveup #resilience #doctors #divineblessings #gratitude #vikasdhall =================================================== Please consider following me at Vikas Dhall if you like what I share ===================================================

In Ebenezer’s dark vision of Christmas future, not a single person mourns his death. In fact, few even notice, and the responses of those who do range from indifference to pillaging and even to rejoicing. As readers, however, our emotions throughout the story are carefully cultivated from loathing the cruel miser for sanctioning the suffering and death of the vulnerable to ultimately rejoicing not at Ebenezer’s death but rather at his Christmas morning redemption. Ebenezer experiences a dramatic transformation, not only in heart but in deed. How does this happen, and how can we too change hearts and minds within our own communities? No matter what social cause drives your passion, emotionally engaging with the community’s members at a personal level is the only way to make progress towards its redemption. Among the most effective means to do so is through effectively weaving a story of redemption. Again, people are naturally inspired by a good redemption story because it gives them hope. In A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens has provided an effective model for just such a tale by narrating a journey of the heart through the past, the present, and the future. None of the three can be neglected. Each is necessary, and only collectively are they sufficient, to change the hearts and minds of individuals and ultimately communities. As with Ebenezer, the tale we weave must reveal the facts of the past in all their darkness, yet we must also reframe their meaning in order to bring light to the present. We must empower our communities to choose how they define themselves in the present. We can accept our failures of the past without making them a reflection of who we are in the present, but rather they can become painful lessons on the long path to redemption. Since the way in which we define our past drives our decisions and behaviors in the present, in order to truly change our hearts and minds we must choose to be overcomers. As with Ebenezer kneeling at his own unkempt and unmourned grave, our beliefs about our future likewise powerfully drive our decisions and our behaviors in the present. In the tale we weave, we must therefore expose the dark vision of the end to the path we currently trod. However, we must also empower our communities to see that this end is not our inevitable end. While we yet have breath within us, it is never too late to change our course. Since the way in which we envision our future drives our decisions and behaviors in the present, in order to truly change our hearts and minds we must choose to be victors. Only as a result of reframing both our past and our future can we then alter our course in the present and take the first step to actually BEING a community of caring, actively pursuing humanity’s higher calling. (. . . continued in Comments)

Death. We had to say goodbye our 10+ year old lab Athena a few days ago. It's been exceptionally hard on me, Troy Wallwork, and the kids. I post about being a #ProudCEO here, but I also post about being a mom, wife, and daughter. I thought long and hard on whether I should share news of her passing on #LinkedIn. I contemplated why I post here - to share our story but also share my lessons and trials. I decided that, yes, the story of her death does have something to give my LI friends. It's in my prayers and gratitude every morning "to guide my words that they may inspire and uplift." So, as hard as it is to talk about the death of any being you love, there is something to uplift and, hopefully, inspire. . . So I share the sad news in the hope I can I encourage you to LIVE just a little bit bigger, better, and with more love. I choose to acknowledge and accept my own mortality. The end is a brutal fact of life. If you ignore that fact, you could miss out on living today with more gusto, purpose, and passion. It's easy to fall into the trap of not appreciating something until it's gone - youth, health, pets, and even loved ones. We take it for granted when it's right there in front of us by not living in the moment, by not appreciating things fully.... In my CEO share group, we wrote our own eulogies. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. But it was also one of the best things I've done. When you think about the end, you can more clearly define what you want to LIVE for. And, let me tell you. . . It probably won't be more money, working more hours or growing your business bigger. It will be loving your family. Your friends. Yourself. Your world. I recently read 'Die With Zero' by Bill Perkins which outlines a way to maximize your life moments. It's an interesting take on saving and living that may be of interest to you if you want to join me in thinking about how to optimize your limited number of days and moments remaining here on earth. It's not pleasant to talk about death, but it's important. At work we talk about brutal facts, and outside of work, we must talk about them too. There is a beginning and there is an end. It stinks but ignoring it doesn't make it go away. As soon as we accept that, we can maximize the as many of the moments in between as possible. Sweet Athena's perma-smile, loyalty, and devotion brought joy to our family for over 10 years. It's what she'll always be known for. She lived her purpose, as I aim to live mine for the rest of my days. Rest in peace, Athena. Love you always. Have you thought about what you want to be known for at the end? Carlton Wallwork #MilosMoments #DrinkMilos

