Mindful Monday - January 10th

Hello and welcome to this first edition of Mindful Monday for 2022!

“The willingness to accept responsibility for one's own life is the source from which self-respect springs.”
— Joan Didion

Sure, this week’s email could easily have started with a somewhat obvious motivational quote in the hope of getting you off the sofa or away from the desk and out into the January cold, but I think Joan’s words may offer a deeper opportunity for change.

The internet offers an almost unlimited amount of resources for anyone looking to make a change in their lives. All we have to do is type in “the best xxxxx” or “top 10 tips for xxxxx” and Google will spew forth a stream of options that is sure to provide more than enough to procrastinate and deliberate over till summer.

But if we assume responsibility for our own actions – and lives – and genuinely decide that now is the time to change course and explore a different way of being, perhaps a new and revitalised sense of self-respect can emerge and the amazing tools we have access to will be put to more effective use. (That was a long sentence!)

Happy 2022.

100 ways to slightly improve your life without really trying
This article put a smile on my face and I’ve already shared it with numerous friends and family.
Favourites include:

1 Exercise on a Monday night (nothing fun happens on a Monday night).
8 Send a voice note instead of a text; they sound like personal mini podcasts.
34 Go for a walk without your phone.
96 Keep a book in your bag to avoid the temptation to doomscroll.

Which are your favourites? Let me know.

Silent story time
Maia Walczak writes and illustrates children’s books. Wylder is a story without words and follows the life of a father and son in the forest. Enjoy the pictures and make up your own words as you follow their adventures.

The DO Lectures Top Books for 2021
Along with putting on great weekend workshops (The DO Lectures), these clever folk in Wales compile a great list of worthwhile reads. Here’s their most recent selection.

My faves include:
Regeneration - Paul Hawken
Entangled Life - Merlin Sheldrake
The Art of Saying NO - Damon Zahariades

2021 wasn’t all bad…
Just in case you are feeling a tad underwhelmed by the ticking over of another new year, the ever optimistic crew at Positive.News has compiled this rather fabulous collection of great things that went right in 2021. It’s going to be ok. :)

Have a great week and remember to laugh shamelessly at your own jokes.

Big love,
Luke X