make today happy

Day 77: World Kindness Day

Being kind by spreading the kindness message:

“When we feel love and kindness toward others, it not only makes others feel loved and cared for, but it helps us also to develop inner happiness and peace.” ~ Dalai Lama

I wasn’t planning to post today. Feeling utterly exhausted and wiped out, I can’t really think straight (so please forgive any mistakes!) and need a day or two of complete rest.

But I couldn’t resisting writing this very quick salute to World Kindness Day, which is today!!

Introduced in 1998 by the World Kindness Movement, and now with over 25 member nations, its awesome mission is: “To inspire individuals towards greater kindness and to connect nations to create a kinder world.”

Some of their big, bold and brilliant kindness events from previous years includes:

Handing out 10,000 chocolate bars at London Train stations
Free hugs on Sydney’s Bondi Beach
Giving out 30,000 Gerberas in Singapore

But kindness doesn’t have to just be about big, expensive gestures. It can be as simple as looking the barista/checkout assistant/postman in the eye and saying thank you, letting a car out in front of you, or spontaneously hugging a friend or a loved one.

And please, please, please don’t forget to be kind to yourself… go on, you deserve it ☆

So with this in mind, my happy for today is being kind by spreading the kindness message.

Day 76: Appreciating autumn

Being mindful of autumn’s glorious beauty:

As I’ve been feeling pretty down in the dumps recently, I mentally flicked through my healing tools this morning searching for the best cheer-me-upper.

I decided upon a soul stroll.

And with the sun gloriously shining and the rainbow of colours still abound, it was the perfect choice. I realised there’s nothing like a soul stroll in the autumn sunshine to lift my spirits and feed my soul.

I have to confess, I’ve never been a big fan of autumn and feel that this year is the first year I have really truly appreciated this stunning visual treat of a season.

In the past, autumn has simply signalled the end of warmer, sunnier and happier days, and the beginning of colder, darker and murkier ones.

But as I’ve been focusing on appreciating the present moment over the past few months, I am relishing the dramatic palette of colours this season brings.

Every day I am in awe of the transformation from nature’s greens into the glorious shades of reds, oranges and yellows.

I’ve rediscovered my inner childlike delight by swishing through the carpets of crunchy leaves, and the joy of leaf rubbing with my nephews.

And I love keeping my eyes open for those intricate spider webs, the flashes of squirrels as they dart around hunting for their winter stash, and the cute little toadstools popping up in random patches of grass.

I am so grateful to have finally woken up to this season’s unique ability to turn the world into one big colourful canvas with nature’s paintbrush.

So with this in mind, my happy for today is being mindful of appreciating the sheer beauty of autumn.

Day 75: Meditating with Oprah and Deepak

Being grateful for Oprah and Deepak’s new 21 Day Meditation Experience:

Meditation has become a sacred part of my morning ritual: I begin each and every day with an Oprah Winfrey and Deepak Chopra meditation, without fail!

I love love love their 21 Day Meditation Experiences, and highly recommend them to anyone interested in meditation. And I’m delighted a new one began earlier this month: Become What You Believe!

This 21 day journey is about:

“Together, we’ll take steps to tap into the power of belief – one of the most influential forces in life that leads you to the person you’re meant to be. You’ll learn how to:

discover your deepest beliefs and how they affect you
step into your highest potential by embracing your positive beliefs and dissolving the unconscious ones that are holding you back
connect to the innate power of your foundational beliefs to start directing the movement of your life.”

Oprah and Deepak share this beautiful gift with their growing worldwide community via a free online stream on their website or app, a few times a year.

Each guided meditation is around 20 minutes long and has a theme: for Day 11 it’s Living From Your Core. Oprah kicks off each day with a beautiful and inspiring introduction and Deepak follows by sharing more practical tips and wisdom.

Deepak then introduces the day’s centering thought: I cherish my true self in silence is today’s, and the sanskrit mantra Sampriya Hum, which means I am perfect contentment.

We are invited to silently repeat the mantra during the 10 minutes or so of unguided meditation time, accompanied by a gentle soundtrack.

If you wish to go deeper, there’s an online journal with reflective questions, for example: “Take a moment to reflect on a time in meditation where you felt that love, self-worth, feeling secure, and feeling whole is possible, easy, and natural. Write down how this feels compared to your daily life outside of meditation.”

I’m deeply resonating with this experience. Our beliefs – conscious and unconscious – are constantly influencing our thoughts, feelings, and behaviour. And it’s encouraging me to be aware of, to think about, and to challenge my beliefs.

