Spring is a time when we all feel a bit more optimistic.

Well, it is for me anyway.

It's a time when I feel like anything is possible. The days are lighter, and so is my spirit.

But you know, we don't have to wait for a season to come around to have this feeling, and if we care about the people around us we can also help them have optimism and self belief every day of the year.

That's what this old Russian proverb is all about.

We all know that if someone says something mean, or snarky to us, or if we are constantly criticised, it can make us feel pretty awful. But receiving a kind word, a compliment or a positive affirmation can have the opposite effect.

How does it feel for you when someone says something kind to you, especially unexpectedly? It makes you feeling amazing, like that springtime feeling in your heart. Right?

So, today, how about finding a kind word to say? To brighten another person's day?

Maybe pay someone a compliment, congratulate them for something they've done, find something positive to say.

You could be part of creating that Springtime feeling in their spirit.

And, while you are dishing out the kindness, I'm pretty sure it will make your day brighter as well!

Are you feeling happy today?

I hope so ... because today is ... the International Day of Happiness !

This is not just something that some whacky person thought up on the spur of the moment to make us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It's part of a growing recognition at the highest level that happiness is very important to the human condition and to the progress of our cultures and societies and even our economies.

It is the United Nations International Day of Happiness. Back in July 2011 the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which recognised happiness as a “fundamental human goal” and called for “a more inclusive, equitable and balanced approach to economic growth that promotes the happiness and well-being of all peoples”. In other words, to progress as a global community it's not enough to have economic success. We should also be about increasing human happiness and wellbeing.

WOW!

All 193 members of the UN adopted the resolution calling for happiness to be given greater priority, and International Day of Happiness has been celebrated around the world since 2013. Every year a World Happiness Report is published on March 20th, which is always a great opportunity to see where YOUR country lies in the 'list' of happy countries, or not so happy nations, as the case may be.

But it's not just about governments. Happiness is down to each one of us. In ourselves and in our communities.

Every year on the International Day of Happiness, we're invited to take some positive steps to help create happiness. But perhaps THIS year it's even more important than before.

After the year we've had with the coronavirus pandemic, it's easy to feel rather depressed isn't it? Many of us have struggled with our mental health, what with all the lockdowns and personal and economic/business challenges we've experienced. Some of us have struggled to stay happy, and I think for some of us, our concept of happiness might have changed. 

Maybe in the past we thought we were happy when we were travelling, going to parties, buying stuff, being recognised, having career success, promotion and status. Perhaps these days we're happy just with a walk in the countryside or on the beach. Seeing members of our family with whom we've have little contact for months. Just knowing we are staying safe and our loved ones are well. For me, these concepts and feelings have replaced much of the 'doing and having' happiness of the past.

And today, as we think about the International Day of Happiness, we've got lots of help to refocus our minds.

This year the group Action for Happiness, which is a non-profit movement of people from 160 countries supported by a partnership of like-minded organisations, is reminding us to Keep Calm. Stay Wise. Be Kind.

• Keeping calm will always take the pressure off. We're reminded that there are so many things outside of our control, but if we remember to focus on what really matters to us, the stresses may reduce. 
• Making wise choices will help. We'll improve our own well-being and that of others around us if we choose positivity and positive thinking and actions, rather than negative ones.
• Yesterday we were thinking about being kind to each other. Action for Happiness also encourage us to keep in touch with others and reach out to help people in need. To 'stay connected'

Here are some more ideas from the International Day of Happiness website which has 10 great points to help us develop happiness, especially in these coronavirus times...

• Let's stick together (to beat covid)
• Follow World Health Organisation (WHO) advice
• Attend a Happiness Day event (virtually)
• Stay Social (online)
• Be Kind, share and say 'Thank you'
• Stay active and be mindful
• Be optimistic, positive and resilient 
• Stay informed about facts and news
• Enjoy nature
• Adopt 'HAPPYTALISM' .. which is all about thinking of ways we can change systems to ensure we never again have such an awful pandemic. It's about looking at new economic models and, as the United Nations resolution encourages to do, to think of the well-being of people as much as we think about economic success

Don't you love that ... HAPPYTALISM rather than CAPITALISM?

On this International Day we have a whole 24 hours to think about happiness but hopefully, if we're just starting out on this journey, what we learn today will transform tomorrow and tomorrow's tomorrow.

And .. for those of you who know me well, you might have guessed already that I have song for you ... and it IS an obvious one. Love this song!

Happy International Day of Happiness !

 

 

We’re all in this together, even when we’re forced apart. Let’s stay connected and reach out to help others who may be in need.

