Archive for Living Your Dreams:
What Do Children Dream of Doing?
By John Whiteman January 25th, 2012 Living Your Dreams, News, Schools Program No Comments
In January 2011 I successfully climbed the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro the tallest freestanding mountain in the world. Every year I look to do something special, something that I have dreamed about doing. It lifts my Spirits and creates such an amazing feeling inside. Live your dreams and do the things in life that you had always wanted to do.
Dreams don’t have to be as large as this though, climbing Mt Kilimanjaro was a big one but so was seeing one of my son’s scoring his first goal in a school football match, learning to Kite surf (kitesurfthechannel.com). The Special Moments in life are often the ones that don’t cost a fortune; they are the ones that bring your life alive.
I have noticed that the older we get the more we place obstacles in the way of living our dreams and it made me wonder when do we actively stop looking to live our dreams, as well as when do we start to become aware of our dreams.
When I was kindly invited to take a group of 4 and 5 year olds on a Mock climb Mt Kilimanjaro afternoon I decided to find out.
What your child dreams about doing isn’t at all about what they want to become when they get older. I am in my 40’s and still struggle with this question myself! They dream about what they want to do Now. The primary objective of this was to learn and see if it was possible to help these children live their dreams. When you Live Your Dream, you create self-belief, confidence and wellbeing.
We set-off on an afternoon of discovery and fun, climbing the Mock Mt Kilimanjaro.
At the Summit of the Mountain having had all children successfully completed their adventure, each child chose a dream that they would love to experience…….
What I was delighted to find is that everyone’s dream was non-material and the majority extremely achievable. Cuddles from my Mother, to go camping overnight and fishing with my Father, were just some of the wonderful dreams, which were totally achievable.
So What Does A Child Dream and how can schools nurture and develop these dreams in conjunction with academic achievement? So that children cultivate the belief that living their dreams is possible and grow in confidence expanding the horizon. Something so simple often goes unnoticed in our striving for achievement.
What could be more special though than your child living their dreams?
If you would like to know more about my work creating happiness from the inside-out or running a schools talk or program please let me know.
Learning to Wakeboard
By John Whiteman August 14th, 2011 Living Your Dreams, News No Comments
There was no Kitesurfing again today as the wind was very light, so I had my 2nd wakeboarding session, but this time it was with a kiteboard instead of a wakeboard……..
I have been lucky to find Toby at Chichester Watersports who is tailoring my wakeboard training towards kitesurfing rather than to wakeboarding. Part of this training is that I get onto a kiteboard as quickly as possible even if this is being pulled behind a boat whilst ripping my arm sockets out of place.
I must admit trying to get my feet into the foot straps of a kiteboard with my winter wetsuit on was much harder than having a wakeboard on my feet, but I had in my hands a lovely Crazy Fly board, which made everything so exciting.
Having got up and riding on the first lesson, today was all about learning to go in one direction and then turn to go in the other direction. Mmmmm well, this was the plan anyway.
Plans are now progressing to be ready for the crossing of the English Channel in the Spring of 2012. Can’t wait to get Kitesurfing in the sea now. So come on wind……….
Living Your Dreams – Learning to Kitesurf
By John Whiteman August 3rd, 2011 Living Your Dreams, News No Comments
Stepping out into a cool breeze on Littlehampton beach, my nerves started to increase. It had been some time since I had flown a kite and I was fully aware of what would happen if I got a little too carried away on my first lesson of the year?
I was part of a small group of beginners who were all quickly suited up with helmets and buoyancy aids. I felt like something that had just landed from another planet, rather than the cool boarder on the beach that I had imagined I would be.
Suddenly I notice a fellow kiteboarder, Anna Seager being dragged down the stony beach on her back by the kite she was trying to launch, she managed to ditch the kite and get some help. Gulp, even experienced kitesurfers get bitten.
It didn’t take long for my nerves to disappear, as the ease at which the land kite could be flown was impressive. Keen to get into the water we inflate the kite and I chat happily with my instructor and fellow kitesurfers. Pushing Anna’s painful looking experience as far back into my mind as possible.
Flying and landing the kite was next, followed by body dragging. Our calm instructor Jason Higgins from Finky inc did a sterling job with the group.
Having drunk only a little of the English Channel I leave the water utterly exhausted but happy knowing that I am one step closer to getting onto a board and riding.
Kitesurf the English Channel
By John Whiteman July 25th, 2011 Living Your Dreams, News No Comments
Sitting in a warm swimming pool at the foot of Mt Kilimanjaro my mind wanders thinking what next? What could the next challenge be that would be both fantastic and fun to do?
It would have to be something I wouldn’t be away from my family. I had missed them far to much over the previous two weeks and didn’t want to go through that again.
I dream of mine for quite sometime had been to learn how to kitesurf. I had taken a couple of lessons a few years before with the best intentions but had not put in enough time to get up and riding. My total time standing on a board had been 0.5 secs before being propelled through the air and landing in a tangle, drinking a fair amount of West Wittering sea water at the same time.
The thought of Kitesurfing the English Channel could give me both the challenge and focus to encourage me to learn to board.
That was it, in an instant I had decided to embark on my next adventure and that was to learn to kitesurf the channel.
The next step was to find people to join me in this adventure. Call it crazy, stupid, fun or all of these I chuckled as I thought of someone who would be up for this.
Sam Lutman-Pauc a friend, business partner and good laugh rose to the challenge. He was crazy enough and said yes immediately as did my fellow climber of Mt Kilimanjaro Tom Wolfe.
Sam, a good kiteboarder lives and breathes the sport. When I can’t contact him on his mobile its usually because he is having a cheeky quick session in the water at Climping or Littlehampton, West Sussex.
Now to learn how to kitesurf.