I find these meditations such a beautiful, gentle and enriching way to start the day. And what’s extra special about joining the online streams is connecting with over a million like-minded souls around the world.

So with this in mind, my happy for today is being grateful for Oprah and Deepak’s new 21 Meditation Experience.

Day 74: Quality mum time

Being grateful for spending a lovely day out with my mum:

I love spending quality time with my lovely mum.

We don’t get to do it too often, which may sound a little strange as we see each other every day (I’m living back with my parents while I recover from CFS). But there’s something really special about making nice plans to spend the day together.

Months ago, when we heard the new James Bond film, Spectre, was due for a November release, we agreed to see it together and would top it off with a yummy lunch. Mum is a huge Bond fan, and while I don’t normally go for action films, I’ve a penchant for a good Bond adventure.

After what has seemed like a long wait, the latest 007 installment has finally opened in our cinemas. We set off for the first showing of the day, and were quite surprised to be joined by a good few other cinema goers: 10:30am on a Monday morning!

And it didn’t disappoint.

I think Daniel Craig is incredible as James Bond. This may be controversial to die-hard Bond fans, but for me he’s taken over Sean Connery as my favourite ever 007. And his fourth outing was an action-packed 148 minutes and we left feeling exhilarated (and dying for the loo!!).

Time for lunch.

I’ve been looking forward to going to George’s, a new-ish fish restaurant in the city. I’ve been dying to sample their Fish Chowder in a Sourdough Bowl – which is one of the most memorable dishes I’ve ever eaten, courtesy of the infamous Boudin Bakery in San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf.

Again, it didn’t disappoint.

We loved the restaurant, especially these cute little beach huts and the newspaper-esque menus. And we happily devoured our delicious Fish Chowders, yum yum.

Mum then went off to do a little shopping, while I headed straight home, tired but very happy.

So with this in mind, my happy for today is being grateful for spending a lovely day out with my mum.

Day 73: Yahtzee!

Being mindful while playing Farm Yatzy with Callum and the family:

As I’m still struggling with my energy levels, I’ve been trying to take today easy knowing we have a full-on afternoon with the boys and our evening family dinner.

As I was resting in my bedroom, the first little munchkin appeared wanting to play. I managed to coax him into snuggling up and watching ‘Paw Petrol’, the most my energy levels could manage. A little later, munchkin number 2 came in and the three of us watched the heroic puppies save the day over and over. Perfect. And the longest I’ve seen them sitting nice and quietly for quite a while!

Later, after our family dinner, Callum asked if we could all play Farm Yatzy, the game I’d bought him for his birthday. Although I needed to rest, how could I resist?

Yahtzee has been a firm family favourite in our house for years and years. It’s our go-to game at Christmas-time and on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

For the uninitiated, it’s a “seductive game of luck and strategy” and players have three rolls of the dice to rack up points in 12 scoring categories, including the elusive Yahtzee – rolling five of the same number.

It’s seriously addictive and oodles of fun.

Hearing through a friend about Yahtzee for kids, I searched and searched and finally found ‘Farm Yatzy’. I honestly don’t know why they spell it differently, but it took me ages to find it!. Anyway, it has farmyard animals instead of numbers and a slightly easier scoring system.

And Callum absolutely loves it.

Especially as the first time we played, he scored two Yahtzee’s in one game which is incredibly rare. And it makes my heart so happy that now, every time he’s comes to our house, he wants to play it. Again. And again.

It’s wonderful and so much better than him being attached to his device playing computer games.

So, after dinner tonight we all sat down to play a couple of games, including his mummy and daddy. It was priceless to see the joy on Callum’s face.

It was brilliant for all of us to enjoy this family fun time together, rather than all disperse to our different corners of the house, which usually includes the boys running around noisily getting up to all kinds of mischief!

After a couple of games – which I’d come second and then first, just saying (as I’m usually much further down the leader board) ☺️ – I wearily climbed the stairs with a huge big smile on my face and knew it was worth using up every last ounce of my energy.

So with this in mind, my happy for today is being mindful while playing Farm Yatzy with Callum and the family.

Day 72: A cup of kindness

Being kind by buying a stranger a coffee:

My spirits have taken a battering recently with one thing or another, and so I took myself out for a soul stroll in this morning’s magical mist.

I walked into my local town and stopped at my local coffee shop for my usual, a decaf soy flat white.

