There is a large body of research linking gratitude to wellbeing and at times over the years I have kept a gratitude journal. Each evening I would note three things that I felt grateful for. This could be an appreciation for something I received from someone; perhaps a physical gift or something less tangible such […]
Positive remarks can come in conversations, in passing comments, in texts or in emails, on social media – in fact there are lots of opportunities, and today I was able to use all of these.
Last week I bought a lovely print from a creative and talented designer. It came from her online shop and I […]
A joy last year was carrying out 150 different acts of kindness to raise funds for Quaker Social Action . I learned a lot from the experience, not least from observing kindness given by others, and receiving kindness too. During the process I realised that some acts of kindness came to me more easily and naturally […]
This evening four folk are coming to supper. Two are our friends, and the others are actually their neighbours – confused? We have met them a few times and really like them, and are looking forward to getting to know them better. They live nearby and so it will be especially good to develop a […]
What is fun to one person may not be so for someone else and this task got me thinking about what I enjoy and what I don’t. I know that some love to travel, others love anything that gives an adrenaline rush … What I come to time and time again is that joy for […]
I really enjoyed this task. I love giving sincere compliments and I don’t (usually) find it difficult. What I noticed today though was that a number of my compliments were about appearance – one woman had some beautiful dark navy nail varnish that complemented her clothing; another a lovely soft jumper that suited her wonderfully; […]
I have spent time today with a nearly 4-year-old, a 3-month-old, and their lovely mum, and we’ve had some great conversations. Reflecting on these I think I have mainly listened, but perhaps not all the time, and I don’t think I’ve judged them. However reading the action for today has made me think of a […]
The father of ‘David’, a dear friend, is very ill. David has been much in my thoughts, and I have been holding him and his father ‘in the Light’. Although his father is elderly and has been unwell for some time, David is finding the situation very difficult as his father nears the end of […]
Quakers try to ‘see the God (for some this is ‘good’) in everyone’. This is not always easy, especially when emotions cloud our judgement. Or perhaps we don’t take enough care to really listen to someone, and so find it difficult to understand their point of view?
Old habits die hard, and I do recognise a […]
Someone I have not met before visited our Quaker meeting this morning. It is a practice at most meetings that someone is at the door greeting people as they arrive, and so I had an opportunity to say hello and shake hands with ‘Ella’ at the very start. As we all shared refreshments afterwards I […]