Michael Howkins
I am a writer and advocate for personal growth and spiritual development. My aim is to empower people through writing about my own experiences.
Cows, Cairns and the Rugged Wilderness of Caledonia
In October 2017, my partner and I left the frenetic and frenzied atmosphere of a bustling city in Southern England and headed north, to the remote and dramatic wilderness of Scotland. We were burnt out and in desperate need to get away for a while, to reconnect with nature.
Michael HowkinsPublished 2 months ago in EarthFrom Anxious Punk to Aspiring Monk: My Spiritual Awakening and the Music That Accompanied it
When I was in my late teens, I was a self-confessed punk, frequently drunk, and suffering from social anxiety. That was, pretty much, all there was to know about me. My identity was rooted in the music I listened to and the people I surrounded myself with. I drank because that's what everyone else did. I also drank to bury the feelings of insecurity and anxiety that were slowly building within me.
Michael HowkinsPublished 4 months ago in Motivation
I Obsessively Searched for the Perfect Formula to Recommend Films and I failed. Or did I?
I'm taking a deep breath in as I sit down to write this article because I know what the task ahead of me involves: pressure.
Michael HowkinsPublished 4 months ago in GeeksThe Overlooked and Important Functions of Solitude
“Whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god. He never is alone that is accompanied with noble thoughts.”-Aristotle
Michael HowkinsPublished 4 months ago in HumansIntelligent Reasons for Expanding Your Vocabulary, and How to Do It.
“A man may take to drink because he feels himself to be a failure, and then fail all the more completely because he drinks. It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.” — George Orwell
Michael HowkinsPublished 4 months ago in LifehackBeing Barefoot Gives you Superpowers
In the year 2017, I was living in a tiny Shepherd's hut in the Highlands of Scotland . It was remote and unconventional, but it was how I wanted to live. Occasionally, I would go hiking in the mountains. I'd do this without boots, shoes or sandals. I'd go barefoot. The fellow climbers I encountered on these hikes gave me quizzical looks and asked me probing questions.
Michael HowkinsPublished 4 months ago in LongevityThe Art of Silence: How Speaking Less Can Make You More Intelligent, Compassionate, and Successful
"Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." - Eleanor Roosevelt That's one of my favorite quotes, and it's never far from the back of my mind. It only takes a few bus rides, a couple of walks around the city, and a trip to the local cafe to realize the universal truth of this statement.
Michael HowkinsPublished 5 months ago in Humans