One of my favorite people just happens to be one of my favorite clients. Katie is an amazing person who helped business owners grow their businesses.. She's responsible for over $50 million dollars in sales for her clients and she's not even 30 years old yet.... She gets stuff done and knows specific inputs produce specific results. But a while ago, she made a massive mistake. She bought a client's business... career coaching company... She went against her own advice and split her focus. She started losing money. QUICKLY. She was doing all the "logical" stuff to get out of the hole. Nothing worked. After losing $300k... She reached out to me for healing... Now, I primarily help people with their physical health (autoimmune, chronic pain, anxiety, etc). But every so often there's someone who's physically okay. They need mental, emotional, even spiritual blocks removed to get their life back. In our first session, we realized Katie's prior success was fueled by anger. We identified the root of the anger, cleared it, and waited for the miracles to roll in. Low and behold, money did come in. It started that month.  And very quickly, she generated more than enough profit to cover the $300k mistakes. But the money came in differently than before. It was peaceful. It happened with ease. It wasn't just her business. Her life relationships improved. Her sleep dramatically improved. She's happier than she's ever been. This is why I do what I do. I love my clients. I love seeing them heal. I love seeing them get their health and life back. I love seeing them do what they were put here to do. I wanted to share this, because whatever you are dealing with... There is hope. Sometimes you're only one healing away from changing the entire trajectory of your life.  If you know anyone who needs this type of healing, please feel free to share this with them. Have a really great day! Ralph ps  here's a video message from me and a link,  so you can have your own Healing Breakthrough Session with me and if you know anyone who could use this sort of healing feel free to share this with them. https://lnkd.in/gvhcH8JE ᐧ

Today is my beautiful Mum’s Birthday. She would have turned 76. 🐦⬛ We toasted her. First with my eldest son, milkshakes in hand before his last day of Year 12. Then over wine at lunch with my husband and mother in law. And with milk at dinner with the younger kids. A few quiet wishes from close friends throughout the day. A few tears shed alone while I thought of her. I miss her today. I do everyday. But when milestones like birthdays and other occasions pass, it is a reminder that time passes while she remains still. Frozen memories in time. Or at least that’s how it feels. This beautiful article below captures so many of my feelings today. I commend it to you. We all become acutely aware of the passage of time when we grieve. While the physics of time break my brain, I especially liked the paragraph I’ve shared below. If like me, today marks a moment when you feel the painful stab of grief, be gentle with yourself. 🦋 ——————————————————————— https://lnkd.in/g2Sqe6BE “In physics, there is a theory called the “block universe,” which posits that time is merely a construction mankind created to make order of our universe and that, in reality, past, present, and future all exist simultaneously. Some physicists vehemently dispute this theory, but that is not my battle to wage. I don’t pretend to understand the physics behind it—that’s way above my pay grade and intellectual capacity—but it is a soothing thought, isn’t it? Perhaps we are not moving away from each other in time but living together in this block universe, simply out of sight of each other.” #grief #griefpsychology #gogently #time #psychologytoday

Last Saturday was about exercising some old demons. And creating distance. Between me and my old self. Which when you boil everything down, is the name of the game for me. See not so long ago I worked on a very different operating system than the one I do now. I used to be: 👉 Consumed by self-loathing, resentment and anger 👉 Unable to handle life without mind altering substances 👉 In constant denial about my part in anything life threw at me It was a vicious circle of deceit and dead-ends. And if anyone who's been down that road will testify to just how unutterably difficult it is to begin to see any light. Even at my lowest ebb, 2 failed heart surgeries, I still couldn’t quite muster the courage to begin to change.  Warped by a narrative so ingrained in my DNA it had convinced me that’s who I deserved to be. But then the bottom came, and something finally clicked. I had grown so sick and tired of being sick and tired I decided to take it on. To unfuck myself, which required me to unpack what I had become. Once I committed to that things got pretty hairy.  In order to get to grips with what was causing it I had to sit in some uncomfortable dark places.  And truly look at my part in things. It was an unpleasant but necessary experience. Slowly things started to alter. Mindshifts began to change. And some love and peace returned to my life. It’s been a constant journey of self-discovery and enlightenment these last few years. Each day presents fresh challenges, and often old voices attempt to come and disrupt the party. But today looks different, today I: 👉 Turn up for myself 👉 Accept life on life's terms 👉 Seek responsibility and accountability And as a result I commit to things. I weaponise myself with love and kindness and attempt to push myself in all I do. It’s not easy, but it's the only way I know that means I can become the father, husband, friend and leader I want to be. Nothing sums it up better than my recent adventure in Berlin, which saw me complete my latest HYROX. It was quite the setting, and represented a milestone for me in terms of the distance traveled. Not only do I get to look myself in the mirror with some pride, but I get to hang out and surround myself with people who continue to inspire and push me in all I do in life, both professionally and personally. People who wear their own vulnerabilities on their sleeves, and share the shit that matters. None more so than my trainer, our client and now true friend, Alex Backhouse You got me from that “fat skinny weak arse dude” to this stage man, and you continue to light me up in all you do. Truly grateful my man  🙏 Here’s to Paris in November. #litup #shiftingnarratives #accountability #turningup

