2019 was a tough year overall, but it did have some positive highlights.
In February I released my book Mental Health Wisdom and I began shameless promotion of it.
In March I treated myself to a new Samsung Galaxy S10+ phone.
April brought a change to my medication for my mood disorder. This change led to an unstable mood and would lead to a crash into a depressive episode later on in the year.
In April I also got my gorgeous kitten, a black Bengal that I named Nicholas:
For my birthday in May, I visited Mother Shipton’s Cave with my good friend Simon. I also visited Blackpool Zoo with a family that have unofficially adopted me. Here are some photos from both:
The Californian Sea Lions (3). 
Quickly becoming my favourite animal, the giraffes. What I love about giraffes is that every time I’ve politely called over to one (in different Zoos I might add), they come over. They look at me with their big black eyes and some times, if I’m really lucky, they let me take a photo before they walk off. 
This is how close we got to a Lion. Able to look in its eye and see the intelligence, along with the hunter instinct. He appeared to be eyeing us up as a snack. Blackpool Zoo had two male Lions living in the enclosure together from what I saw. They seemed pretty well bonded and one went and groomed the other while we watched. 
Look how close we got to this tiger at Blackpool Zoo. In Chester Zoo I don’t think I’ve ever seen a tiger, let alone been able to get close enough to appreciate its stripy beauty. 
Orangutan. 
The parade of Elephants. 
Penguins. 
This photo of a penguin is most probably the best photo I’ve ever taken. The penguin was swimming at great speed, although you wouldn’t have guested. I looked at this photo when I got home and it looks like it was taken by a professional. A total fluke.
June was all about my book and the promotion of it.
In August my old car died and went to car heaven. So I got a new car, a Ford Fiesta St Line which I called Mitch. Here are some photos:
By September I was really mentally ill. The new medication regime started in April wasn’t effective. On World Mental Health Day, I reduced the price of my book and started my 15 day stay in mental health ward.
In October I had an adventure in the Metropolitan City of Wroclaw in Poland. This was for my brother’s stag do.
In November I told you a secret and emotionally let go of someone. I also launched my range of handmade and homemade candles, Candles of the Gods.
December came round really quickly. It crept up on me like a Ninja sneaking up on a target. It was also really busy. I saw Daniel Sloss, lost my Nando’s virginity, set up my Patroen and completed a two part YouTube Talk on Mental Health.
How was your 2019? Leave a comment below and let me know.
Write soon,
Antony
My book Mental Health Wisdom has been reduced in price to do my bit for World Mental Health Awareness Day, which is today and on the 10th September every year.
The new prices are:
- £7.49 for a paperback, either signed through buying on the link above (plus £1 for postage and packing) or by purchasing on Amazon. This is a saving of over 37% or £4.50 in actual money.
- £1.99 for Kindle version by purchasing on Amazon. This is a saving of over 66% or £4 in actual money.
So go on, treat yourself. Want to know what others think of the book? It’s 5 star rated for all review on Amazon. Here are some quotes from the Amazon reviews:
“This book is a serious, yet light hearted, look at anxiety and depression from someone who has battled with this throughout his life…
This is an easy and often humorous read into a subject that impacts on far more of the population that we generally realise or are aware of.
I would highly recommend ‘Mental Health Wisdom’ by Anthony Simpson…”
“Very informative, useful and helpful read, would highly recommend, very reasonable price also.”
“This is a perfect starting point for anyone that wants to get clued up on mental health. It goes through the many different mental health illnesses, symptoms and has so much invaluable knowledge and wisdom embedded in it. It then goes on to list some tips on how to manage and look after your mental health and well- being.”
From: Amazon, Last accessed: 10th September 2019.
Signed copies available from the official website: MentalHealthWisdomBook.com.
The book will never be at a lower price than it’s current price. This is the absolute cheapest I can make it. I decided to drop the price as the book has been out nearly 9 months. I also accidentally over purchased stock and would like them to find good homes, so that I have space for my next creative project.
Peace and love,
Antony
#MentalHealthAwarenessDay2019 #mentalhealthawarenessday #EveryMindMatters
 My first batch of 13 paperback copies. They have all been signed and sent out to people.. More have been ordered. |
This is a general life update. As most of you will be aware my new book Mental Health Wisdom has been released. It was due to be released in May, but was moved forward due to the way Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing Works. I realised that it is also available on Amazon internationally. You can learn more here here.
The whole process of writing, editing and publishing the book has been a huge learning curve. It’s awesome to see my own work in print. I feel really happy and very proud of myself. I’ve managed to get my book on Goodreads. I’ve reached out to some bloggers who have agreed to review my book. I now need to get some reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. |
As I spent the end of last year and the beginning of this year working on my book, I’ve used the time since to catch up with family and friends. I’ve met with my mum and she’s shared her excitement about going to Thailand and Cambodia. My brother Shaun and his girlfriend are adding to our family. My brother Neil and his fiancee are excited about a move.
My friend Kay has shared her experiences from a recent trip to Australia. A family I’m close to (they have all but practically adopted me!) have shared stories of their children and grandchildren. My friend Sye shared that he has passed his theory driving test.
There’s been so much going on for the people that I love and it’s all positive. It is wonderful to hear.
My iPhone 6 Plus had fingerprints on the camera that no amount of lens cleaning would remove. The battery was beginning to die. This is the second iPhone I’ve had in two years and I really look after my stuff. So I decided to upgrade to the Samsung Galaxy S10+:
Samsung Galaxy S10+ SmartPhone.
This phone is superb. The only annoyance is that often the fingerprint scanner doesn’t recognise my fingers. Here are some features on the phone:
- A massive screen.
- A long-lasting battery and fast charging.
- Three camera lenses on the back and two on the front.
- A sensor that can detect you heart rate, the oxygen saturation in your tissue and levels of stress.
- It was quick and easy to transfer my data (contacts, photos, music, calendars) from my iPhone to the S10+. In fact Samsung has an app that does it all for you.
- The settings make the phone highly customisable. You can download full themes, or just wallpapers and icons.
- All Apps available on iPhones are available in either the Google Play Store or Galaxy Store.
- It has plenty of RAM.
- A huge amount of storage, the amount customisation on order. It can also be extended by Micro SD.
- It can be wirelessly charged and can be used to wirelessly charge other devices.
- Has a headphone jack.
- Dual speakers that are really loud.
- Affordable accessories made by third parties.
- The list could go on.
I’ve planned and booked my annual leave off work until the end of January. I am in the process of make plans for my time off.
 After Life by Ricky Gervais is on Netflix and a must watch. |
I’ve been enjoying Star Trek Discovery on Netflix. I also watched After Life written by and staring Ricky Gervais.
After Life is a must watch. It’s about a man (Gervais) whose wife dies due to cancer. It is about how he deals with the loss and gets on the path to contentedness. After Life is funny, pulls at your heart strings and is overall brilliant. The ending felt rushed, but the reasons for this are understandable. Here’s a trailer: |
Finally, I’ve recently had feedback from a 360° online anonymised questionnaire as part of a Leadership Programme at work. This questionnaire was sent to a wide range of people that I work with. I don’t discuss work on my blog. But I will say that it was hugely positive, with only a few minor areas for improvement. This affirms my beliefs that I am good at my job and perform well.
Blog soon,
Antony
