Good morning,

“We have to be willing to confront the world as it is, not as we want it to be if we're going to be successful."
— Barry McCarthy

Wise words indeed, Bazza.

Once again, the world got weird, a bit scarier and, for many, down right tragic. Was the conflict in Europe inevitable? Who’s to blame? Do we all share some degree of responsibility in global affairs?

The “think global, act local” concept is traditionally linked to environmental strategy, but perhaps it could be applied to global “social” affairs, too. If our politicians are elected to represent our shared common values surely it’s up to us to authentically live according to the values we want them to represent, defend and stand up for. It’s up to us to demonstrate values of respect, inclusion, understanding, caring and growth every day, and support our elected leaders to represent us on the global stage as flag bearers of our shared ideals.

So while our mindful daily activities are unlikely to have any immediate impact on the woes of our European neighbours, I hope you can find meaning and responsibility in your daily interactions and activities, and continue to live with purpose and mindfulness.

You never know how far a smile may travel…

Amnesty International and Save the Children are two organisations who are working hard to help those in need.

Endure
Endurance training is perhaps one of the most beneficial aspects of physical training there is. Not only does it prepare for the obvious longer events, but it also provides an excellent foundation upon which to build speed and strength.

Nils van der Poel is the world record holder for 10km speed skating and has published his complete training manifesto for everyone to read and learn from. Completely brilliant and completely inspiring. This Twitter thread breaks it down into bite sizes, too.

New bones
Building endurance – tick.
More muscle – done.
New bones – hmmm…

Research out of RMIT has shown great promise in stimulating new bone cells from stem cells, which is traditionally a very tricky enterprise. With the help of high frequency sound waves, even fat cells can be turned into bone. Good vibes all ‘round, I suppose?!

Old bones?
Nope, not quite – but a very old Roman mosaic. Archaeologists announced a “once in a lifetime” discovery in a building site in London as they unearthed the largest Roman mosaic found in the capital for 50 years, part of Londinium. Beautiful.

And finally…

Smoothie bowls
To get your day off to a smooth start, read this super tasty recipe guide to build the ultimate smoothie bowl.

Frozen banana… Not too sweet… Sneaky greens… Rock on!

Have a great week of purpose.

Big love,
Luke