Mindful Monday - May 23rd

Hello and happy Mindful Monday to you all!

“Always forgive your enemies; nothing annoys them so much.”
— Attributed to Oscar Wilde

Ok, so not many of us will have true “enemies” per se, but most of us will have people or circumstances that we may harbour a grudge against. And despite the slight sting in the tail of Ossie’s words, there is still merit in forgiving.

“You can’t forgive without loving. And I don’t mean sentimentality. I don’t mean mush. I mean having enough courage to stand up and say, ‘I forgive. I’m finished with it.’”
— Maya Angelou

I think Maya puts it more accurately. To forgive is to truly let it go. It’s more a gift to yourself – permission to release your anguish, pain, regret, anger; to truly be done with something and choose to move on.

Sounds good – maybe even in simple, in theory – but how does one put it into practice? Well, like most worthwhile things it takes practice. Experience Life website has a great little read that helps put some structure to the process, while Jack Kornfield’s book, The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace is a no-nonsense, helpful place to start.

Let me know how you get on.

Let.
It.
Go.

See how you feel
This simple little app helps you visualise how you feel over time. It’s non-judgmental, completely simple and can help you develop a deeper understanding of trends in your mood. Each day you assign a colour to how you’re feeling, and over days, weeks, months you create a colourful picture of your mood. Check it out here.

Thirsty?
Ok, so you’re stuck out in the wilderness and the only water around is salty – undrinkable. This isn’t surprising for a couple of reasons: 1) you’re an awesome adventurer, and 2) less than 3% of the earth’s water is fresh water. Yep, really. But fear not! The clever boffins at MIT have created a desalination unit capable of turning salt water into drinking water at the touch of a button. Thank you, science.

And finally…

Managing bad news
Amongst the many daily miracles we are surrounded by, reminders remain that all is not 100% well in the world. Effective strategies for coping with the inevitable bad news is crucial to support our wellbeing. I return to this article regularly to help keep me on point. Useful ideas include cultivating daily routines, managing your social media diet, and taking positive action. Which are your favourites?

Have a great week – forgive, colour your mood, have an adventure, and put the kettle on.

Big love,
Luke