So, throughout the last few months I’ve had my shit together. I’ve had to. It’s been frenetic since Covid landed, having to move so fast on multiple fronts, making decisions that prior to Covid none of us thought we’d have to whilst balancing so many competing things, we all have. 

I totally had my shit together, WAR MODE, let’s do this!

This is when I operate best. And I do. But 3 months of driving a car in redline... it’s not gonna end well. Friday evening, I’d brought Nana Burton over for first time since lockdown (as my daughter was going back to school on the Monday, so it may be months before she had opportunity to see her)

I dropped my Mum off on Saturday, as soon as I arrived home I crashed. Physically. Mentally.

Laying down, I couldn’t move, going to the loo I walked and ached like a 90 year old man. Mental. Physical. Exhaustion. I thought it may be flu. Yet no temp. Shivering in evening. Yet no temp. My blood sugars went haywire, yet I had been behaving myself food wise. My weight is lowest I've ever been in 20 years. I have had 3 months where I absolutely thought I had it all under control. I did. Surface level. I’ve been the man.

But clearly this has been building up below the surface.

I’m a guy who champions good solid mental health and major and prides myself on looking after it, having had a previous burnout in 2012, I absolutely know what to look out for.

I’m mentally strong.

Yet this pandemic and lockdown situation is unprecedented tho.

It’s silent.
Invisible.
Everywhere.

Telly, conversations, online, offline, it’s always there, knotweed for your brain.

The business is doing ok, we as a team moved soooo fast to pull it from the jaws of defeat.

Two weeks ago I even said on a presentation that my stress levels over last few months were 1.1 / 10.

I honestly believed that.

Today, is the first time since Saturday where i am beginning to feel somewhat like my old Brad self.

——

That was 3 years ago.

Regardless of how mentally resilient you are. Everyone has a breaking point.

That one thing that sends you into a corner.

My advice.

Lower the revs, whilst you in a good place. before you are forced to lower the revs whilst in a bad place.

LESSONS FROM A BONSAI

The motivational lessons from my first week as a bonsai owner

Some things can be shaped fast. Cutting leaves 🍃 is easy, choosing what to cut is hard.
Watering once is good for a day, not for a lifetime.

The bonsai I bought is the same tree, yet in just a few days is already a different tree.
My bonsai tree has already undergone shaping and redirection.
Think about you as a bonsai. What would you look like?
Beautifully kept and maintained or overgrown and out of control?
A bonsai, in order to grow, needs to be pruned.
i’ve already helped shape and steer it differently.

Self-pruning is crucial for your own growth.

It’s a task that will only stop when the tree dies.
And that could of course happen at the hands of my enthusiastic naïvety.
But with the guidance of Bonsai experts I’m following I’m hoping that won’t be the outcome.
I always loved Bonsai, but avoided getting one, why?

Based on what I’d seen on a the fictional film Karate Kid, four decades prior.
The supposed upkeep and dedication needed to keep it alive put me off.
So I didn’t start.
I took and based my knowledge solely on a 1980s fictional film.
We’re all a bit guilty of this at times, taking the bloke at the pubs word as gospel.
Or reading something on the Internet - so it must be true.
Same goes for business.
Twice when I was on benefits, I was encouraged by the job centre to start one.

Twice.
Yet I didn’t.

Why?

“Me have a business?? Get out of it, i could never do that!, business is tough”

And it is.
But anytime we start something new is.

No one is born an expert. Every expert you admire was once a nervous beginner.

We have to start somewhere.
Back to the bonsai lessons…

So many go wrong by trying to hold on to everyone and everything. An unwillingness to let go of things. Prune back.
In not doing, it risks the entire tree.
With my national networking business, I was absolutely guilty of this.
You can’t save the world.
I tried.
But you can save yourself, by getting yourself strong and stable.
And then once you’re strong, you’ll be able to help others… but you can’t save the world.
This is week one, where will my care and enthusiasm be next month?
Next year?

And that is the same for you. One of the greatest secret weapons and skills that you can have in life, is an ability to maintain energy and day 1 enthusiasm and excitement over a protracted period.

It’s early doors on my bonsai journey, but I’m already channeling my own Mr Myagi wisdom and long may it inspire you to cultivate your own growth and find balance in the art of letting go. 🌿

Brad Bonsai Burton.
Who would have thought it??

#NamasteAF 🦁✨

P.S. Interested in talking or working together? Book a 15 min chat Www.BradBurton.biz/15



PPS: Forward this to someone who may need to hear this today