I nearly died.. 

Thank you for sharing your story. I too have been dealing with mental health issues and anger management. Aquascaping greatly healped me without me noticing it. Not until my wife talked to me how I significantly improved.

I’m a veteran and was on Herrick 10 in 2009 with 2 Rifles a very bad year. George I feel your pain I’ve been out 4 years now and this hobbie has really helped me with my demons. From a fellow veteran keep up the good work! Would love to see more of your Mbuna tank.

George, I really appreciate you sharing the story of your life. Many people find inspiration in you.

Not obsession, not addiction but LOVE for aqua scaping. Love is what makes you passionate about something.

Authenticity, honesty, passion, inspiration, mindfulness, humility.........George offers all 🙏

Very inspirational. I have suffered from many mental issues and aquascaping has helped me learn to live life at a slower pace and enjoy the present more because like you said we never know when our time is up. Thank you for this great video and sharing a different side of you.

Your closing Mister George left me very uneasy. You made my nursing bells go off. I pray you are doing good. I hope to see you at Aquashella Chicago.

Very brave of you to talk so honestly about your feelings. Hope other men will be inspired to open up about their feelings too. Aquascaping is such a calming lifestyle. I finally managed to track down a copy of your book, which inspired me to create an aquarium for my husband (who has Alzheimer’s Disease). He spent hours watching it, before he went into a Care Home, where the fish tank is a pathetic tank of water and fish, stuck in a dark corner where no one can enjoy it. The staff don’t have time or know how to transform it into one of your wonderful aquascapes, a common problem, (I don’t have strength to do it anymore). Keep on inspiring both yourself and us and have fun! Warm wishes, Marti from Boston (Lincs)

We'll done George Absolutely right I get a really easy way to access mindfulness with my aquarium that I can't seem to access from much else Great to hear from the personal side as a person that struggles with mental health Thank you for sharing

Hi George. Hopefully you remember me from school. I've seen a couple of your videos before and knew you were an aquascaper, but had no idea about how that came to be. I'm a fellow veteran (not to mention on a waiting list for ADHD assessment). I recently started working for Op Courage as a Veteran Peer Support Worker. I found your story fascinating and inspiring and with your permission I will keep this video on hand as it might one day inspire another veteran to find their passion.

Bro you have the voice of an angel

I really appreciate the time and consideration to release this. More people should do this....

Much love and thank you for sharing your story. You’re an amazing aquascaper and fantastic presenter. Cheers!

Thanks for sharing your journey. Wishing you well for the future. Enjoy what you do . Aquascaping is definitely gives you the best time to relax and peaceful time.

Amazing story! Amazing life! Amazing journey! Your travels have inspired so many and as a hobbyist in aquascaping, I have learned so much from your work and actually started by stumbling across your videos when I first started and have followed ever since. I have learned so much and moved forward in aquascaping because of you and you have inspired me to continue even in failure which has made me a much better scaper over time. I really learned and have made a real connection with my scapes because of you and I am very grateful for that. THANK YOU George for all that you have done and continue to do for the community of aquascaping! I wish you continued success and the best my friend!

Wow thanks so much for sharing. I’m from the US and my dad was a special forces green beret and was killed by an IED in Afghanistan. I’m a nurse at a major trauma hospital, I’ve been a fan of your videos and found so much peace in aquascaping and my fish. Thank you for your service and now your videos.

It was interesting to hear of your life journey and I appreciate you sharing it. Although not the same issue as you I suffer from anxiety and it's a real "challenge". Life is a challenge no matter what so we just have to all keep moving along with as much positivity we can find in ourselves and it is surely there for us to find, both in inner and the outer world. I sure enjoy your videos and I always look for them. I also have your book which I am so glad I purchased; very helpful and a beautiful book to look through as well. I wish you success and easy going although don't feel I have to wish it as things always get better. I hope we will still have your videos on yourube for a long time if that still remains a part of your choice.