 

March 23 2020 - a significant day in the history of the UK.

Any idea why?

Well it was exactly a year ago that the British people found themselves in lockdown ... for the first time!

With COVID-19 figures rising, it was on this day last year that the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the nation and announced a 'stay at home' order. For weeks people had been 'asked' to try to keep safe, sanitise, social distance, stay indoors where possible, but now it was an order! 

Mr Johnson described the pandemic as 'the biggest threat this country has faced for decades' and of course it wasn't just the UK that was affected. This new coronavirus was then, and still is, a global threat. This time last year we could not have predicted the devastation it would bring to all our lives, our economies, our culture.

To try to cut the spread of the virus, from March 23 2020 people were only allowed to go out for shopping for necessities - most shops were closed. People could leave home to seek medical care and limited daily exercise, but that was pretty much it. Where possible we were asked to work from home. No mixing of households, no meeting friends or family members who we didn't live with. No gatherings, no social events - so no church, weddings, baptisms and very limited numbers for funerals.

Over the past year the British people have now experienced quite a number of lockdowns or versions of them, depending on where you live.

Here in Jersey, our first lockdown began about a week after the 'mainland' UK's, but the experience was just as harsh. Businesses closed, hospitality closed, lives closed down, people getting sick, some dying, health services stretched to the limit of endurance.

And today, some of us are still working from home, and only now that the COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out are we beginning to see considerable decline in positive coronavirus numbers.

However, it's not all doom and gloom because when the nation, and our island, entered that first lockdown and so much stopped, what BEGAN was an outpouring of friendship, support, love and community.

People offered to do their neighbour's shopping when they went for their own. Walked dogs for those who could not get out because they were isolating. Sewed masks and scrubs, creating them out of spare material and even sheets and tablecloths, at a time when there was a world shortage of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) even for those heroes on the medical frontline, those men and women who nursed desperately ill and dying people around the clock under sometimes unbearable and stressful conditions.

Remember the 'Clap for Carers'? That weekly moment at 8pm on a Thursday? Many of us applauded, banged pots and played musical instruments on the street (socially distanced, of course) just to say 'THANK YOU' to the nurses, doctors, care workers. And then, a bit later, we clapped also to show our appreciation to all those who kept our communities working while most of us isolated at home - street cleaners, shop workers, emergency service personnel, charity workers, all those who, actually, were putting their lives on the line so that WE could stay safe.

Down the months the kindnesses rolled on. Here in Jersey, a brilliant Facebook page called 'Jersey Acts of Kindness' was created to share the love. Rainbows started appearing in windows and on the sides of roads. Thousands of rainbows, many of them drawn by children, with the word 'thank you' often embedded in the image. Here in Jersey, pebbles decorated with rainbows and flowers and 'thank you' often popped up unexpectedly.

Foodbanks provided essentials for those who couldn't cope, those who has lost their jobs or were 'furloughed' and were not earning as much as usual and so were struggling to put food on the family table. In Jersey, our foodbank was hosted by The Salvation Army. Hundreds of individuals and families donated food and other essential supplies, out of work people gave their time to sort and distribute parcels, many donated and raised funds. It was phenomenal response.

Talking of fundraisers ... we all remember Capt (later Sir) Tom Moore, who raised nearly £33million pounds for the English National Health Service, walking up and down in his garden as he approached his 100th birthday. In Jersey people also walked around their yards, did challenges at home, climbed up and down ladders, created online choirs to raise money for charity.  And so it went on. And on. And on.

Throughout the year on BBC local stations we've been tracking all the 'Make a Difference' stories, and it's been wonderful. Charting first the stories of those who helped in the midst of lockdown and now, also, featuring those individuals and groups who are consistently creating opportunities for others, making life better for our world, sharing love and kindnesses every day.

Most of us have someone we could thank today, for their support during that first lockdown and, indeed, across last year.

So today, across the BBC network, there's a day-long reflection on lockdown. At 12noon today we are remembering in silence on all stations all those who have lost their lives to the coronavirus (69 people in Jersey so far) . We will broadcast features about all the wonderful people who made life better for others in the last year. It's called 'BBC Make a Difference Thank You Day'.

I've spent the last week or so listening back to interviews and features transmitted over the past 12 months, and have re-edited and re-mixed to create new audio features for broadcast on BBC Radio Jersey today. And I have been humbled and inspired by those who are, in my opinion, heroes in our midst. 

Today we all have an opportunity to write and ring in to our local BBC radio station to say a personal THANK YOU to those who cared for us, who showed kindness, helped us, looked after our wellbeing even at the risk of their own.