Happy Friday Beautiful Community. Tell me what are worrying about at the moment ? To become anxious and worry about something is common and it is a habit that has formed. A habit is a belief and thought repeated again and again and then makes us feel a certain way. Habits can feel difficult to break because they become an automatic way to responding to a situation that we have lost or have never managed to trust and commit to. More than that, it is often connected to a subject that we have lost confidence with. On Monday, as well as kicking off the 10 week Rise NOW program ( still chance to sign up if you feel it is a good time to dive in with me ); I will lead a masterclass called the A3 Experience. I will focus on teaching you to stop worrying and transform worry into excitement and confidence of what you want. This year I have continued quantum leaping my life into further "against the odds" magic. From 20k debt at the start of 2023 to ease and flow with money and consistent recurring 10k income in my bank. From a "bad" Christmas 2022 and break up with my love to turning that all around to new levels of love and commitment. Everything feels better. Even my son, Oliver who was on a list to be tested for ADHD and struggling at school is now thriving this school year. His teacher is incredible and she is so proud of his improvements. Not by chance. I recognise how I started expecting a bad report when I collected him and so it was. What you expect will come to fruition. When we worry, the message we give to the universe is - this bad thing I am expecting and the universe responds - ok, here it is. It is that simple. Simple and not always that simple to click our fingers and stop negative habits because they are learned. If you are curious and interested to come on a journey with me and learn how to align, ask and allow instead of what most of us have been taught to do aka - complain and expect bad things to happen, I am excited for the possibilities ahead for you. Click the link to sign up. https://lnkd.in/eFSPPuTm

“Of course, we all think we’re not really going to die” observed two of my friends, quite independently and within an hour of each other.  How strange and somehow contradictory we humans are; the one thing we can be sure of is the very thing we try to pretend doesn’t exist! 😄 Perhaps we fear death because it appears to be all about loss.  Leaving behind a life we’ve loved; family, career, home, pastimes, the list goes on.  We can’t bear to think about leaving it all, so we block it from our minds, preferring to ‘carry on regardless’ either pretending that it’s not real, or comforting ourselves that we have plenty of time before we face it. Being afraid of dying is probably one of the most common and understandable experiences of humanity.  It’s the ultimate unknown, after all and everything in us is wired to avoid it.  Maybe for this very reason it's important to be real about this awkward subject, to accept death as a reality – hopefully at a far-off time – and to be ready.  Why?  Because it takes the power fear has over us and puts us in the driving seat.  How?!  At a practical level, by having everything in order so that whoever has to clear up after us has as easy a task as possible.  I can heartily recommend it!  Having everything in order has the wonderful side effect of clearing your mind, allowing you to simply get on with life knowing that those things are in place.  It’s like an expectant woman having her ‘hospital bag’ packed ready to be grabbed when her waters break! And by living in a way so that when it is our turn to take that mysterious journey, we have no regrets.  No “I wish I’d...” or, perhaps worse, “if only I hadn’t...” but leaving behind us a legacy beyond money that leaves those we love with true riches.   I hope that's enlightened you a little this morning. If you're interested in reading more, you can find my chapter on this in 'Living to Finish Well', available on Amazon now! https://lnkd.in/eubc5KEH #estateplanning #life #legalempowerment #death #hospice #health

