Hello and happy March; for us on this side of the pond, the first month of spring and the start of the first season of the year. I don’t know about you, but I’ve really been feeling the drain of lockdown over the last couple of weeks. Not enough seeing of our friends and loved ones, and too much time on our own or with those we live with! Too much of anything can become a drain and right now, it can feel like the walls are closing in on some days. An early morning walk has helped with a sense of spaciousness to start the day and at the moment the birds are so loud, and some patches of grass are a carpet of purple crocus flowers. It’s quite spectacular.
I read recently some work from Jack Kornfield where he explains that if we were to live in a constant state of contraction, “living things would either die or become insane”. I bet some of you can resonate with lockdown insanity no?! He goes on to say that this doesn’t actually happen to the vast majority of people because we have numerous moments of peace and stillness that we don’t actually notice or recognise. He says, “we survive because there are natural periods of coolness, of wholeness and ease”. Small moment of getting outside, seeing wild flowers, listening to birds etc can help create conditions for such moments and exemplifies huge self care.
I did something else this week that I want to share because I was AMAZED at the impact it had. I signed up to receive a weekly email that contained only positive news. The top of my first email read, ‘What went right this week’. Can you imagine that? ‘What went right’! My opinion of the news here in the UK is that, in the main, it’s toxic; dehumanising, aggressive, negative, sensationalised and biased towards blame and shame. So, to receive a news email that starts with a list of things that went right, was quite unbelievable. I can’t tell you how much it lifted my spirits. In our minds, ‘news’ has a tone of danger or negativity, but it’s not true. Things that go right, is news! I’ll share some of the stories with you. See if you can read it without smiling or going ‘cool’ or ‘wow’.
Firstly, rather than big dis-used billboards in London being left empty and tatty, an initiative has been set up to use un-sold advertising space to promote empathy. That’s right, not McDonalds, but Empathy! Although this was set up during Covid, the brains behind the campaign have pledged to keep it going. Also, the EU ‘formally adopted a new law, which requires the makers of washing machines, televisions and other electronic goods to make their products easier to repair. What’s more, manufacturers must also make parts available after their products are discontinued.’ Woo hoo to less waste and more recycling and repairs. And, Scotland has ‘introduced progressive legislation designating mountain hares a protected species’. How cool. Has your heart lifted even a tiny bit just by reading three examples of positivity? Can you imagine a world where 70/80% of reported news was positive? I think we’d be a different humanity.
Above is a photo of an Empathy billboard in London. I’m sure you can find out about positive new in the country you’re in, but if you’re interested, this is from www.positive.news.