Month: August 2017

Today is the present. Consider it a gift.

Posted on by fantomwriter

Yesterday is history.

Tommorow is the future.

Today is the present. Consider it a gift.

When we wake every morning, we can look at the day ahead in many ways, there may be tasks or chores that fill us with dread. Or there may be a meeting we really don’t want to attend. All considered bad.

But no matter what the day ahead holds for us, we should always look for a positive side. It’s up to us, and only us to get the best out of every new day. And that day and time, is the present.

Then there is the past. No matter how hard we try, we can’t change the past and have to live with what we have done, or in some situations, what we haven’t done. We may have done wrong to a friend or someone close to our hearts. Hurt them in a way we think there is no way of righting the wrong.


In some cases this may be the fact and we need to get on with our lives and live to the best of our abIlity, with that guilt in the dark crevices of our mind, which every now and again, comes back to bite us on the bum.


Then there are other times when we wished we had done something, either for ourselves or for others. Taken that short weekend away or planned for a longer vacation instead of staying home and doing nothing except for the gardening, which can be done any weekend.


There are the other regrets, not telling someone how much they mean to you and that you love them with every fibre of your body. And when you eventually decide to tell them, it’s too late. They are gone or are out of your life.

And this leaves us with the future. This is one thing we can manipulate, mould and change into something we truly want. We can bend and shape our future to our own specific wants and desires.


With this in mind, it won’t just happen. We need to put in some effort. Real effort. Not just a passing glance at what real effort should be.

And with that effort we will see reward. The very reward we have been seeking.

Make everyday a gift to yourself.

What’s mine is mine…

Posted on by fantomwriter


With still a long road of rehabilitation ahead, I headed to the pool for another hydrotherapy session. The more the better I guess in this situation. So the physio keeps telling me. 

So after an hour of pool work, it was time to hit the showers and grab a coffee before continuing with the day. 

Now I would like to take this opportunity for a huge call out to the low life who stole my new ASIC runners from the Croydon AquaHub while I was showering. He also  took off with my water bottle. I should be thankful my wallet, phone and watch weren’t stolen. 


The other sad part to this story is I then had to get home in a pair of thongs which use in the shower. Not a great look, but they did the job. 

This was one guy who an opportunity and ran with it.

Hoping Karma bites him on the arse when he is out running in my shoes. 

Looking at the big picture

Posted on by fantomwriter


After not having worked for nearly 5 months due to my accident, it was with relief and trepidation that I would return to my old team and the project I was forced to leave.

Heading back in for my first day was something of a relief, but as the train neared my city station. The butterflies in my stomach began their war dance the nerves and jitters hit home.


Not that I should have had any concerns about what my role was and If I was still capable of processing all the information which would be dumped in my lap over the coming weeks. It was more if my mind would be able to cope with the social part of the job.

Friendship and caffeine got me through the day, only just. I was so exhausted on the trip home and struggled to stay awake, hoping I wouldn’t fall asleep and miss my station.

I have been back a few days now and it’s getting easier. And it will eventually be a normality for me in the coming weeks.

My life has become much busier now that I’m back at work. I still need to continue with all my rehabilitation exercises, get to hydrotherapy and see the physio a few times a week.


Busy weeks ahead, but at least I’m moving in the right direction. And that forward direction will continue. Going backwards is not an option. Not now. Not ever.

As my physio said. ‘You broke your back in a cycling accident less than 5 months ago. And you’re going back to work. Don’t be so hard on yourself.’

As much as his words made perfect sense, it’s still tough at times to see the big picture. And that’s something we all need to do.

Positive Mental Attitude (PMA)

Posted on by fantomwriter

During one of my rehabilitation sessions at the hydrotherapy pool, I struck up a conversation with an elderly gentleman.

The conversation quickly moved onto the reason why he was at the pool and how he had sustained his injuries. 

It’s not always a bike or car accident that can leave a person struggling to be the person they once were.


Situations vary from person to person, and in his case, it was frim having a lung removed so he could continue with life.

The first thing I thought of was either cancer or a smoking related illness. But it was neither. It was all to do with taking very regular flights for business. He suffered a severe blood clot during a flight and the flight was diverted to the closest airport so he could be transferred to hospital for emergency surgery.


The surgery changed his life dramatically, but he never gave up. He would continue to push through the physical and mental pain to get his life back on track. And he did, using yoga and hydrotherapy.

He then said PMA.

The blank expression on my face told him I had no idea what the TLA (Three Letter Acronym) meant.

Positive Mental Attitude. 


I nodded and understood.

Physically we can get over many bodily breaks and injuries, but without the right positive mental attitude, we will never fully heal.

Mind over matter is not just a saying, it’s a fact. I know this from experience. But, you need to want to heal. Without that want, the chances of a full recovery are much lower.

Always try to keep a positive attitude, and you will see the difference. Trust me on this one.