Thank you, George. Your openness and thoughtful reflecting on your life and changes are very meaningful. I taught for 35 years, and I know that everybody has something inside them that can be beautiful and rewarding. We don't hear enough about that. Openness about ADHD is vital. One of my principals once said that every child came to school with something different in his book bag. So true! On a related note, I heard John Elder Robison speak at a book festival. He is autistic, brilliant, thoughtful, and scientifically involved in autism studies. His book LOOK ME IN THE EYE was revelatory. I also read his next two books. There is no substitute for hearing from someone actually involved in an experience, whether it be traditional academics or aquascaping.

I credit you with getting me into aquascaping. I found your videos several years ago, when you had the aquascaper 1200 with the kessil lighting, and have keep planted tanks ever since. Wild to find out that you and I were in Afghanistan around the same time too. I was in the US Army up north in Bagram, which wasn't quite as dangerous at the time. Small world I suppose. Thanks for sharing George!

That Java fern was amazing

Thanks for sharing George.

Peaceful! Yes, aiming for peace and beauty is a good road to take.

Great life story George, thanks for all you do for the hobby

I do love these life stories. Makes you see everything happens for a reason and is what got you to where you are now

Top video great and inspirational story lots of aquascaper hobbyists wouldn’t be doing so without you 👏👏👏👏👏

Thank you for sharing your story and your passion for aquascaping ❤

I really enjoy it when you talk about life alongside aquariums. Mindfulness has really started to play a bigger role in my life, thanks to your input. 14 years as a zookeeper, and having a lot of changes with life, job, and my own adhd these past few years, it's nice to have your thoughtful content, to unwind to. Thank you, George, for sharing.

Thanks for sharing George. I really appreciate your candid moments in amongst the aquascaping. I’m also glad you found Emma. I enjoyed her when she would pop up on your podcast.

Thank you for your service! Also, thank you for your many contributions to the aquascaping community!

Thank you for sharing your story. For someone who is really going through some tough times at the moment and has just joined the hobby, your story was inspirational.

Thank you George for opening up and sharing so much about you, you are an absolute inspiration, cheers mate

I've been following your work for about ten years now and I knew basically the whole story. And it's strange, because I'm happy for you although I don't know you. I'm also green of envy for the talent and the life you have, aquascaping-wise. I remember the first time I had these feelings, after watching a video of you in USA with the Senske brothers. I commented on that video too. I just wanted to wish you the best and congratulate you for what you've achieved.

I admire your honesty, not sugarcoating bits and pieces of your story. In this respect, Hungary is a developing country. I had been open about my depression and AD, but it turned out to be counterproductive. Even in the local aquascaping community, I became more and more isolated. The other part is my gender. Here is a handful of female aquascapers. Wish to have a version of Esthers' "Aqua Girls Rock". But that will never happen.

Thanks, George, for your clever words! Everybody can , but many people want to have useless things аnd spend their precious only life on it

To share your story with everyone is a very brave thing, may you always be at peace with yourself.

Thank you for sharing and being vulnerable. ❤ wish you and your family well. Beautiful story

I love the honesty and humility. Thanks for continuing to be a staple role model, I may have to follow your lead with IG.

Thank you for sharing, George. You and your scapes have been an inspiration for me.

Thank you George for sharing your story , a reminder that we should appreciate what we have 💚🌿💚

Georg got me hooked on aquascaping years ago :) Thank you George :))

Thank you for sharing! I'm very happy to hear you are into long-term scapes!

Thank You for Your Service

George - Thank you for sharing your personal experience. I've learnt quite a lot from you. I'm glad I met you. See you soon. 💪

Thank you for sharing yours story. "Real happiness is peace with yourself" ❤

Big respect george your an artist and an inspiration 👍

Thanks for sharing mate! Yeah I became hyper focused when I first discovered aquascaping from green aquas and your RU-vid videos! I’ve been hooked ever since, but I’ve learned to enjoy it more and not be overly obsessed 😂 it’s channels like this and people like you that make this the best hobby out there! Thank you for always being a great ambassador and the occasional beer mate 😉🍻

Really appreciate the honesty in the video! Sends an important message that we all have mental health and we need to look after it!

Thank you- you're message is powerful.