Feeling pretty down in the dumps, I decided to reach out and show kindness to a stranger. From the acts of kindness I’ve been doing over the last few months, I know how much they lift my spirits too. And to be honest, this has been an unexpected bonus, it’s like experiencing a wonderful side effect from the kindness act itself.

So today I decided to buy a stranger a coffee.

I paid for the extra coffee and asked the barista to choose a customer who’ll receive the free cup, and give them my kindness card which reads: “You are an incredible person. Enjoy your coffee Xxx”

I instantly felt my spirits lift.

In an article titled “5 Side Effects of Kindness on Health”, kindness author Dr David Hamilton explains why:

“When we do something kind for someone else, we feel good. On a spiritual level, many people feel that this is because it is the right thing to do and so we’re tapping into something deep and profound inside of us that says, ‘This is who I am.’

On a biochemical level, it is believed that the good feeling we get is due to elevated levels of the brain’s natural versions of morphine and heroin, which we know as endogenous opioids. They cause elevated levels of dopamine in the brain and so we get a natural high, often referred to as ‘Helper’s High’.”

So it’s a win-win.

I hope it brings a smile to the face of the recipient on this chilly, misty morning as it has to mine.

So with this in mind, my happy for today is being kind by buying a stranger a coffee.

Day 71: Yoga every damn day!

Being grateful, mindful and kind as I embark on 30 days of yoga:

I LOVE LOVE LOVE yoga.

This is my third post about one of my most treasured rituals, and why not, it deserves it: yoga is an integral part of my life, my wellbeing and my healing journey.

I find stretching my body with a yoga session wonderfully delicious, and even more so with all the bed rest I currently have to take. I also find it soothing and peaceful for my mind and soul, and it’s another opportunity to practice mindfulness.

Not being able to practice as much as I used to has been one of the frustrating things about having CFS. Due to the nature of the condition, my practice is quite sporadic as I sometimes simply don’t have the energy, or my neck is feeling too painful from when I sustained a severe whiplash injury a couple of years ago.

Over the last few months, I’ve been able to get back on the mat which has lifted my spirits no end. And recently, I’ve even managed to go to a couple of classes and would love to build up slowly to attending regularly. But all in good time.

In a good week, I’m managing to enjoy two very gentle sessions at home, alternating between my two favourite short practices on DVD. But lately I’ve been feeling a little bored with my practice as I know them off by heart.

I think it’s time to shake things up a little.

And I’m feeling optimistic that my body can handle a teeny bit more 😊.

And I’m loving the gorgeously inspiring Rachel Brathen’s mantra: “Yoga Every Damned Day”.

(And yes, I want the tee-shirt!)

Sooooo, I’ve decided to try and make November ’30 Days of Yoga’.

After some googling, I’ve found a lovely online teacher called Erin Motz who offers a free 30 day yoga challenge. It’s “30 days of yoga in 10-20 minute long online video sessions which we send you directly to your email inbox one day at a time.” Which sounds perfect for my limited energy levels.

I like that there’s a different focus for each day’s session; day 2 is for chest and shoulders, day 3 is for posture, day 4 is for abs, and so on.

I’ve signed up, I’ve pimped up my yoga mat, and I’m ready to go.

I am giving myself permission to skip a day or two if I need to – if my CFS symptoms are too intense, or if my neck is too sore. But I’m really hoping I can try and attempt each day’s session.

And if not, I will see if I can manage a sun salutation or even one little downward dog! And if not, I will at least be able to meditate.

No pressure, no worries, all is well.

So with this in mind, my happy for today is being grateful for my yoga practice, being mindful as I roll out my mat every damn day this month, and being kind to my body by doing lots of yummy stretching.

Day 70: Mindfulness Summit

Being grateful for, and mindful during, the Mindfulness Summit:

For this whole month of October, I’ve felt hugely privileged to have joined over 250,000 people taking part in the Mindfulness Summit, designed to help us “learn how to live life with more peace, purpose and wisdom.”

There’s been a new online interview between the host, the very lovely Melli O’Brien, and a leading mindfulness expert every single day.

Those who have shared their insight and wisdom with use include Mark Williams, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Jack Kornfield, Tami Simon, Dr Rick Hanson, Ruby Wax, Arianna Huffington, Vidyamala Burch and many many more.

There’s also been presentations and practice sessions, plus a bunch of free meditations to download and keep.

All for free.

