This week I tried meditation for the first time, and as what I had seen before suggested it was very easy; all that’s required is a deep breath and the release of all tension in the body as you focus only on being totally calm. Some people in my class weren’t quite as enthusiastic about it as others, but I thought it was a revelation. I couldn’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed, and I found this to be twice as beneficial as I now had a second solution to the considerable amount of stress life has in store for everyone.

The other has always come in the form of the things I love most, fast cars and motorsport being the biggest example. Whether it concerns this or any of my other passions, however, the ability to retreat from sadness or worries is greatly valued. If there’s something you really love, something you live and breathe, and you keep it in mind, you might be surprised by what you can cope with. It’s like a safety net, and it’ll always be there to catch you. If, like me, you’re not much good at the maths you were taught for years at school, you can take comfort in knowing that you’re an expert in whatever makes you happy, and regardless of what you might be told that’s nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of. I feel like I’m stating the obvious, but when I panic I do tend to realise just how much time we all spend doing that. Someone told me this week that, even with all of life’s demands in mind, we should concentrate on what we enjoy more often because – after all – we only get one shot at life.

I’m writing this post whilst also doing College work, and usually I’d be told off for distracting myself, but I personally think that digression is important. It helps top up my “can do” attitude (when I have one), so in that respect it’s like medicine – sweet medicine that lovingly coats your tongue and warms your heart. I think we should all taste it as often as possible. I’m telling you right now that, if you can spare the time, you should stop the work you’re doing and indulge yourself in your interests. Have a little bit of what you fancy, and see what it could do for you.

Mason