The Becoming Heroes Podcast

Intermission Mark my words, there are many powerful ways to transform our lives… and here is the first. Have you ever tried to stay cross in the middle of an argument when someone makes you laugh – perhaps by pulling a face? In truth, it’s really annoying when you’re angry and someone interrupts that feeling by making you smile or giggle… but once you grin, they win! And so do you. The spell is broken. The cycle is too. Psychologists call this a ‘pattern interrupt’ and it’s a brilliant way to get yourself out of a pickle if you feel your emotions are heading in a direction you want to change. Your emotions are designed to serve you, not the other way around, and if you feel you’re losing control, call for an intermission. This is surprisingly easy to do. Why? Because your brain believes your body. As soon as you change your physical position, your mental posture automatically follows. I noticed a lovely Mum last night running to catch up with her two young children, and this reminded me of one of my grandchildren who runs everywhere! There’s an energy and enthusiasm to his life that is very engaging. Lambs do it too. And calves. And puppies. And kids… baby goats! Then something happens as we mature. We begin to slow down. Boring. Action plan: when you feel stuck or out of control, do something different with your posture and pace. Dare you! Here’s what happened to me next… Making sure no one was looking, I decided to run back to the house - just like a kid. My capacity was poor – about 5 yards, but it was all I needed – I was grinning - out of breath but grinning. And when you’re grinning, you’re winning.

I saw a mighty angel coming down out of the sky, clothed with a cloud. A rainbow was on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. He had in his hand a little open book. He set his right foot on the sea, and his left on the land. He cried with a loud voice, as a lion roars. When he cried, the seven thunders uttered their voices. When the seven thunders sounded, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from the sky saying, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders said, and don’t write them.” The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to the sky, and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there will no longer be delay, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as he declared to his servants, the prophets. The voice which I heard from heaven, again speaking with me, said, “Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.” I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. He said to me, “Take it, and eat it. It will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth. When I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. They told me, “You must prophesy again over many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”

A BLESSING FOR YOU! May you receive this blessing as you listen to this psalm, recorded with you in mind. Psalm 20 New International Version (adapted on the recording to us the Lord's name) For the director of music. A psalm of David. May the Lord answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you. May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion. May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings. May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. May we shout for joy over your victory and lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests. Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. Lord, give victory to the king! Answer us when we call! Wouldn't it be lovely to appoint a Director of Music for our Church?

Would you rather? “Would you rather be chased by a horse-sized duck, or by one hundred duck-sized horses?” Thus says one of the ‘Would you rather?’ challenges from the wrappers round a famous brand of ‘Take a Break’ chocolate snack. I’d be curious to hear your answer – then I’ll reveal my choice in the comments! “Would you rather?” reminds me of one of my favourite sayings from Wayne Dyer: “I can choose peace rather than this.” Would you rather have peace or conflict? Isn’t it surprising, shocking even, that some people would genuinely prefer conflict? This is particularly so in the area of forgiveness vs unforgiveness. Many people would rather hold on to their sense of outrage, injury, and pain rather than let it go. Somewhere last week I read a story about two monks – an elderly and a younger – climbing and walking down the steep mountain sides of wild country. Their Order did not permit them to touch a woman (I know, how ridiculous!), but when their path crossed a mighty rushing stream in one of the gullies, they found a young woman in distress. She needed to cross the stream to get home but the flood-waters were flowing too fast for her to cross safely. Without a moment’s hesitation, the mature monk respectfully lifted the woman onto his back, and waded across the raging waters, safely to the other side. The woman thanked him and then ran on happily her way home. The two monks went ahead on in silence for hours, but the older, wiser, monk could tell that the younger was very agitated. Eventually, the younger burst out, “Our Order does not permit us to engage with women, let alone touch one – and yet you carried one across that mountain stream!” The older, wiser monk gently observed, “Ah, that’s true… and I put her down on the other side, as easily and as rapidly as I had picked her up… I notice that you are still carrying her.” There is so much we all carry in life that is so past its “Carry-Until” Date – its “Best Before” Date. These burdens are way beyond the point in time that caused the injury. In many cases, the ‘guilty’ party is no longer aware of the offence. Today is a great day to ask ourselves, “Would we rather keep carrying this, or would we prefer to be liberated from this hard burden?” I finish with Wayne Dyer’s inviting affirmation again, “I can choose peace, rather than this…”

Grace Will Walk Us Home by Thom M Shuman Wild Goose Publications www.ionabooks.com Used under agreed non-commercial worship conditions as stated by the publisher. Music Atmos from Big Fish Audio - used under licence.

