Mental Fitness: 15 Rules to Strengthen Your Body and Mind

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About his family; Any also says that you can't expect to win every argument, and Never lay a finger on your kids or spouse, even if you feel really mad with them. I really respect him for this statement, because he shows that he is still able to switch off, even when under great pressure. I really respect him for this The latest in the Ant Middleton self help books, 15 Rules to Strengthen Your Body and Mind, does exactly that. The beginning of this book motivated me to implement some changes. Your typical New Years Resolutions. And to not fall by the wayside after a week or two speaks well to this book. We found weapons: a murderous tangle of AK-47s, RPGs and Dushkas, the Soviet-era heavy machine guns that the Taliban favoured. There were explosives and detonators. And there was shitloads of money, including wads and wads of cash in the cars that had been trying to get away. It was obvious that they’d been drug smugglers. One vehicle was in an irrigation ditch. Another had smashed into the little bridge that went over the river. How anybody got out of it I don’t know. The mind and body are often talked about as separate entities, but it's only when they work in harmony with one another that one can truly push oneself to the highest heights.

I got the hard copy as a Christmas gift and although there are so good takeaways in there, it was a struggle to get through. For one it was very disjointed and for another it was more about proving himself then helping others We did care. We genuinely believed that we had a responsibility to do everything we could to keep them safe. Otherwise, what was the point of us being here at all? We also knew that we had to stamp out the Taliban wherever they appeared. This meant we had to walk a thin line. The insurgents took up residence in these sorts of settlements precisely because they knew that we were bound by our own rules of engagement. While we had a duty to preserve life, and acted accordingly, they would use the farmers and traders and wives and kids who lived there as both a disguise and a human shield. I found that despicable. I was disarmed: I had to respond to the environment as it actually was, not the one I’d expected. These people needed reassurance; they needed to know that I wasn’t going to do anything rash. They needed to know I wasn’t going to hurt them. Suddenly I realised that my adrenaline had ebbed away. All that was left was the steady, calming sound of my own breathing. At that moment I felt a really deep connection with everyone around me. It was like I actually understood them, and because of that was responsible for them. I had this futile desire to fix all of their problems there and then.I knew I couldn’t let my physicality run away with itself. This wasn’t a time for ‘drills, drills, drills’. I had to think hard about what the Afghanis who surrounded me were thinking and feeling. I find this guy laughable. This guy lectures us about mental fitness and maintaining a positive mindset and phasing out all negative thoughts. Ant I wish you did some of that before you hit a police woman and nearly killed or when you stormed out of your place just cos someone practically made an innocuous comment. Hell, even his brother has been in prison too. I mean I even get the impression you joined the SAS as a badge to flash around and say “look at me I was part of the elites “ when in fact he was barely in it. This guy is looked down upon by many real SAS officers btw.

For the duration, this is a solid outing, although, it does drop off on occasion and I did feel that some of it was repeated in previous tellings. However, I am pleased and satisfied by the read and will be making a few key adjustments to my outlook going forward. He also seems to be a bit of a hypocrite - there is one chapter where he says that he wasn't around for his kids and then starts to lecture the reader on how to be a good parent - and as I was listening to the audiobook, it really did sound like a lecture. Learning from other people's mistakes is one thing, but trying to make something sound easy when you've failed to do it yourself is completely different. Still, the villagers had been intimidated. They felt caught between the Taliban and us, who’d arrived tooled up and clanking around in 30 kg worth of kit. God knows what horror stories they’d already been told about the British armed forces – the circumstances didn’t exactly lend themselves to making a friendly first impression. It can be hard to relate to a guy carrying a fully loaded assault rifle, especially when he’s just jumped out of an intimidatingly large helicopter and is marching directly into the village of your birth. A good book to read if you’re finding your place in the world, and I certainly wish it had been around 20-odd year ago.

Customer reviews

Some interesting stories - clearly he has led a colourful life so enjoyed that autobiographical aspect of the book. However I found that the lessons /tips that flow from those stories are told in a rather disjointed and random way and are sometimes contradictory. I found this frustrating - perhaps greater edit would have helped.