So ... here are my personal 'Thank Yous' on this day.

Thanks to the staff at my local supermarket who opened the doors early so that those of us isolating at home could go out to do their weekly 'shop' without feeling too much stress.

Thanks to the health professionals who cared for some of my friends, many of them in intensive care, and some of them right through to the end of life!

Thanks to my work colleagues for enabling me to work from home so I could stay safe, especially as I care for an elderly parent. And thanks to my brother Tim for sharing that responsibility and just being brilliant.

Thanks to those who also 'stayed safe' to try to prevent the virus from spreading. OK, so in the autumn here in Jersey lots of people forgot the need for caution and, in fact, behaved irresponsibly which meant we went into another lockdown over Christmas and well into this year, but I want to stay positive and be grateful for those who DID stick to the rules. 

Thanks to the local Contact Tracing team who worked tirelessly, especially during our Christmas/New Year lockdown when, thanks to those who partied in the autumn, our COVID-19 positive numbers rose to over 1,000 - and that's in an island population of just over 100,000! I've recently had experience of the local Contact and Trace team's efficiency and I could not be more grateful for their diligence.

And thanks to the Government of Jersey and all those who are rolling out the local COVID-19 vaccine programme which means that our numbers are now very low (just three at the time of writing this) and we can see light at the end of this very long coronavirus tunnel.

Although we know we will live with this dreadful virus for many years to come, I am confident that we will emerge eventually and although we may be battered and bruised in many respects, we will all hopefully be changed, and for the better. 

Because if those kindnesses and the love and compassion and care we have felt and witnessed over this past 12 months are the legacy of lockdown ... that has to be a good thing ... right?

It's Tuesday. I saw this and thought it was fun!

Today I choose to be happy, to smile at people and to be kind! 

I choose not to be negative.

I choose to be positive.

Have a great day!

Have you ever met someone who acts 'superior'? Or at least thinks they are above everyone else?

You know what I'm talking about. Those people who believe that in all sorts of ways they are 'better' than the people around them.

They earn more, they live in better houses, have better jobs, wear better clothes, go on better holidays. They believe they are more popular and live 'better' lives than all those around them because they mix in 'better' circles, go to parties filled probably with people just like themselves. They even think they are more 'beautiful' or 'handsome' than those around them and they look down on those who they don't consider up to THEIR standards in life.

I've met people like that. And actually on occasion I've had people tell me to my face, or at least imply, that they ARE superior to me and that I am worthless!

To have someone say to you that they believe that you are a 'has-been' and 'over the hill' - yes one person actually told me that to my face - or not quite up to the mark when it comes to looks and style, is not just upsetting but can also be described as simple 'bullying'.  It can be detrimental to your mental health and wellbeing and certainly your inner happiness.

At least for a while.

Or at least if you allow yourself to dwell on it or allow their toxicity to affect your sense of 'being'.

Fortunately over the years I've rationalised this a bit and I've come to the conclusion that many of those who think they are 'superior' may actually be quite insecure themselves. They rely on the 'outer' and the superficial rather than in the 'inner' hidden assets and values that beautiful people carry within their characters and souls. I feel quite sad for them and worry that such reliance on the superficial things in life means they may be missing out on so much that is lovely in the world, including the people around them who might even become friends if they weren't quite so judgemental.

Sadly, there are those people, of course, who are just basically selfish and self-centred, think they know it all and have the right to judge others, and can't actually admit even to themselves that they might not be so great. And then there are some people who are just narcissists (or suffer from narcissism ) lack any sense of empathy, have an overrated sense of their own worth and importance, expect 'special treatment', always over exaggerate their own looks, success and power. This lack of empathy means they may take advantage of others, with little or no regret. Even if they don't suffer from an actual Narcissistic personality disorder they may be getting there.

Now, we all have an 'ego', which can be literally translated 'I' and which impels us to work and think in our own interests, but that shouldn't mean that gives us permission to feel superior or look down on others. But it does mean that we have to dig deep sometimes and think beyond ourselves and our own needs and wants and our own sense of self importance, to think kindly about others.

I saw this quote from Jesse Jackson, the American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician, and it inspired me.

Ok, so it also brought back those horrible memories, but once in a while it's good to remind oneself how far we've travelled in life, the trials we've faced and the people and experiences that have helped us to overcome the negative.  And it reminds me that in addition to not looking down on others, perhaps we should try also to help those we notice who are struggling.

I do hope you don't have any 'superiors' in your life but if you do, I pray there will be strong people around you to lift you up.

Today I'm thinking about being positive.