Grace Will Walk Us Home by Thom M Shuman Wild Goose Publications www.ionabooks.com Used under agreed non-commercial worship conditions as stated by the publisher. Music Atmos from Big Fish Audio - used under licence.

A Gift for You This Christmas You may never have seen yourself as the life and soul of the party. That epithet is reserved too often for the stereotypically noisy extrovert – so popular with fabulous sitcom writers - that grabs focus from everyone they meet! If you are like me, you could be fiercely introverted! Let’s open your gift and discover more. Whether you are more introverted or extroverted, that’s your gift! Whether you process what’s happening in a more intuitive way, or observant – using your senses, that’s your gift! How you make decisions and deal with those pesky emotions – on a scale from detached logic (Mr Spock) through to deep empathy (non-biased description here) is also your gift! And how about your organisational skills? Are you more comfortable with structure, predictability, and planning? Or does that cramp your options? Wherever you are, whoever you are, that’s your gift! How about your comfort and confidence with who you are? Are you assertively confident in your own skin? Or perhaps you’re more turbulent and unsure of yourself – constantly trying to improve? Why are we bringing this up again – after all many of us have blogged on this in the past? We’re bringing it into focus again because often you can’t bring it into focus without external help. Your gifts and your talents and your unique personal strengths are as plain, “as the nose on your face.” Obvious to others, but they can see your nose. You, on the other hand, see your nose from behind! I’ve just tried it and gone cross-eyed like those unfortunate cinema shots where the eyes of the lovers are captured as they are about to kiss! If you can gift yourself 20 minutes, go to 16personalities.com, sign up for a free account, and take the free look in the mirror! Then you’ll be able to see plainly and clearly that beautiful nose on your face. Remember to share your results! If you don’t fancy that yet – know that your friends are your mirror. You could ask them what they think your strengths are. That would be bold and daring wouldn’t it? Ready for the punchline? I realised this morning that you ARE the life and SOUL of the party – because your soul is defined only by one person – you – and you are totally unique. That’s something to be proud of. Thus, you can be the best gift to those around you this holiday season by simply being the fullest version of you you can imagine!

Shift Happens All At Sea Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on manoeuvres in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patch fog, so the captain, remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities. Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, “Light, bearing on the starboard bow.” “Is it steady or moving astern?” the captain called out. Lookout replied, “Steady, captain,” which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship. The captain then called to the signalman, “Signal that ship: We are on a collision course, advise you change course 20 degrees.” Back came a signal, “Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees.” The captain said, “Send, I’m a captain, change course 20 degrees.” “I’m a seaman second class,” came the reply. “You had better change course 20 degrees.” By that time, the captain was furious. He spat out, “Send, I’m a battleship. Change course 20 degrees.” Back came the flashing light, “I’m a lighthouse.” We changed course. The Man on the Subway “I remember a mini-paradigm shift I experienced one Sunday morning on a subway in New York. People were sitting quietly – some reading newspapers, some lost in thought, some resting with their eyes closed. It was a calm, peaceful scene. Then suddenly, a man and his children entered the subway car. The children were so loud and rambunctious that instantly the whole climate changed. The man sat down next to me and closed his eyes, apparently oblivious to the situation. The children were yelling back and forth, throwing things, even grabbing people’s papers. It was very disturbing. And yet, the man sitting next to me did nothing. It was difficult not to feel irritated. I could not believe that he could be so insensitive as to let his children run wild like that and do nothing about it, taking no responsibility at all. It was easy to see that everyone else on the subway felt irritated, too. So finally, with what I felt was like unusual patience and restraint, I turned to him and said, “Sir, your children are really disturbing a lot of people. I wonder if you couldn’t control them a little more?” The man lifted his gaze as if to come to a consciousness of the situation for the first time and said softly, “Oh, you’re right. I guess I should do something about it. We just came from the hospital where their mother died about an hour ago. I don’t know what do think, and I guess they don’t know who to handle it either.” Can you imagine what I felt at that moment? My paradigm shifted. Suddenly I saw things differently, and because I saw differently, I thought differently, I felt differently, I behaved differently. My irritation vanished. I didn’t have to worry about controlling my attitude or my behavior; my heart was filled with the man’s pain. Feelings of sympathy and compassion flowed freely. “Your wife just died? Oh I’m so sorry! Can you tell me about it? What can I do to help?” Everything changed in an instant.”

