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After my 6th session, my therapist shouted at me...

After my 6th session, my therapist shouted at me...

Dan Pope
September 22, 2023

After my 6th therapy session, my therapist said to me:

“Fuck this mate, fancy a cigarette and a six pack of stellar down the park?”

Sorry, that’s a joke.

Open goal.

Had to slot. Soz.

What he really said was:

“Within 10 seconds of meeting you, Dan, I knew you were an addict”

Addiction and full-throttle obsession is part of my soul.

My best friend and nefarious nemesis.

My playground is the Extreme. The moderation morgue bores me to death.

Obsession is great for work, but has a ugly-dark side.

Inside me is a Randy Little Wolf screaming “feed me, feed me, feed me”

Feed the wolf - decimate a packet of digestives like a hurricane.

Feed the wolf - drink to the point of oblivion.

Feed the wolf - stuff my face with all manner of food.

Of late, I’ve been force-feeding the wolf like fucking fois-gras

Burning candle, both ends.

Drinking like a Parched Trout 4 times a week.

Smashing through 2 vapes a day.

My vape has become like a dummy to needy-chubby 5 year old.

“Mummy, Mummy, Mummy, where’s my fucking Watermelon Ice Lost Mary?! Mummy… can you go to the corner shop and pick me one up and an UMBUNGO?”

My lungs are turning into a packet of fucking Starburst.

This week’s newsletter is more of a personal reflection… of how I’m trying to stay calm in a busy world.

Hope this helps food and drink founders, who by default are traversing busy waters.

Starter: Man Like Montaigne

his head looks like a grape

Maaaannnnnn like Mountagine.

Been slamming episodes of TOPBOY recently.

Unfortunately, I’ve developed a tourettes-like-syndrome.

I can’t stop saying: “Manzzzz got thaaaa foood cuzzz”

It happened at a TESCO presentation the other day. I went all Road Man

**opened up briefcase of samples (including lots of £50 notes)

“MAAAANZZZZZ GOT THAAA FOOOO CUZ”

“Yo, I’m the TOPBOY cuz… call man MC J.B.Making-P’ss”

“When we dicusszing the P’s cuz.. the JB-P’s cuz… MC J.B.P….JOINT-BUSINESS-PLAN … innnnnsiiiiideeeeeeeee theeeee placcceeeeee”

The Buyer gave some rather perturbed looks.

Alas. Moving it on.

Michel de Montaigne is a stoic philosopher. Michels wisdom struck a deep chord like the first time I heard All Saint’s “Pure Shores”.

“Abstinence is easier than moderation”

Passions are as easy for me to avoid as they are hard for me to moderate. They are more easily torn from the mind than checked [Seneca]. He who cannot attain that noble impassibility of the Stoics, let him take refuge in the bosom of this plebeian stupidity of mine. What those men did by virtue, I train myself to do by disposition.

It’s easier to just stop vs. trying to moderate.

So, that’s me and the bottle done. 6 weeks off the booze. Lucky Saint hope you’re ready.

Writing on my newsletter as a form of accountability. I know if I break it, I’ll fucking hate myself. So I won’t.

Off the bottle until 1st November 2023. No booze. Cigs or vapes.

Don’t worry.

I’m not morphing Sanctimonious Simon or On-yer-High-Horse Hilary… “yeah, just a quick fun fact about me, did you know I DON’T DRINK?”’

You can’t be relaxed and ambitious

The humour most directly opposite, to retirement is ambition. Glory and repose are things that cannot lodge in the same dwelling. As far as I can see, these men have only their arms and legs outside the crowd; their souls, their intentions, are more than ever in the thick of it.

I know work-life balance is important.

But for some people, especially ambitious people “trying to relax makes you more stressed”.

The relaxed vs. ambitious paradox

The vicious cycle: “I should be switching off” > “but I can’t switch off” > “you suck because you can’t switch off” > “if you don’t rest, you’ll burn out” > “you should be switching off”>”why are you not switching off”.

You end up more stressed by trying to switch off.

This week I’ve just accepted my hardware is restless ambition. In that acceptances a gorgeous calm like peace.

Main: Be a tourist in your own city

One way I to switch off and be calm… (ohhhhh btw, did I tell you, that, yeah, like I DON’T DRINK. LIKE NOT A SINGLE FUCKING DROP OF THE BLADDY POISON”.

How you’re asking?

Be a tourist in your own city.

When you’re abroad everything feels so fresh and light and bountiful.

Fruit more colourful and vibrant.

Smells more gorgeously pungent and tickle you state of entranced calm.

Baroque architecture melts and massages your marrow into blue pool of sweet bliss.

You feel like a kid in Lego Land off his/her nut on Tang-fucking-fastics-Lad.

But in your own city or town or bungalow or Forrest Row Commune-if-don’t-drink-and-have-hairy-gentails (just asking for a mate)

In our own cities we ignore the beauty. Let Slack spaff in our face. WhatsApp. Emails. Instagram. Next thing. Next Thing. Next Thing.

The other day

I was walking over Waterloo Bridge and said to myself “just be a tourist in your own city”.

An INSTANT HACK to feel more present….

Look up at buildings. You’ll feel more present. I promise. If you’re reading this email in Manchester or Dublin or London - get off your phone and look up at architecture, - let me know how you get on.
Be the tourist in your own city - imagine you’re visiting your city for the first time. Everything becomes wonderful. Colourful. You feel more present.

The annoying-advert bit… don’t go and make a cuppa

Introducing our WONDERFUL agency partner HC Consulting

Harry Clarke and Lili Wiranatha are doing EPIC work with EPIC brands -Holy Moly Dips, The Gut Stuff, Savyll Drinks, REMEO Gelato

Struggling to unlock distribution?
Sales pitch not landing?
Don’t want to hire a full time sales director - but need the advice and guidance?
Need a helping handing with account management to keep your beloved listing?
Please do yourself a favour.
Reach out to my boi, Harry Clarke, Harry may be able to help!

Deets here:

W: https://www.hc-consulting.uk/

E: [email protected]