Author Archives: Michal Siewniak

Overall, I am not too keen on TV. My children would often say that I am workaholic, I can’t sit still and I always have to be “on the go”. Any particular reasons why I don’t watch too much telly? Does it take too much of our time? Could it be better to simply, after a long day at work, to force ourselves to occupy our mind and intellect with a book or a short walk? I worry that TV as well as mobile phones take away too much of our own and family time.

Having said that, we all need at times a bit of “me” time, also in front of our screens. I love to watch football highlights, watch a game when possible, political bulletins and crime series. However, as I love traveling and I lived, apart from my native Poland, in Croatia, Italy and now the UK, I really enjoy watching geography programmes. There are plenty of them across all the main channels.

I have recently come across Ben Fogle’s: New Lives in the Wild. It is fascinating to see how people are able to adapt and live in some of the most remote locations across the globe. It is remarkable to see how they cope with isolation, and very little contact with “real civilisation”. I was struck by a comment from one of Ben’s guests, an Austrian priest, who is now living as a hermit in the Italian Alps. He said that he feels more connected with a very few of his neighbours than when he lived in a busy city. What a striking statement!

Because of work, for the last 3-4 years, I have been traveling a lot to London from Welwyn Garden City. Hundreds, thousands of people trying to get from A to B. The London underground has been my best friend for a while now. A typical passenger on the tube? Phone, IPad, rarely a book. Some people try to have a short nap before the next part of the daily challenge. Often, actually most of the time, there is no communication and no interaction between commuters. It might be incredibly sad that someone might be living in one of the most iconic cities on earth, surrounded by millions of people from every corner of the world and yet, feel so lonely. I am convinced that each person has most amazing and unique story to tell.

Another Christmas, another year literally flew by. It seems like only yesterday we were making New Year resolutions!

I have been thinking quite a bit about how to best describe 2024. Has anything spectacular happened? Has anything dramatically changed? Was it a good year? What have I learnt from 2024? For me, it didn’t have one defining moment, however it was built by often taking baby steps, being persistent and recognising each day as a gift, even when it was hard and challenging.

Campaign of positivity

There were moments this year when I often felt hopeless and deflated. Global conflicts, wars, economy, constant bombardment of news and information, regularly negative, meant that it was not easy to stay “sane”. In moments of crisis, I tried to remember to stay focused on what I am able to influence rather than things, which are beyond my control. This can be accomplished in a number of ways; volunteering, supporting local causes, funding more time for our loved ones. Our world today still needs a strong “campaign of positivity”, which can fill our hearts with joy and gratitude.

Stress, anxiety, a bit of nervousness; there are a wide range of emotions in May, when our children are about to start their exams. Some of these feelings are amplified by the fact that it is also a very important time to choose their next career path. University? Work? Gap year? Maybe an apprenticeship?

Our eldest daughter is about to embark on this crucial period, which in many ways, might determine her future. For those of us, who are blessed to be parents, it is also quite a delicate moment in terms of supporting our children in relation to their next “big move”. Some kids are quite good at listening to parents advice, others are quite independent thinkers and they want to be “in charge” of making these decisions.

As a Polish national, who has been living in the UK for the last 19 years, I am also learning quite a lot about the Higher Educational system in Britain, which has significantly changed since we came over.

How was it? Have you survived? There was quite a bit to do to prepare and organise a “memorable Christmas”. I wonder how many of us genuinely tried to have a little break, stay away from the news and use the Festive Season as an opportunity to “inhale some positivity”, recharge our batteries and reconnect with friends and nature.

January is often a tough month. The weather is still pretty miserable, many of us have to go back to work and the joyful Christmas spirit evaporates. The New Year resolution often kicks in. Society encourages us to exercise more, to stop drinking and/ or smoking. Our intentions are often there, however due to a number of external factors e.g. pace of life or work, our commitment doesn’t last too long.

Like many of us, over Christmas, I also was contemplating ways in which 2024 could be not only better but also a bit different than 2023. What if, rather than only looking after my physical appearance, I try to take care of my mental and spiritual wellbeing? What would happen if I was to start there? But how can this be achieved? Yes, of course; we should spend time outdoors as much as possible, read, meditate and socialise. I am certain that we all, to some degree, try to do it to our best ability.

However, what if we did instead, something different and quite revolutionary? I believe that none of the above is possible if we don’t start with ourselves. I will never forget a conversation a few years ago with a friend of mine who said to me: “I am grateful for my limitations”. I must say that it was quite a discovery for me. But I do think that my friend was right; in order to succeed in life, even in small things, we need to be able to embrace our weakness, and not only our strengths.

Today, the society and the world around us often promotes the image of perfectionism. Life is not perfect, if it was, it would be boring. Would we agree? Life teaches us often rush lessons. On many occasions, we need to be brave enough to stand up, carry on after many failures. I believe that each of these experiences, painful and joyful, help us to grow and become better people. Ability to accept and love who we are is crucial in enabling us to grow as humble but also confident individuals.

One word; volunteering. It has amazing powers to transform and change lives. It enables us to grow, boost our confidence, connect with each other and our community. Volunteering enhances our opportunities to learn and develop new skills. It helps us to listen better, work well in a team as well as individually. 

The world today needs many more selfless acts, which shift away our attention from materialism, “what I am entitled to have” and focus our efforts to empower people around us. Volunteering means being able to put ourselves at the service of other people, who are often less fortunate than us. 

I know that volunteering gave me so much. If anything, it gave me countless opportunities to meet some inspirational individuals who, by sacrificing a few hours (or more!) a week, helped to become better, more compassionate human beings. Churches, sport clubs, schools, there are so many places where we can volunteer! The key is to find a cause, which is close to our heart and which we feel passionate about.