Here’s why you should think about death daily: without it, life would have no purpose. Our relationships, our goals, our jobs would be meaningless. There have been many moments when I’ve had to come to terms with my own mortality: watching loved ones die, surviving a global pandemic, interviewing to work in a morgue, observing the beginning of an autopsy, and one in particular, holding the skull of a mid-1800's skeleton when I was a student on an excavation back in 2016. Do you know what that’s like? To stare at a remnant of history and suddenly be struck by the fact that that is where we all return? What’s the saying? From earth to earth, ashes to ashes, and dust to dust. You’re probably thinking: “okay, but that’s so depressing.” Is it? THAT is why you must reflect on it. Because if you realize what death truly is, then you know that it is not depressing but rather a next part of the story. It’s as natural as breathing. When I die, I want to greet Death as if he were a long-lost friend. One who I have many stories to tell to because I’ve lived my life to its fullest. I've at least made the attempt. When I practice memento mori, I am filled with mixed feelings. But each of those feelings tell me what I should do with my life. They tell me my values, my wishes, and my regrets. And then from each of those I take action. As Viktor Frankl once taught, we each give our life meaning. That is why we live. Your purpose will not just be handed to you on a silver platter. It is up to you to carve it from the marble. But how can you start carving if you don’t know where to start? Ironically, to start, we look to the end. I finished Tony Albrecht’s ‘In the Creative Arena’ this morning and while there were many salient passages, this one in particular stood out to me: “…another word about how wild it is that Salinger wrote part of The Catcher in the Rye in Europe during WWII. This goes without saying, but he very easily could have been killed with an unfinished manuscript in his pocket…He didn’t know whether he would survive the war and wrote under the veil of that uncertainty. I wonder how that reality affected him. Did it paralyze him? Or did it motivate him?” You do realize that every one of us lives underneath ‘that veil of uncertainty’ right? That veil that divides us from this world and the next. I would rather die with an unfinished manuscript in my pocket than nothing at all. What does all this mean? Put yourself out there - make the call, find the new job, start the project, tell that person you love them...whatever it may be. We reflect on death so that we may live more. 

I hurt my back. You may wonder where I went or what I’m up to. Truth be told I never could have imagined the journey Christ took me on since he touched down and found me in 2023. But life is an exciting adventure with Christ. I don’t need social media validation like I used to. I still crave it at times, but I often sit in reminiscance of the days I over-shared every little detail of my complicated life with my LinkedIn following, and I laugh. I’m not the same anymore. I’m slowly tapping back into business after a much needed break. I realize part of why I went crazy here, (in addition to sudden adoration and “fame”), was simply because I wasn’t spiritually aligned to the money I was making. I was so sick and tired of making lots of money and feeling undeserving of it. It drove me bonkers. The more I made the more I felt like a fraud. And that’s probably why I blew so much of it ferouciously in what can only be described as a manic Miami bender in the final era of my 20’s. I was basically on the brink of willingly giving everything up and living out of my car with my cat. I was so sick of fearing and avoiding the actual life I felt aligned with (worthless) - that I was just going to create it for myself! When I finally made the decision to make myself homeless, things started to shift. I’ll talk about this more as I begin to reintegrate myself back into blog life, and business, but basically it comes down to more memories surfacing about how I blamed myself for the abuse I endured growing up. Of course I felt worthless, I’d created quite a mess. Or at least, I thought it was my fault. In the end this time away to work myself out led me into a journey of rigorous fitness I’m forever grateful for. I train 1-4x a day now. And I have big aspirations for what I plan to achieve with my body. But, tragedy struck this week when I blew out my back. F*ck. God cutting me off from my new drug of choice… pretty annoying. Still, this pain in my back granted me the most beautiful perspective. I suddenly started to realize how blessed I am to live day in and day out WITHOUT chronic pain or injury! All of the people around the world living with ongoing back pain, omg. Have I empathized for them and been humbled this week through this experience. & then, this morning- I open my daily devotional and see this. As if God is in my ear once again reminding me… it’s already written. He plans the day before I can even manage to get up and stretch out my toes. He knows the path He’s putting me on, and He’s there every step of the journey. In down times like this, it’s these little synchronicities that keep me going. When I find myself in pain, while annoying, I always ALWAYS… find myself closer to Christ. Prayers up for my back ya’ll - I do believe God’s grace is good and he’ll have me back in the gym here again shortly. And to all of those who suffer with chronic back pain… whoosh. You’re heavy on my prayers this week. 🙏🏻