Return To London

I flew in over London when landing on Friday and got to witness this amazing view. I thought I'd share my photos as it's not often you get to see this incredible city from this angle.


The Isle Of Dogs/Canary Wharf


London Borough/Tower Bridge/Tower of London/Gherkin


The Whole of Central London


St. Paul's/Millennium Footbridge/Bank/Globe (on the right somewhere)


The London Eye/Waterloo/Embankment


The London Eye/Westminster Abbey/Houses of Parliament


Westminster & Chelsea through to London Borough


Hyde Park/Regent's Park/Mayfair


Wembley Stadium & The North West of London


So I'm back in London. But it feels different this time. Whereas I previously felt this strong desire to work out how I could stay longer, I now have the option of staying longer but am choosing not to. It's nice to feel like you're making the choices rather than them being made for you.

Funnily, this choice - and the series of choices leading to it - have been the result of something that wasn't my choice, which seemed extremely negative at the time, namely my UK entry refusal in late July. After my refusal I remember one of the guys that was looking after me between interrogations saying "There's probably a really good reason this is happening. You'll find it will all work out for the best." To which I thought something like "You're an idealistic fool. This situation is the worst thing that could happen to me."

But I was the fool to think that. Once I got over the initial shock I started making the hard choices for my life. Choices that would keep my life going in the direction I wanted it to. And now I'm more happy than I've been for many many years - much more happy than I expect I would've been had I not been refused entry. Isn't it ironic? (And not in an Alanis Morissette way. The real meaning - or at least I think so...)

I guess I took the guy's comment to mean "Just forget about. Everything will be just fine." That's too simplistic for me. I now take it to mean "I will be strong with my decisions, to keep making the best of my life - every single day - no matter what obstacles gets thrown at me." It's positivity, but not through just sitting back and hoping everything will work out. It's positivity through determination, strong decisions and action.

These are probably the hardest things in life I believe. Getting up when you get kicked down (even if it's the third, seventh or twentieth time you've been kicked down). Having the strength of character to make the decision you know is right, no matter how difficult. And taking action every day, not just talking about taking action.

You know what - I was going to write a poem about London today but I'm not going to.

Consider today's creativity the prose you're wading through. (Thanks for getting this far!) I hope it helps you next time your life throws you a curve-ball and everything you've been planning for gets pulled out from underneath you. Believe that life always works out well for those who think positively, act positively and remain flexible but determined. I believe my happiness today despite my experiences (I can tell some stories, believe me) is testament to that.

We are always in control. Even if things don't always go to plan. If you're not happy with your life take control of what's holding you back and make the changes that need to be made. Make the big choices. The toughest choices. Don't avoid them. And commit to making the best of the choices you make.

Most decisions can be considered good or bad given a certain perspective so choose the perspective of seeing your decisions as good. Initial consequences may be bad but good can come from bad consequences.

Dream. Act. Grow. 

Live.


End of motivational speech.