A wonderful morning 

Posted on by fantomwriter

Stepping off the train at Southern Cross station as i headed to work, and taking in a perfect sight.

It makes me grateful for what I have, and what I never lost.

Enjoy every moment you have, you never know when your last moment will be.

Talking to a stranger 

Posted on by fantomwriter


As the train departed the platform, a young lady sat down in the seat beside me. She smiled and I went back to reading my magazine.

As more passengers boarded at the next station, a young gentleman approached the the lady sitting next to me and said hello. She smiled and responded and went back to scrolling through her iPhone.

He then asked if she was going to work or uni, and she once again politely replied she was heading to uni, and left it at that.

At this point I thought they may have known one another, but the next few questions made me shelve that logic. 

He asked if she had a boyfriend and then if she was living at home. Her replies were more blunt and it was obvious she didn’t know this guy from a bar of soap.

The next question had me doing a double take. He asked how much rent she paid. Her response was that it was a personal matter. He nodded and moved away and got off at the next station.


Once he was off, she looked at me, shrugged, smiled and went back to her iPhone.

It’s times like this that we shouldn’t talk to strangers. 

Nonetheless, a very interesting way to start my day, to say the least. 

Light at the end of the tunnel 

Posted on by fantomwriter


As the days, weeks and months all slowly slipped by, my rehabilitation continued to become more intense as did all my exercise sessions.

With each passing week, I found I was able to move a little easier and my days weren’t filled with pain and my body was recovering. Slowly, but nonetheless recovering.

So as I continued my journey to full recovery, I continued to look for the light at the end of the tunnel. But no matter how much I think I had progressed, the tiny pin prick of a light never seemed to get any bigger.


It was then I was told I should look back through the weeks and months and see how far I had really progressed.

So as I looked back over my shoulder, I could see a tiny light, way back in the distance. It was where my rehabilitation journey had begun. It was just as far as the light in front of me, where I was heading.

The hardest part of any journey is the middle part. You are far enough from your starting point, and just as far from your destination. Frustrating, but you know you are heading in the right direction.


It’s times like these where you need to be a ‘bit of a mongrel’ and attack the last part of the journey with guts and determination. It’s going to be the only way to make it through the tunnel and out to the other side.

I know the my own journey still has a long way to go, but I do know what awaits me when I eventually arrive at my destination.


We all need to set our sights on that pin prick of a light at the end of the tunnel. And we can do that with the help and support from the people around us, who want us to get out of the dark tunnel.

Cradle to the grave 

Posted on by fantomwriter


With every passing day, we see ourselves and the people around us a little differently. Some good, some bad, and some indifferent. But we continue on our journey, through life, not always certain how it will turn out.


We owe it to ourselves to alter the path of our journey to ensure we keep smiling and stay happy. And with happiness on our side, we have a better chance of a happy ending. One we can take all the way to the grave.


From the cradle to the grave, our choices are not always our own. In our younger years we rely heavily on our parents, as they guide us through our childhood and into our teenage years. Even then our parents are there for us, if we want them or not. But they are there, because of the love they have for us, which is sometimes displayed in some very strange ways at times.

Then as the years continue to slide by and we enter our senior years, we then rely on our children to ensure we are safe and looked after as our health declines.

It truly is the circle of life. So within that circle, we need to embrace all we are given and take every opportunity live a full and happy life.


The real purpose of life is to be happy and we should do all we can, everyday to achieve that goal.

Missed opportunities 

Posted on by fantomwriter


Some things slip through our fingers when we least expect them. It’s after the event we realise how much of a missed opportunity it really was.


We can’t go back and relive what we missed out on, but we can make amends by having another go at the opportunity which slid past us at a rapid rate of knots.

Some of the missed opportunities we can only blame ourselves for, while others are taken away, leaving us with a longing for what we missed.


This was the case earlier this year for me, a trip to Europe, starting in France and then through to Italy to visit family. But, due to a negligent driver, my trip was cancelled due to injuries incurred, and so were my dreams of sipping coffee and eating freshly made croissants in the very heart of Paris.


Just because I missed out on this opportunity, it doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future. All that’s needed is some spare time and holiday planning.

So when an opportunity is missed, it’s not the end of the world. Get up and have another shot at it. We only live once and deserve to be happy, and to make the most of every moment.


Don’t wait, enjoy life, it may be taken away in the blink of an eye.

Are we afraid to be alone?

Posted on by fantomwriter

With so many ways to stay in touch with people, we are never more than the click of a button or a dial of a number to communicate with a friend, locally or internationally.
But even with so many friends, there are times when we feel so alone. No matter where we are or who is around us. It’s a state of mind.

There is nothing wrong with feeling afraid in times of solitude, it makes us human. And human frailty is what defines us in this world. 

It’s ok to be afraid to be alone. But don’t let that fear stop you from making the most of that time. Sit back, relax and take the time the see what’s really happening in your own little world. You will be surprised at what you discover about yourself, and others.