If you're a 'glass half full' sort of person, the kind who usually views the world optimistically, you might do all this automatically. But if you're a 'glass half empty' type of individual who might be inclined to look at the world rather pessimistically, I hope this might help.

Sometimes we need to work at being positive because there is so much which can bring us down if we let it. 

And if you need to get started ... here are just a few tips to being more positive or at least to start us down that Positivity Road!

Have a great day everyone!

I was chatting to a doctor recently who explained that one of the issues he sees more and more, especially with his older patients, is loneliness.

It's a real issue which affects not just their mental health but their physical wellbeing. 

This past year, with the coronavirus pandemic restricting our movements, many of us have become more lonely. Some have had to spend many hours on our own without company, friends, family. While some have, I'm sure, enjoyed doing their own thing without interruption, for some it's had a terrible effect on their wellbeing.

Governments across the world, including in the UK, are now recognising that this is having an impact on millions of people, and have realised that it is having and will have dreadful consequences for health services in the future. They've researched the subject, commissioned reports from experts and are devising policies to combat loneliness. 

Loneliness 'Networks', funding for charities working to alleviate people's loneliness, 'Let's Talk Loneliness' strategies ... and so on and so on...Some of those policies are being implemented, but when it comes to long term government plans, well it can all take quite a while to materialise.

And here's a thought.

What happens when the government and even charity priorities shift as they inevitably will? What happens when the funding dries up?

While I applaud the official research and the sentiments of support being expressed, and hope it will result in lonely people feeling ... well, not so lonely ... I think there's more to this than just policies and strategies. As well as all the 'official stuff' it's also down to us personally to make a difference in a lonely world.

One of the things that the pandemic taught us was that sometimes we have to work hard to help people out of their loneliness. Now restrictions are lifting we can do more than phoning people once a week or once a month, or dropping bags of groceries on the doorstep. Perhaps we all need just to think of others a bit more. Be a good neighbour, knock on the door, chat to someone in the street. Recognise that people may be hiding their loneliness with bravado, false smiles and fake humour.

Some people's problems go very deep and we can't solve everything for them, even with all the policies and strategies in the world, but we can walk alongside them, letting them know that whatever they are going through, they are not alone. Reaching out a hand of friendship, a listening ear and a neighbourly smile.

What a thought!

Have you ever wondered what the world would be like if we were all just a bit nicer and a bit kinder to each other? 

A little less self centred, a little more considerate of others?

If you've been reading this blog for the past few days you'll know that I'm a bit thoughtful at the moment ... and I've been thinking about the world we create.

Kindness is a big thing for me and in fact I'm beginning to work on a project about that with a friend - more about that later.

But today, as I continue to think about my impact on the world, my influence and the world I want to live in and to leave for others, I turn to the Bible for ultimate wisdom.

In the New Testament in one of Paul's letter to the Corinthians he says this ... 

Do everything in love ! Love without stopping!

Those words come from different translations of 1 Corinthians Chapter 16 verse 14, respectively the New International Version and The Message.

In the old King James Version it's put like this ...

Let all that you do be done with love.

Imagine what the world would be like if we all did even a little bit of that. 

What a perfect thought for a Sunday especially.

It's Monday! 

Time to head into a new week and today I'll keep it brief!

Just want to say ...

Have a great week!

How are you today?

Feeling positive, or a bit down?

I don't know about you but it feels easy sometimes to get into a negative frame of mind.

The sun isn't shining or it's even chucking down with rain,  you've put on (more) weight and feeling a bit unlovely. You don't feel like your life is going anywhere? 

If I wake up with those negative thoughts in my head, already worrying about what life will throw at me, then I know I am likely to be fairly pessimistic all day.

So - for me the lesson is - try and have a positive thought in the morning, and everything else will look more optimistic.

That rain? Well the sun could come out! Fingers crossed anyway!

That weight? Well today is the first day of the rest of my life so I could start today with a healthy breakfast?

Feeling unlovely? I ask myself ... 'what is beautiful?' I determine not to judge myself by other people's standards and think more about inner beauty (kindness, love, peace, gratitude, friendship and so on and so on....) rather that outward appearance. I try to remember that I am unique and ask myself 'do I really want to be like anyone/everyone else?'

And smile ... that I believe will always create an intangible 'beauty'.

Life not going the way I thought it would? Well maybe I need to change my direction? Maybe the course I'm on is not the one for me?

Perhaps TODAY is the day I'll start a new life! Or at least start to think about it?

Or, if I don't want to do all that thinking maybe I'll just start with ....

'Today I will enjoy each moment ... it's the only July 13 2021 I will ever get!'