Posted By Imraan Vagar on Nov 20, 2014 | 2 comments

“You say a lot, but reveal very little,” read the message. Clever and observant “Joe”, as I shall call him, wrote to me recently to convey his thanks, in particular, for the “Dear Young Person” series of posts on this blog – but he also added that he felt a “little cheated” by the fact that I seemed excessively guarded about my personal life. “I understand that you wouldn’t want to dish out the intimate details of your private life, but I think a lot of the young people you’re trying to reach out to with your blog would benefit from discovering how someone like you lives life from day to day.”

Well Joe, you make a valid point – but I have a confession to make…

My reservedness (as you observed) isn’t just about a zealous regard for my privacy. I suppose I also have a tendency to overcompensate for the popular perception that public figures are exceedingly self-involved and narcissistic. I’m so sensitised to it, that I shy away from talking about myself and my world – lest I come across as being too self-indulgent with this platform. Which is silly right? I mean this is, after all, my blog!

That said, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to post updates that are somewhat more ‘everyday’ in nature – so I’m going to give it a try and see how it goes. I’ll be tagging these as “Snapshots”.

And I hope, as Joe suggests, they’re of some value to you.

So, what better place to begin to elaborate on the business of “day to day” than with how I actually start my day…

I can’t imagine not kicking off my morning with a long, brisk walk. It gets the blood flowing, clears my head for the day ahead and releases all those lovely endorphins! As luck would have it, I’m currently filming in the Western Cape – where there’s no shortage of breathtakingly beautiful walks, hikes and trails. There’s so much you can explore on foot out here, but my favourite locations for an early morning “power walk” are a nearby dam and a pine forest…

It’s a good 11km walk to and from the dam – with lots of rolling hills to test your strength and endurance. The best part is being able to kick off your running shoes and dip your feet in the cool, clear water when you get there. The soothing sound of the gently lapping waves and the thrilling sensation of the cold water against your skin as you massage your hot, tired soles against the firm, round pebbles is heavenly! Nature’s foot spa beats any treatment you might book at an expensive salon!

Aaaah…

Of course, the dogs love the outing too! But for them there are other rewards – like an invigorating swim or a game of fetch with a bite-sized baton of driftwood…

Then there’s the forest. Equally as rugged and off the beaten track, but so much more of a solitary and silent experience – except for the whispering of the trees and the crackle of pine needles underfoot…

Depending on the weather or the light the forest can go from seeming magical and enchanting to eerie and forbidding. But all these qualities inspire the same thing : quiet contemplation.

Interestingly, this is where I do a lot of ‘mental writing’ for the blog. Thoughts and ideas seem to just flow. I try to make a conscious effort to commit passages to memory, but it seems wrong to dilute such a visceral experience with something as cerebral as mental dictation.

I could so easily ‘get lost in the forest’ each time, but the realities of the day would beckon and I’d head back – feeling energised, inspired and sated.

I’m not sure where you are in the world as you read this, but I hope you have access to similar power places in nature – and that you avail yourself of every opportunity to explore and immerse yourself in them…