Giving greetings

Friendliness and kindness are key...

Today I gave some smiles and greeted people as I walked the dog. Some folk were too shocked to respond, but most said hello back. We are habituated to walk around in a state of studied indifference. It isn't good for us, or our communities, to be so distant. We need to connect, and acknowledging the presence of others is important. 

I Gave Someone My Time

I've got lots to do, and I've got formal parameters of my job - and I've got a hundred and one other potential excuses for 'hitting the target and missing the point'. However, this morning I gave some time to supporting someone who feels lonely and disempowered, and who has been well drilled in beating herself up and putting herself down. It might not be my 'job', but it's the best hour's 'work' I've done in a long time. Giving was good for both of us ;-) 

Colin Howey <*((((><(

Hey Rob, We're Back in Touch!

A few weeks ago, whilst I was laid low with flu, I decided to set up a blog for a friend of mine who I had lost touch with years ago. I wrote about some of the funny times we had shared, and it amused me greatly to think of the moment when Rob might stumble upon this. It was a random act of kindness.


Although I was unable to find any direct leads to him online, the singer of the band he used to play with had a blog, so I posted an appeal on the comments there to Rob to get in touch.


I can't tell you what a fantastic moment it was when, this afternoon, I found an email from Rob waiting for me - amazing! What's more, I know that he enjoyed my 'give' - "That blog page nearly made me piss myself laughing". 


Give, connect - laughter... wellbeing enhanced - nice one!

Click on the fish, below, to return to main blog...
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A Poem for my friend...

Around 6.45pm today I could be seen, walking at a fair pace with my head down, as I motored through the cathedral precinct. I'm glad to say that, remembering my Five Ways to Wellbeing,I decided to put the brake on the 'be active' and slow down. So it was that I stopped and:

• looked up at the beautiful sky...
• breathed in the slightly smoked-tanged air...
• listened to the comfortable familiarity of two friends as they walked by...

Slowing myself down like this sparked off a thought. A few hours previously, I'd used the horrible phrase, 

"We've got time to kill". 

What an unhealthy attitude that betrays. I quickly checked myself, and said,

"I should never say that - our time is far too great a gift to squander" (or words to that effect). 

So there I was, , at one level, thinking about the wonder of time,  whilst at the same time looking at the sky. It was in this context that I composed a poem on my mobile and sent it to a friend. Here's what I wrote:

In moments like these

I am shocked to have stopped. 

What a fool I would be 

to scamper and scurry 

under this late Summer sky.

I have opened my eyes

to miraculous skies...

time stops ticking,

revealing beauty out there,

in my head...

I haven't had a chance yet to ask him what he thought when he received this, but he did take the time to send me a reply later that same night, which made me smile.

Here we have the Wellbeing values at work:

• Take notice     I stopped and noticed the world around me    
• Keep learning I created a poem and played with some words
• Connect          I shared my creation with a friend
• Give                I gave, I got - we shared!

This small change; this slowing down, inspired me to create something. I felt more... more alive! We have it in our hands to make small changes that add up to bigger cumulative effects. That's how cultural change comes about; by ordinary 'Janes' and 'Johns' like us deciding to live and act in better, more fulfilling and creative ways. It's the waft of a butterfly's wing growing into a wind of change, if you will. 

Ultimately, it's about deciding how you want to live your life, and what kind of society you want to be an active part of. 

To return to the '... Whole Perspective' blog front-page click HERE

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Give & Connect...

From the heart...

The other day I met a colleague who was feeling sad and missing a man she has fallen for. We chatted for a while, and I could see that she was struggling and my heart went out to her. 


Today, I used the GIVE and CONNECT 'ways', and called her to check that she was feeling better. We only chatted for five minutes or so, in which time I was reassured that she was okay now. I hope her day was all the better for this not-so-random act of kindness. It cost me nothing, and earned us both some much needed contentment. 


Click HERE to return to "... the Whole Perspective"


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