John Dabell

I've just launched a fundraiser on GoFundMe and I hope that you'd be kind enough to share, support, or donate. Thank you! gofund.me/e0711e91

Superhero Success Chart: I really can’t be bothered - 0% I’m not really in the mood today - 10% I wish it would just sort itself out - 20% I’ve misplaced my cape – 30% I suppose I could entertain the idea of helping - 40% I wouldn’t say no to giving it a go - 50% I dare say I…

You don’t wake up one day a fully-fledged optimist, with sunshine coursing through your veins & a ready-made smile to greet every storm. Optimism is a craft, & it has its apprentices. Apprentice optimists spend years shaping grit into hope. I'm still serving my apprenticeship.

There’s a new version of you waiting inside that you haven’t been introduced to yet.

As Chief Hope Maintenance Officer, it is your job to keep hope alive and operational, even during breakdowns.

Cancer robbed me of my tongue and voice, hence my teaching career ending. That's why it was so nice to visit Shakespeare's former schoolroom and feel the vibe again. I felt right at home here!

I'm not here to nap through it, I'm here to snap to it!

Now that the crowds have gone, William and I can have a good chat!

Being a tourist in your own country is always interesting! Today, we are doing the whole Shakespeare thing in Stratford-upon-Avon. I wonder what the Immortal Bard would make of it all now?!

Cancer never takes a day off. It doesn’t respect weekends, birthdays, or quiet Sunday mornings. There are no holidays, no half-days, no time to rest. And yet, you report for duty. You face it with quiet resolve because that’s what you have to do.

Immunotherapy normally causes various inflammatory responses and fatigue. I've struggled the last few days with pneumonitis and waves of being shattered but still feeling okay. Please continue to support and share if you are able to: gofundme.com/f/help-john-fi…

In many ways, cancer can feel like having a criminal record and it's something that's always on your CV. It follows you everywhere. Read more in my blog: johndabell.com/2025/07/19/whe…

Consistently refuse to give in - your future self is counting on your persistence. And so is your dog!

For anyone facing an uphill, physically, mentally or both...

Thank you for responding so positively to my last post about 'the day doesn't care.' I've written 50 examples in my blog below. Remember, the day doesn’t care how tired you are, it still demands to be lived. johndabell.com/2025/07/18/the…

1. The day doesn’t care, but I still show up for myself. 2. The day doesn’t care, but I refuse not to. 3. The day doesn’t care, but I choose to. 4. The day doesn’t care, but I carry on anyway. 5. The day doesn’t care, but I care enough to keep going. 6. The day doesn’t care, but…

Your mindset is the ignition tool you carry everywhere. Strike it and light it! Read more in my blog below: johndabell.com/2025/07/17/you…

1. I'm not here to complain, I'm here to contribute 2. I’m not here to give in, I’m here to get stuck in 3. I’m not here to crumble, I’m here to rumble 4. I’m not here to be bitter, I’m here to be better 5. I’m not here to pass the time, I’m here to make time count

Hope has its own gravity - it pulls you towards better days. johndabell.com/2025/07/16/the…

When you've faced mortality, you don't just clock in - you show up with purpose, ready to make every moment and contribution count.

An apprentice optimist doesn’t yet have it all worked out. They still wake up some mornings and want to pull the covers back over their head. But they’ve made a quiet decision that sets them apart: they’ve signed up to train. Read more in my blog below: johndabell.com/2025/07/15/the…