Ant Middleton-Zero Negativity
Book Review
After another successful charity shop browse, I came across this book, in hardback and great condition! For a fraction of the retail price, and a point in favour of saving the planet I bought it. What attracted me to the book was the title, positive thinking. I admit, I would otherwise resonate very little with a man whose history is in the Special Forces, and before that the Paras. It’s been a long time since I picked up an AK47 and studied wind speed, the curve of the earth and the bullet speed.
I was very pleasantly surprised by his story, one which was punctuated by such an admirable mindset, and bravery, which transcended his career and military background. The book does give a chronology of the work he has done, since being a young boy, when he joined the army at the age of 16, very quickly receiving awards for best cadet, to name but a few. But it was the mindset, the underlying determination that inspired me to continue reading. The narration of his story was genuinely uplifting, he faced challenges from a very young age, when his father passed away and his mother very quickly became involved with another man, moving the family to France.
Suddenly attending a new school where he didn’t speak the language, eventually becoming fluent in and using to his advantage later in his career, demonstrating his adaptability for change. He is passionate about facing life with positivity, taking chances, embracing failure and inviting change in whatever he turns his hand to. He has an impressive experience in the military, describing his time spent in war zones, negotiating with locals in Afghanistan, facing the enemy, and facing life and death situations daily. His ability to zone out from anything but the task in hand, allowed his focus to be razor sharp, for all his energy to be fueled into whatever combat his work presented him with.
He also talks in the book about his family, and how important his role as a father and husband are, often the chapters are written by his wife, the rock that withstood many a lonely time, while he was abroad on duty, and a time when he served a short prison sentence. He explores the younger years when he admitted to succumbing to the banter and fighting that came with the military role, where he lacked impulse control, and oftentimes, came home in the early hours, after bar fights and too much alcohol. His wife would remain stoic, protecting the children from this reality. However, he describes how he turned these turbulent experiences into learning, to better himself and be the change his family needed.
His inspiring words show that anything is possible, that no challenge is too great, that even if we meet with failure, it is an opportunity for growth and learning. I realized as I read the book, that the stories don’t just resonate with others who have been in the military, but for anyone who wants to be the best version of themselves possible.
We may all know the man for his presence in the famous “Who Dares Wins” series, which features the journey of a group of contestants who undergo the training that SAS soldiers are subject to. If I hadn’t read the book, I would never have known that Ant feared the piece to cameras that he had to do as part of presenting the show, or that he has a fear of confined spaces. Or that in his early career, he had a real difficulty remaining still, once being threatened by his superior on the parade square, when he couldn’t stop fidgeting! He was threatening with a cell for 24 hours!
This book was an inspired read, and everything I hoped for when I read the title and the description. I finished the book more inspired about taking chances and embracing the future with a new confidence. Positive thinking really does change your perception about life and can literally attract opportunities, picking this book up was one for me, which, because of a changed mindset, and a nudge in the direction of positivity, which will lead to other changes, and allow me to visualize my goals with more confidence and less fear. The world is my oyster!
