In the latest of our new WISE WORDS interview series - where stars from a whole range of walks of life share the important lessons they've learned along the way - we talk to presenter and writer Ben Fogle.
Following a posting in the Royal Navy, Ben first came to public notice in the BBC programme 'Castaway' in 2000. Since then, he has made his living as an adventurer, writer and presenter, in jobs that have taken him around the world. He talks to HuffPostUK about the benefits of travel and the new Cabinet Minister's post he'd endorse...
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Ben Fogle with furry friend
What do you do to switch off from the world?
Travel. It's the greatest way to detox from social media. I spend a great deal of time in the remotest corners of the world. Far away from technology and phone signal. I love to use the time to think and reflect. We often forget to look around us. The world is a beautiful place.
How do you deal with negativity?
If im honest I'm a little thin-skinned. Having kids has changed that. Im 41 now and this is me. I can't change. Negativity is a human trait and I try to ignore it. If I became Prime Minister I would make a new cabinet seat MP for Positivity, Optimism and Celebration.
When and where are you happiest?
With my family. Marina, Ludo and Iona and our two dogs maggi and storm. Walking along a West Country beach, splashing through the surf. Happy happy happy.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
To add life to your days and not days to your life. It sounds like a cliche but we only have one life so we really must live it. Seize the moment. Have no regrets. Live your life to the full.
What has been the hardest lesson you’ve learned?
You will never please all of the people all of the time. The more you please some of the people, some of the time, you will displease other people all of the time. Also, fate can wield its mortal hand at any moment.
What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
Chin up. Straighten your back. Walk tall. Look into the eyes and greet with a firm handshake. You are you. Believe in your self. Be confident.
What 3 things are at the top of your bucket list?
I'd quite like to climb a big peak. I've done a few 6500m but I mean a 7/8000 mountain. I love mountains.
I'd love to do the Mongol Derby. A 1000 mile race on horseback across Mongolia.
I'd like to cross the Darien Gap in Panama.
What do you think happens when we die?
I like to think we became a part of the earths great habitat. I like the idea I might become a small tree that turns into a great oak.
When do you feel a sense that we live in the presence of something bigger than ourselves?
Almost whenever I travel. The world is huge. There is nothing like sitting in the middle of an ocean or atop a mountain below an endless sky to feel very very small.
What do you try to bring to your relationships?
Love. Happiness and wonder.
What keeps you grounded?
My family. I love the ground.
What was your last good deed?
I try to support as many charities as I can. I helped an elderly blind man across the road recently. Does that count?
Josh Duhamel and his wife Fergie welcomed a son in 2013. Before baby Axl arrived, Duhamel announced that he would be taking paternity leave. “I plan on taking as much time as I can off just before and as much time as possible after,” Josh told ET Canada. “I can’t imagine having a kid and then not being able to be there, that would just drive me crazy.” (credit:Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
Josh Duhamel And Son Axl(02 of41)
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Kanye West(03 of41)
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Kanye West and Kim Kardashian welcomed their baby girl North in July 2013. During Kim’s pregnancy, the couple spent most of their time apart due to their busy work schedules. That’s one of the reasons why Kanye decided to take paternity leave. Before North arrived, a source told Hollywood Life: “[Kanye’s] getting all the work out the way so that he can be with Kim and the baby nonstop for at least the first six months.”Now that the couple is expecting baby number two, it’s likely Kanye will take paternity leave again. The newborn is expected to arrive in December. (credit:Getty Images)
Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, And North West(04 of41)
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Justin Timberlake(05 of41)
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Justin Timberlake became a father for the first time in April 2015. After baby boy Silas was born, the “Suit & Tie” singer took a few days off work to be a full-time dad and help wife Jessica Biel around the house. (credit:Getty Images)
Justin Timberlake's Wife Jessica Biel And Son Silas(06 of41)
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Heath Ledger (07 of41)
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The late Heath Ledger had a daughter named Matilda with longtime girlfriend Michelle Williams. After she was born in October 2005, the actor took paternity leave. Prior to her birth, “The Dark Knight” star said: “I’m looking forward to being a dad and spending time with my child, which is why I’ll be taking time off… I’ve told my agent not to bother sending me any scripts or offers for a while. I was planning on a couple of years off, but I recently bought a house. So now I’ll probably have to work until the middle of next year to pay that off!” (credit:Getty Images)
Heath Ledger & Matilda(08 of41)
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Prince William(09 of41)
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When Prince George was born in July 2013, Prince William took two weeks paternity leave to spend time with his family. Then, when he welcomed his daughter Princess Charlotte in May 2015, the Duke of Cambridge took six weeks of unpaid leave. Since his daughter was originally due at the end of April, William started his leave early around April 21. He recently returned to work as an air ambulance pilot. (credit:Chris Jackson via Getty Images)
Prince William, Kate Middleton, And Princess Charlotte(10 of41)
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Dax Shepard(11 of41)