Zoonami We all have precious moments when providence or serendipity sends us a treat. One such precious moment was last night in the freezing cold on Swanage’s Victorian Pier. A crowd of us was there for the switching on the lights by Father Christmas (who arrived by boat!) Waiting in the cold, looking out over the waves under the moonlight, a small girl asked her Dad if a big wave had ever flooded the pier. Realising she meant a Tsunami, her Dad shared the word with her as he reassured her… but here’s the thing: I heard him say, “Zoonami!” Of course, he didn’t say that, but it was too late, my imagination was engaged! I ‘saw’ a flood of animals coming into Swanage Bay on surf boards (like the seagull I’d recently seen surfing on driftwood.) (Thought to self: I probably need to change my medication!) And this brings me to today’s two questions: Q. What animal would you most like to be? And Q. Why? Dog or Cat? Cat or Mouse? Dinosaur – but which one? Fish, Amphibian, Reptile, Bird, Mammal? Orangutan, Gibbon (Funky, of course), Gorilla, Chimpanzee? They say confession is good for the soul, so I’ll lead by example! I want to be an Otter. Why? They are massively playful, lithe, and love fish, of course! To me, they stay young forever through their combination of frisky fun-loving living, insatiable curiosity, and healthy diet. Once you’ve decided on your animal or bird (and shared it with us), how could you be more like your Avatar? How could I be ‘more Otter’? Hmm, I think that Sea Swimming is beckoning again! I’m looking forward to a flood, a Zoonami, of witty, wise, and wonderful revelations of your favourite animals!

Isaiah 11 vv1 and 2 Getting to Know The Holy Spirit Jesus was clear that to see Him was to see the Father. And we could equally say, to see Him was to see the Character of The Holy Spirit. Here in Isaiah chapter 11 verses 1 and 2, we ‘see’ The Holy Spirit, the very Spirit of YHWH. And the spirit of the YHWH shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and Might, the Spirit of Knowledge and of the Fear of the YHWH; Quoting from Charles Ellicott's excellent 19th century commentary. “And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him . . .” —The words throw us at once back upon the memories of the past, and forwards upon the hopes of the future. It was the “spirit of the Lord” that had made men true heroes and judges in the days of old (Judges 11:29; Judges 13:25). It was in the “spirit of the Lord” descending on Jesus of Nazareth and abiding on Him (John 1:33) that men were taught to see the token that He was the Christ of God. And in this case the spirit was to give more than the heroic daring which had characterised Jephthah and Samson. The future King was to be as a David and Solomon in one, pre-eminent, chiefly, as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:7), in the wisdom and counsel which had been the glory of the latter. “Wisdom,” in its highest form, as implying the comprehension of the secret things of God; “Understanding,” as the sagacity which discerned the right thing to do and the right word to say (Hebrews 5:14) in all human relationships; these formed the first link in the chain of supernatural gifts. With these there was to be the “spirit of counsel and might,” the clear purpose and strength which fits a king for the right exercise of sovereignty; and lastly, as at once the crown and source of all, the “spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord,” the reverence and faith which is “the beginning of all wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7). The copious use of the vocabulary of the Book of Proverbs is interesting as showing the part which that book played in the prophet’s education.

