Years ago I watched a documentary about longevity (people who live the longest), which was based on the beautiful island of Okinawa.

 The people here live longer than anyone else on the planet, and there are 5x more centenarians (people who are over 100 years old) per square metre than the rest of Japan!

I will write in more detail about the science of why these people live for so long in a future post, but the short version is essentially that they love life, have a reason for living, have an active lifestyle, get out in nature as often as possible, and that their natural diet is excellent.

After watching this documentary I was determined to visit this incredible place, which is a combination of Japanese, Hawaiian, Chinese and Taiwanese culture all mixed together and on an incredible picturesque island surrounded by natural scenery in all directions!

After years of wanting to visit this place I have finally made it!

Dreams can come true if you put in the hard work, so it is important never to say ‘I wish I had done....X’ in my life, but instead to say ‘I am going to do...X’ and MAKE it happen. Things don’t happen by themselves so it does require effort, but life is short and we never know how long we have left.

When I was fretting about giving up my stable business, friends and family to come and travel around Japan making barely enough money to survive, I was told a brilliant phrase which has resonated with me ever since.

‘We regret the things we didn’t do, more than the things we did do’

This basically means that if I decided to stay in London continuing my life the same every day, even though it is comfortable, I would have forever looked back thinking ‘I wish I had gone to Japan and travelled’.

BUT - if I go and after six months or so, I can’t afford it anymore and need to return to the UK, what is there to regret? Iv had an awesome, life changing time, explored magnificient natural landscapes, visited wonderful cities and towns, and met friends that I will keep in touch with forever! 

So the point of this post is to remind everyone to either get out and do things you want to do, and if you can’t do them currently, make plans to do them in the near future. Do not waste time or think, ‘maybe once my situation changes I will think about it’ etc.

Tomorrow never comes and people drop dead at all ages these days. Having had people very close to us pass away just before leaving the UK, I can tell you that death is never planned and we have no idea when it is just around the corner.

So what are you waiting for? Start working to achieve your dreams, or settle for a life of mundanity. Either option is fine, and it is not for me to judge, but remember - the choice is yours!!!

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I am a highly experienced professional English teacher, Yoga Instructor, Nutrition Consultant and Personal Trainer from London, UK. I recently left London to work and travel around Japan on a Working Holiday Visa with my girlfriend Ashley (who is also a teacher on Cafetalk : https://cafetalk.com/tutors/profile/?id=54542&lang=en ). We love sharing adventures travelling, teaching, exploring and understanding new cultures. We hope to speak with you soon!

Please check out my lessons if you are interested in learning real, authentic British English, or have an interest in Yoga, healthy eating or general health and fitness.

Feel free to send me a message if you have any questions, or if you would like to schedule a lesson at a time in which my schedule is not open. I will always do my best to accomodate every student.