I’m delighted that I’ve managed to watch most days, I think I’ve only missed three. And I’ve loved each and every one.

The Summit has given incredible insight into the science behind mindfulness and its clinically proven benefits, and a plethora of different mindfulness techniques on how to integrate mindfulness into everyday life and how to apply it to specific situations.

I’m looking forward to having a play with some of these techniques to see what works for me.

Here are some of my favourite learnings:

1. Mindfulness is a practice, it takes discipline and perseverance. Every day we begin again. ~ Joseph Goldstein
2. There are two wings of presence: seeing, recognising what’s happening, and allowing, asking yourself if you can be with this. ~ Tara Brach
3. Let your mind be your best friend ~ Shamash Alidima
4. ‘Surf the Urge’. When you have a craving, for example if you’re checking your phone every two minutes, tune into the physical sensation and ‘surf’ on it like a wave. Bring kindness to it and it will subside, the urge will go away. ~ Shamash Alidima
5. Catch thoughts before they take hold. Thoughts arise naturally and we don’t have to attach to them or feel bad for having them. ~ Lori Deschene
6. The Diffusion Technique: 1. Think of negative self-talk, such as “I’m not _______ enough.” 2. Concentrate on that thought for 10 seconds. 3. Put in front of that thought, “I”m having the thought that I’m not _______ enough.”. 4. Add to it “I notice that I am having the thought that I’m not _______ enough.” ~ Russ Harris
7. If you’re not focused on what you’re doing, you’ll do it poorly. ~ Dan Goleman
8. When meditating, there’s a difference between thinking about your breath, and feeling your breath. Aim for the latter. ~ Dr Judson Brewer
9. When you are experiencing discomfort, note if you are blocking it, by pulling away and distracting your mind, or if you are drowning in it, by leaning into it and feeling overwhelmed. Be a warrior with a soft and open heart. ~ Vidyamala Burch
10. You can’t change stress, but you can change your relationship to stress. ~ Jon Kabat-Zinn

As I’ve mentioned many times before, mindfulness has become a huge part of my healing journey. And this series of interviews and presentations has highlighted how beneficial and enriching mindfulness is to my wellbeing. I can say with hand-on-heart, that practicing mindfulness will continue to be a part of my everyday life, ongoing.

And tonight, to close this incredible month, was a live guided meditation with Jon Kabatt-Zinn. It felt incredibly powerful to be meditating with thousands of others around the world at the same time.

I shall sleep very soundly tonight!

So with this in mind, my happy for today is being grateful for, and mindful during, the Mindfulness Summit.

PS While the Mindfulness Summit has now finished, it’s available to purchase and 100% of profits generated from the project will be donated to mindfulness charities. Please click here for more info.

Day 69: Seaside Bliss

Being grateful, mindful and kind, while enjoying a day at the seaside:

Today was the ultimate Artist’s Date: I went to the seaside.

Since moving back in with my folks in the middle of England while I recover from CFS, the nearest coastline is sadly about 80 miles away.

And I desperately miss living by the sea, which I find so powerfully healing.

So on a good-health day not so long back, I booked myself onto a day trip to the seaside with a local coach firm.

However, due to my recent cold and CFS blip, I wasn’t really sure if I was up to going. But as the seaside towns are winding down for the winter, today was the last seaside trip the coach company was making until the spring, so I was really keen to go.

As I woke up this morning, my body craved more rest and begged me to stay in bed, but my heart skipped with joy at the thought of a day at the seaside.

Reluctant to cancel, I felt confident the healing power of being by the sea would lift my spirits and soothe my soul, and would offset the inevitable consequences of complete bed rest for the next few days.

So off I went.

As the full, chattering coach weaved its way through the countryside, I put down my book to gaze out the window. And my, how I was rewarded: blanketed in mist, my heart sang with joy at the splashes of glorious golds, flaming ambers and dazzling rubies of the stunning autumn scenery.

Arriving at the seaside just before noon, I headed straight for the beach so I could say hello to the sea. Then it was time for a spot of lunch, and of course there’s only one option when you’re at the seaside: fish, chips and mushy peas of course! My ‘regular’ sized portion beat me; convinced it was big enough for two, I was curious to see how big the ‘jumbo’ portion would be!

I wandered down the pier and spent a lovely half hour gazing out to the sea, soaking up her powerful healing energy.

Then it was time to whip my socks and shoes off and hit the beach. Walking barefoot in the sand is one of my all time favourite things to do, and it felt blissful getting sand and sea in-between my tootsies once again.

