The [bear] facts

I am not fearless. I get scared plenty. But I have also learned how to channel that emotion to sharpen me.

- Bear Grylls -

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I've been looking forward to this book for a while; it's sat on my, 'read these books next', shelf for a long time as I've been reading some rather heavy books (in content not weight) that have taken a lot of emotional energy. It kept looking at me though, calling to me, and finally I picked it up and turned its pages.

Mud sweat and tears

I told a friend of mine I was reading this book - she and I talk about books from time to time, what we're reading and all - and she seemed a little surprised. I get it, many people think this chap, Bear Grylls, is a made for television personality but what so many people do not know is that he is a bona fide legit explorer, action guy, survivalist and all-round fucken top sort. Oh, a loving husband and father as well. I knew all that of course, and the reason I'm reading his book is because I'm interested in inspirational people and that I believe there's many lessons contained within the pages which I'm finding confirming now that I've delved in.

Put aside the Man Vs Wild TV guy for a second...a show that airs in 180 countries and has something like 1.3 billion viewers, and one finds a fellow who served in the United Kingdom's elite SAS (Special Air Service - 21 SAS Regiment) and whose life was geared towards adventure from an early age; he found it through mountaineering - he's one of the youngest climbers to ever scale Mt Everest which he did a year and a half after a parachute (free-fall) accident that broke his back in three places - He was twenty three years old.

Never walk again? Fuck off doctors, I'll fucken walk. I can only assume he said something like that.

His life since has been a series of adventures, loss and tragedy and amazing achievements one of which he cites as being his family, and he even became the youngest ever 'Chief Scout', the figurehead for almost thirty million Scouts around the globe. He's put his life on the line in every country and in so many extreme environments, and almost lost it on many occasions and, oh yeah, he had time to do charity work and raise that family of his. Seem legit?

I don't know the guy, he could be a total fucken asshole for all I know, but something tells me he's not and that I'd like the guy and what he stands for. Reading his words and learning a little more about him only cements that thought.

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It's easy for people to sit back and judge others and that judgment and perception often becomes that person's reality, but in truth the facts of it, the bare facts, might be completely different. Bear Grylls is more than a TV personality, or so I believe, he is a legit, straight-up adventure seeker who is living his best life. His adventures may claim his life at some stage, what he does is dangerous, but he's ok with it as I would be too...Life is to be lived well and that's what he's doing and it's what I seek to do also.

What about you? Are you reading (or have read) something that inspires you? I'm not talking about a made-for-the-marketplace self help book that says the same as all the others...I mean the words of a real life person who shares their life experiences, ups and downs, success and failure in ways that 'speak' to you and open new thoughts and feelings/ Wrote about it in the comments if you'd like.