I started the Tribe over 5 years ago now, life was very different for me back then.
I was already a few years into my more conscious personal development journey, letting go of old habits and friendships that no longer served me.
It was a shedding of old skin, leaving behind the lifestyle of my fun-loving twenties, that left a void in my life. As my friendships diminished rapidly, due to the fact I no longer wanted to spend my weekends partying (particularly with substances) I found myself rather lonely.
At the time I was getting comfortable with the idea of being less social, finding it easier to be in my own company for longer periods of time and distracting myself with games, friends and intoxicants far less than before. This was thanks to my new routine of meditation and journaling, creating peace of mind and helping me bring more awareness to my negative thought patterns and mood swings.
But, on top of that, thanks to my partner Felicity, I was also filling my weekends with healthier habits, hiking and adventures in nature were my new addiction. I personally hadn't owned a car for over 8 years at the time, due to the fact I was pretty skint and also because I lived in city centres, without a need for a car or anywhere to park it even if I did!
This new sense of adventure and exploration led to my social media account becoming filled with pictures of the great outdoors. This change of content also changed the engagement I received. I was shocked by how many people would comment or DM me when I posted a picture of a Yorkshire summit or a Derbyshire waterfall saying "Man, I wish I could do that." or "How do you find these places?" People started to show a lot of interest in these excursions, expressing their own longing for an alternative way to spend their weekends. It was at this point I realised many people weren't as fortunate as I was growing up when my Dad would take us into the countryside hiking every weekend. I was confident in nature, it was normal to me, I'd just lost connection with it in my party years. A lot of people never got to build that confidence or that connection, and so A Tribe Called Being was born.
This was more than a way of getting men into nature, to experience the great outdoors and all its glory. It was also a way to have conversations on a deeper and more personal level. The Tribe was born not only to lead people back to nature, but also it helped me reconnect with new friends, welcomed deeper connections and gave me a greater sense of purpose, to use the gifts of my upbringing to serve others.
The Tribe has evolved a lot over the years, as I've grown as a person, so has what I've been able to offer to others. I love the Tribe for all its many adventures and connections it's brought into my life. I am excited to see where it grows to in the next 5 years.
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