5 Ways To Spread The Love

I can’t even process the news from last night. I woke up to my phone going into a frenzy, friends texting, twitter going mental. My first thought was ‘is this real?’ shortly followed by ‘not again.’ How awful is it that these harrowing events are becoming a more frequent part of our everyday life? My heart aches for the victims and their families in Manchester. I didn’t feel like getting up today, but instead I forced myself to. I went to work and acted with compassion, kindness and love. My concentration wasn’t all there, but I took the time to tell people I loved them, supported those affected and reflect on things. This post is a reminder that it requires minimal effort to be kind. Spread the love. Be positive. Stand together.

1) Reach out to those you love.

No brainer here. Tell those closest to you how much they mean to you. It takes very little effort to write a few words in a text – ‘just wanted to say I love you’, ‘can’t wait to see you later’ – you know the kind of texts I mean. A little comment on a picture, tagging them in something funny, giving someone a compliment. Anything to brighten someone’s day can really make a difference.

2) Smile more often.

This is such a little thing that has such a big impact. It so much better when you walk past someone in the street and smile at each other instead of staring ahead or at the floor. Sharing that little moment with a stranger is kinda nice if you think about it. Why not even go all out and say hello? Go on, I dare ya. It’ll give you a boost.

3) Offer support when you can.

Just by saying ‘I’m here if you need me’ can mean so much to someone who is going through a tough time. Having someone you know you can call upon can make things seem easier and more bearable. And if you had the chance to help someone, why wouldn’t you? You don’t need to know the answer to everyone’s problems. Sometimes just offering a shoulder to cry on is enough. Be there and listen.

4) Be generous.

With your time and possessions. Giving someone time to talk is such a good thing to do. Give old clothes you don’t wear to charity, pass on that really good book you’ve read to someone else, bake something yummy and share it with your mates or at the office. Small things can have a big impact.

5) Take time to yourself.

How can you spread the love when you aren’t feeling up to it? Self care is a very important part of this. You can’t burn the candle at both ends. Even taking just one evening a week to sit, reflect, pamper and wind down is a time for you to recharge and be thankful before sharing your positivity with others.

Don’t let these awful events beat us. By standing together and helping one another we can only succeed in bringing more happiness and light into our lives. Keep going to concerts, keep exploring our beautiful cities, keep living your life! This is a deep post today, but one that I felt compelled to write. Manchester, stay strong, we’re all behind you.

With lots of love and prayers,

Tiff

xx