Join Martin in Scotland

image copyright M Drury/JOIN MARTIN 2008

JOIN MARTIN IN SCOTLAND: Ok, so I'm not the best photographer in the world. The photo is of me wearing the JOIN MARTIN CHALLENGE T SHIRT (designed by my sister and printed by a wonderful shop in Hereford). I'm standing near Waverley Station in Edinburgh. In the background you can see your buses, Princes Street and- if you walked up from where I'm standing- you'd end up on the Royal Mile. Edinburgh Dungeon is a little to the right of me and across the road.

I want to use my trip to Edinburgh as a starting point to begin a discussion on who we really are as people. What stops us from expressing ourselves? Of course, if we all expressed ourselves fully 100% of the time, the world would erupt into chaos. Rules, regulations and laws are there for a reason (most of the time). But stop for a minute and ask yourself this question: who am I really?

Because Edinburgh showed me the person I really was, just as North Wales had done to the younger version of me during the university days. I realised that so much of who I am is contained because I don't trust myself or I worry about what other people think. My sister remarked that I sometimes seem to focus on the negative and happiness doesn't show up in my facial features, even when I'm ecstatic. I'm not about to change who I am for anyone but there is some truth that accusation and the reason behind is that I'm worried. Many have called me a powerful personality over the years and I guess I've been afraid that expressing myself fully and letting go of worries and enjoying myself would somehow hurt other people. And I cannot tolerate even the thought of causing another person harm even in an emotional sense.

But things are changing. The benevolent thump of the Celtic Heart is back and something in the pit of my belly tells me that, whatever happens, Edinburgh is the right place to be. Beautiful, friendly, dramatic, awe inspiring, amazing and breath taking. That is the Scottish capital. Dear Edinburgh, you'll be seeing a lot more of me in the coming months. Thank you for a wonderful holiday.

And to the readers of this blog I say this: it's time to enjoy yourself (within all laws and regulations of course). It's time to let go and bit and trust, even when things seem difficult or challenging. Time to learn a new language, time to make a new friend, time to travel, time to discover, time to reveal the real you.