This award-winning beach is incredibly wide and it took a while to reach the shore. I went for a quick paddle which was deliciously refreshing, with the sea temperature around 15 celsius/59 fahrenheit. I didn’t stay in long due to the sea foam: with a chocolate mousse texture I got a little paranoid it was pollution I shouldn’t really be standing in. Urgh! (I’ve since discovered through a little research that it’s algal blooms and organic matter churned up by the surf, which isn’t usually harmful to humans, but I was taking no risks!)

I continued to walk along the beach and it was blissful having this long stretch of beach almost to myself, only passing by the occasional dog walker.

I decided to get creative and have some fun creating some artwork in the sand using my tootsies:

I was feeling quite tired and as I came upon some rocks, I decided to buy a herbal tea and come back and watch the waves for a little bit longer. Oh boy, finding a herbal tea in the many beachside huts was almost impossible. Ten stalls and 30 mins later, I rejoiced at finding a place offering lemon and ginger tea, and went back to sit on the rocks.

I tuned into my senses and fully appreciated the delights surrounding me: the sound of the crashing waves and squawking of the gulls; the sight of the muted watercolour tones, as the sand merged with the sea, and the sea with the sky; the smell and taste of the salty sea air; and the kiss of the gentle breeze on my skin. Pure bliss.

I was delighted to see two kite surfers glide into view. I was utterly mesmerised. I used to love watching the surfers when I lived in Australia, I find it so soothing and meditative. I was also transfixed by the icy blue eyes in the sky, gazing out of the clouds.

Then it was time to make my way back to the coach station for my return journey home. As we arrived back, I gave the coach driver one of my kindness cards with the message: “Thank you for being a good, considerate driver” to show him how much he is appreciated.

After my long but blissful day at the seaside, my spirits are lifted, my soul is soothed, and my body and energy levels are kaput!

So with this in mind, my happy for today is being grateful, mindful and kind, while enjoying a day at the seaside.

Day 68: Natural cold remedies

Being grateful to have suppressed my cold symptoms using natural remedies:

One of the symptoms I’ve noticed since having CFS is that my immune system is so much weaker than it used to be. I seem to get everything that’s going around, and often have more severe or longer infections.

I only have to look at someone with a cold, and I catch it.

And not only do I suffer with all the usual cold symptoms, it also completely wipes me out energy wise. Sometimes for weeks.

So as you can imagine, I’m pretty paranoid when I share space with someone with the sniffles, and I have a tendency to freak out if they don’t cover their nose and mouth when sneezing. Urgh!

Sadly, it’s one of the trickier things of being around my nephews so much. They often have the sniffles, a runny nose or a cough, as colds tend to spread through schools like wildfire.

And the recent sudden temperature drop as autumn arrives good and proper, hailing the start of cold and flu season.

I believe that prevention is easier than cure, and have a myriad of daily natural remedies to help build up my immune system. I drink warm lemon and ginger every morning, I take 2000 mg vitamin C, a good quality multi-vitamin, and I eat plenty of vegetables including a daily green juice.

So when I felt the onset of a sore throat and ear ache earlier this week, I went on the natural remedy rampage.

I immediately started taking Echinacea, gargling with a warm salt water with a few drops of Marjoram Essential Oil, and dropping a little warm olive oil with Tea Tree Essential Oil into my ears.

I also got out my treasured Neti Pot. Originally developed as an Ayurvedic yoga tradition in ancient India, it’s traditionally used to give relief from nasal congestion, allergies, and head colds.

It looks like a genie’s lamp and it usually makes my wish to ward off oncoming cold symptoms come true.

Basically it’s a salt water solution to irrigate your nasal passage. The solution is poured into the pot and the end of the long spout is placed into one nostril, and as you tilt your head, the solution flows into one nostril and out the other, flushing out unwanted mucus and matter. It sounds yucky and it took me a while to feel comfortable doing it, but it works for me so it’s a keeper.

So these are my own tried and tested methods for strengthening my immune system and keeping cold symptoms at bay. And I’m delighted that my cold symptoms this week haven’t developed into the full-blown cold I was expecting, even though I still have a mild sore throat and ear ache a few days on.

And of course, my best natural remedy for feeling wiped out is complete rest, so I’ve been getting lots of that this week and am slowly building up my energy levels.

So with this in mind, my happy for today is being grateful to have suppressed my cold symptoms with natural remedies.