Damn it George. You set the bar for being able to share your heart mate. I can't put into words how much I appreciate your content and how you share. I'm a first responder, more than 10 years into my career now and I've got some stuff I carry with me as well. Also diagnosed with ADHD as a child. I developed the hyper focus in grade school. Even now, as a grown man, my wife had to teach me how to acknowledge her when I'm working on something. Aquascaping has been a real outlet for me, artistically and therapeutically. Thanks for being inspiration, for sharing your heart, for making kick-ass content that is your own, and for being a friend even though we've never met. Cheers!

Thank you so much for sharing your story with us.

Great video and thanks for sharing George. Very down to Earth and a good reminder of what's important in life. Thanks for sharing your passion. I know its fueled mine.

Thank you George for your life journey and I learned about your ADH which I also have. You hit on the information on your ADH which caused me to see that hey I do that as well. Any how thank you so much and many more good life journey and experiences be blessed onto you and your wife.😊

Thank you for sharing. It's amazing that this thing that brings us so much joy can also bring a healing to our hearts.

Thank you for sharing your journey. There's a lot of truth to learn 🤗

thanks for sharing 💙

Great video George. You are an inspiration!

What an amazing journey, brutally honest. We never know where the curves, twists and turns of life will lead us. Thank you for sharing parts of your story with us. Hats off to you, sir.

Thank you for this video George, along with your passion and devotion to the hobby over the years. You are an ongoing inspirational figure to me and many others, not just with regards to aquascaping, but also your openness in sharing about your mental health struggles. I completely relate to the positive benefits the hobby can bring and wish you all the very best for the future.

I’d love to have read your Tanganyikan article before I did a Multifaciatus tank.

Great video, George! Full of honesty and inspiration for people that may be going through similar life changing circumstances 😊 Hope you are keeping well!

I've been keeping fish since just after Christmas and I'm about to put fish into my third aquarium tomorrow. I know what you mean about it being addictive! I'm slowly getting more confident, having gone from not knowing anything with my first tank (which looks like a jungle now!), to actually attempting something that resembles an aquascape with my newest.

Thank you for sharing your story. 👍

You really ought to write for PFK again, as I think your last article was in April 2021!

Great story 👍

Great video! I absolutly agree with you about what you said happiness is.

Thanks for sharing such a honest reflection George. I totally agree that happiness comes from within. Lots of what you said about making your passion into a reality I can relate to.

Thanks George, for your incredibly honest and outspoken words about some of your most difficult stages in life. The best guideline to us all you gave in the closing words at the end of the video: Enjoy the moment as best you can where ever you are and what ever you do. Wishing you best of luck for this journey, keep on enjoying the present. 💪 See you soon in Nuremberg. 🥂

Thank you for sharing your experience into the hobby, incredibly inspiring. Absolute font of knowledge and continued ambassador of the hobby. Thanks 🙏

Inspiring! thank you 🙏

Great video love your work 👍

you are extremely opened it this video, keep yourself on the path you are right now :)

Thanks George. I have been watching you for years. I am wondering if you meant anything in particular in your closing remarks as you were tearing up and and said you don’t know how long you have. Hope everything is okay.

Inspiring 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

❤

"They say Hyperfocus is a superpower." Until you're supposed to be in work at 0500 and it's 0300 and you're mentally trying to attach a piece of buce that doesn't exist to a certain part of a piece of wood that doesn't exist. And you've had the same thought on repeat since you went to bed at 2300.

At some point I think I need to get checked for AD(H)D aswell. The amount of hyperfocus is unreal. Lucky to have this hobby but sometimes I should be more mindfull as to what it does to my S.O.

Bravo from Romania Dracula land ❤🎉

Aquascaping has given me a place to appreciate our planet and, nature in the comfort of my home. I appreciate your help through the years, blessings on you George. Thanks again.

--------------------- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Easy-to-Read Version 4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. 5 Love is not rude, it is not selfish, and it cannot be made angry easily. Love does not remember wrongs done against it. 6 Love is never happy when others do wrong, but it is always happy with the truth (Jesus is real). 7 Love never gives up on people. It never stops trusting, never loses hope, and never quits. -------------------- 1 Timothy 2:3-4 King James Version 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.