Believing in hope - even if it has to start with us
The more people I meet the more I realise that whilst sometimes we may need others to be the light, if we each take care of ourselves, we will have light to give, and we can light our own candle to show others there is hope.*
We have an impact, whether that be positive or negative; what we say and do, has an effect on the people around us. My sister-in-law, for example, has a wonderful habit of asking serving staff for their first name whenever she goes out, and addresses them personally by name throughout the evening. At the end of the meal, she then writes a note on the back of the receipt when she pays, to say thank you and express her gratitude.
It's the little things that people do that make a difference. Sometimes all it takes is a smile or a kind word, and who doesn't have that to give?
If each of us tends to our little corner of the world, and our neighbours, we can make things better and give comfort, no matter how small that might seem.
If things are not going well for us, we can ask ourselves how we can help to be the light, and it may even be as simple as asking how we can help.
We can't know until we speak up, that there are more people out there who feel the same way about the world as we do. It's best not to wait for others to go first. I often choose to disclose first that I have been diagnosed with Dyspraxia and Attention Deficit Disorder**, and through this have given others the permission to come up to me and say they have been diagnosed, too, or know people who have been. It creates a safe space for them to be honest about their experiences.
It reminds me that I am not alone, even if I am on my own, and that I cannot do it all alone. When I was organising my visit to Singapore and India in May, I needed colleagues in those offices to help me book meeting rooms and send out the initial invitations for the workshops; and when I was away, I remember being truly touched, when a colleague who helps me put up posters in our local office, volunteered to check the posters back home were up-to-date.
I'm not suggesting we pretend to be happy if we're not, or when things are tough; it's vital to take care of ourselves, and sometimes we'll be the one who needs the kind word, but if we're more willing to give it away, we can trust it will be there for us when we need it. We all go through difficult times, but they are made more bearable by knowing that we are not alone.
Over the years, I have collected a number of stones, each engraved with a different word, such as "peace", "courage", "happiness" and "hope".
I carry the stones with me every day, so I always know I have hope, even if it's only the hope I carry with me in my pocket.
I have found that when I find myself telling someone about them, that's when I realise they need that stone more than I do in that moment, and I'll hand it over to them, whether that be hope, trust or even joy.
If we could think of our smiles and kind words in the same way, if we could imagine giving them away like the engraved stones, perhaps we might recognise their value, and how much weight they can carry. How they can serve to remind us that we are not alone, and that there *is* hope and love and peace in the world, and that if we turn our attention to these virtues, we can help to spread them out into the wider world in our own unique way.
Lynn
* "There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." Edith Wharton
** Read more about my experiences of being diagnosed and my experiences on my blog, "Dyspraxic Pioneer"
It's the little things that people do that make a difference. Sometimes all it takes is a smile or a kind word, and who doesn't have that to give?
If each of us tends to our little corner of the world, and our neighbours, we can make things better and give comfort, no matter how small that might seem.
If things are not going well for us, we can ask ourselves how we can help to be the light, and it may even be as simple as asking how we can help.
We can't know until we speak up, that there are more people out there who feel the same way about the world as we do. It's best not to wait for others to go first. I often choose to disclose first that I have been diagnosed with Dyspraxia and Attention Deficit Disorder**, and through this have given others the permission to come up to me and say they have been diagnosed, too, or know people who have been. It creates a safe space for them to be honest about their experiences.
It reminds me that I am not alone, even if I am on my own, and that I cannot do it all alone. When I was organising my visit to Singapore and India in May, I needed colleagues in those offices to help me book meeting rooms and send out the initial invitations for the workshops; and when I was away, I remember being truly touched, when a colleague who helps me put up posters in our local office, volunteered to check the posters back home were up-to-date.
I'm not suggesting we pretend to be happy if we're not, or when things are tough; it's vital to take care of ourselves, and sometimes we'll be the one who needs the kind word, but if we're more willing to give it away, we can trust it will be there for us when we need it. We all go through difficult times, but they are made more bearable by knowing that we are not alone.
Over the years, I have collected a number of stones, each engraved with a different word, such as "peace", "courage", "happiness" and "hope".
I carry the stones with me every day, so I always know I have hope, even if it's only the hope I carry with me in my pocket.
I have found that when I find myself telling someone about them, that's when I realise they need that stone more than I do in that moment, and I'll hand it over to them, whether that be hope, trust or even joy.
If we could think of our smiles and kind words in the same way, if we could imagine giving them away like the engraved stones, perhaps we might recognise their value, and how much weight they can carry. How they can serve to remind us that we are not alone, and that there *is* hope and love and peace in the world, and that if we turn our attention to these virtues, we can help to spread them out into the wider world in our own unique way.
Lynn
* "There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it." Edith Wharton
** Read more about my experiences of being diagnosed and my experiences on my blog, "Dyspraxic Pioneer"