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Dax Shepard and wife Kristen Bell have always been a great duo. That’s why it was no surprise that Shepard took paternity leave after the births of both their daughters: Lincoln and Delta. When Lincoln was born in 2013, the “Parenthood” actor took a month off, only leaving the house twice. The first time about a week after his daughter was born. Shepard jokingly tweeted: “After 8 days at home with [Lincoln], my afternoon trip to Costco felt like [a] late night rager at a strip club.”Then when Delta was born in December 2014, Shepard told People that both he and his wife would take time off. “The baby's going to arrive right when we wrap our shows and we are both taking off tons of time to just canoodle as a family,” he said. (credit:Getty Images)
Dax Shepard And Wife Kristen Bell(12 of41)
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Daniel Murphy(13 of41)
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Daniel Murphy, New York Mets second baseman, missed the first two games of the 2014 season to be home with his wife and newborn. Unfortunately, the baseball player received a lot of backlash for taking leave. Responding to the criticism, Murphy simply said that he made the best decision for him and his family.“I can only speak from my experience – a father seeing his wife – she was completely finished. I mean, she was done. She had surgery and she was wiped,” he said. “Having me there helped a lot, and vice versa, to take some of the load off. It felt, for us, like the right decision to make." (credit:Getty Images)
Daniel Murphy And Son Noah(14 of41)
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Jimmy Fallon(15 of41)
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Jimmy Fallon welcomed his youngest daughter Frances in December 2014. The baby girl arrived on a Wednesday morning, so Fallon took the next three days off work to spend time with his family. “The Tonight Show” host’s eldest daughter Winnie turns two in July 2015. (credit:Getty Images)
Jimmy Fallon's Daughter Winnie(16 of41)
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Nick Lachey(17 of41)
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When Nick Lachey was expecting his first child with his wife Vanessa in 2012, he told Kelly Ripa on “Live with Kelly” that he would be taking paternity leave. The couple now has a son and a daughter: Camden and Brooklyn. (credit:Getty Images)
Nick Lachey And Family(18 of41)
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UP NEXT: Shirtless Celebrity Dads(19 of41)
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David Beckham(20 of41)
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The ex footballer has three sons and one daughter with wife Victoria Beckham. (credit:Alamy)
Mark Wahlberg(21 of41)
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The "Pain & Gain" star has four children with wife Rhea Durham. (credit:Alamy)
Gavin Rossdale(22 of41)
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The Bush singer has two boys with wife Gwen Stefani. (credit:Larry Marano/Getty Images)
Orlando Bloom(23 of41)
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The "Lord of the Rings" star has a boy with model Miranda Kerr. (credit:Leelu/Getty Images)
Matthew McConaughey(24 of41)
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The actor has three children with wife Camila Alves. (credit:Jean Baptiste Lacroix/WireImage)
Ben Affleck(25 of41)
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The actor has two daughters and one son with wife, actress Jennifer Garner. (credit:GQ magazine)
Cam Gigandet(26 of41)
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The "Twilight" star has two children with fiancé Dominique Geisendorff. (credit:Patrick Ecclesine/Warner Bros./Getty Images)
Will Smith(27 of41)
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The "Men In Black" star has two children (actors Jaden and Willow) with wife Jada Pinkett-Smith and a son with ex-wife, Sheree Zampino. (credit:Murray Close/Getty Images)
Rob Lowe(28 of41)
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The "Parks and Recreation" star has two sons with wife, makeup artist Sheryl Berkoff. (credit:Vanity Fair)
Christian Bale(29 of41)
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The "Dark Knight Rises" star has a girl with wife, Sandra "Sibi" Blažić. (credit:Alamy)
Tom Cruise(30 of41)
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Cruise has two adopted children with ex-wife Nicole Kidman and a daughter, Suri Cruise, with ex-wife Katie Holmes. (credit:W magazine)
Brad Pitt(31 of41)
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Pitt has six children with fiancé Angelina Jolie. (credit:Alamy)
Ryan Phillippe(32 of41)
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The "Damages" star has two children with ex-wife, actress Reese Witherspoon and a daughter with ex-girlfriend model/actress Alexis Knapp. (credit:Alexander Tamargo/WireImage)
Hugh Jackman(33 of41)
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The "Wolverine" star has two children with wife Deborra-Lee Furness. (credit:Getty Images)
Daniel Dae Kim(34 of41)
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The "Hawaii Five-0" star has two sons. (credit:Mario Perez/ABC via Getty Images)
Stephen Moyer (35 of41)
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The "True Blood" star has twins with co-star Anna Paquin and a son and daughter from previous relationships. (credit:Getty Images)
Jerry O'Connell (36 of41)
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The former "Sliders" star has twin girls with wife, actress Rebecca Romijn. (credit:Splash News)
Tobey Maguire(37 of41)
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The "Spider-Man" star has two children with wife, jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer. (credit:Sony Pictures)
Pierce Brosnan(38 of41)
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The James Bond star has five children. (credit:Keith Hamshere/Getty Images)
Jude Law(39 of41)
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The Brit has three children with ex-wife, actress Sadie Frost and a daughter with ex-girlfriend, model Samantha Burke. (credit:Pacific Coast News)
Lenny Kravitz(40 of41)
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The singer and "Hunger Games" star has one child, actress Zoe Kravitz, with ex-wife, actress Lisa Bonet. (credit:KMazur/WireImage)
Usher(41 of41)
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The singer has two sons with ex-wife Tameka Foster. (credit:KMazur/WireImage)