There’s no fruit without there first being a seed. The man on the corner by one of Swanage’s many pubs proudly wore a T-Shirt with just two words: “Bad Seed.” I think he thought it was funny. I didn’t. I want to sow “Good Seed” during this season of goodwill to all. The whole World knows we need this. Specifically, I’d love, along with you, to play our part in growing the traditional seasonal fruits of hope, joy, peace, and love (or ‘charity’ if you like old-fashioned version!) Reminds me of the three angels I had branded with a spelling error: Faith, Love, and Hop. I kid you not. I’d like to have been ‘Hop’. Have you tried skipping lately? It’s liberating. Children do it all the time… naturally… freely. Be childlike today. How do we sow seeds of hope? Hope is always to do with the future – so anytime we can make anyone feel better about their future, we’ve sown seeds of hope. Paint a picture in people’s imaginations of a brighter better tomorrow. How do we sow seeds of joy? I think Spike Milligan had the right idea: “Smiling is infectious, you catch it like the flu, When someone smiled at me today, I started smiling too.” [The full poem can be read here: https://noc-events.co.uk/sites/conference.noc.ac.uk/files/documents/Smile%20-%20By%20Spike%20Milligan.pdf but be careful, it’s contagious.] Stick a grin on your chin, and see who says, “Hey, I’m ‘in’!” How do we sow seeds of peace? That’s the answer to a big Nobel prize-winning question! Maybe it’s as simple as always looking for what we share in common with others? I watched, “Derry Girls,” for the first time this year. It was a profound experience, highlighting the humour and the tension of the troubles in Northern Ireland. In one particularly touching episode the way to peace was by finding that common ground. And, finally, and perhaps most importantly, how do we sow seeds of love? I think that’s the easiest question to answer. Those of us who want more friendship must show ourselves to be friendly. We, very generally speaking, reap what we sow – that’s the way of Nature. What does, ‘’being shown love,” mean to you? Once you can answer that, go and do that for or to someone else. Maybe, just maybe, we’re all about to have a very good day indeed!

Major General (retired) Tim Cross CBE is an excellent speaker. If you get the chance to hear him, I’d recommend it. He’s an advocate of the role of ethics in making tough military decisions in the moment of crisis. When we invited him to speak to our “Any Questions” group, his repeated use of ‘retired’ caught my attention. Tim’s reason is simply that he is retired from that role, but the role is never forgotten - even though he is no longer in active service. I was struggling with some habitually negative patterns of thinking and the thought came to me, “What if I was retired from that role?” What if I’m a habitual professional worrier (retired)? If I’m retired, I don’t do that anymore. I only share this with you because it was so effective for about three days. Every time the negative thought patterns arose, I reminded myself that I was ‘retired’ from that role. It made me smile, and broke the cycle. I had three days peace. Of course, I can’t promise you even three days peace, but if it works for today, it’s a thought worth playing with. Pick something that you don’t want to continue doing, thinking, or feeling, and declare you’re ‘retired’ from that behaviour, thought, or feeling! We’d all be delighted to hear how it works for you too.

“There is nothing good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Pursuing the kind of thinking that may make something (like the day ahead) good, my second thought is to borrow someone else’s thoughts. When we see any focus from someone else’s perspective, new possibilities emerge as we follow them to think down a different path. This is one of the many reasons I love the “Thought for the day” that Caroline manages to find to enrich each blog. Suddenly, we see the topic through a different lens. Here is Friday’s once more. Thought for the day: "Tone is often the most important part of a conversation - and listening is so much more important than what you say." Hoda Kotb This added beautifully to Leah’s blog on Content and Tone. Leah asked about whether our mood affected how we listened. In a sense, that’s a tone of listening – which I’d never thought about. We have tone of voice – but maybe we can have a tone of listening too. If it’s a critical tone, do we then find fault with everything said no matter the other person’s intent? I suggest that you want a new insight on any topic, theme, or focus – ask Auntie Google or Sister Alexa for a quote on the thought. You can almost guarantee that some wise person has invested the output of hours of many grey cells on thrashing through the different angles. This is one of several ways I get out of being stuck in my own thoughts – borrow someone else’s! Putting it to the test, I’ve just typed, “quote on anger” into Google. A series of images with quotes came up. The first that caught my eye was from Ralph Waldo Emerson. He said, “For every minute you remain angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind.” Nice. Another way to borrow someone else’s thoughts is to use your imagination and ask, “What would (name the person) think?” I wasted a few years bemoaning the thought that there were no more heroes anymore. Then, I changed my mind, and realised heroes are all around me. My Nan, my partner, and my piano teacher are three immediate examples. My Nan’s heroic power was calm patience. She would have agreed with Thomas Jefferson’s assertion: “When angry count to ten before you speak; if very angry, count to one hundred!” My partner’s heroic power is thoughtful kindness. On an almost daily basis she is thinking of something someone else would like – looking at the opportunity empathetically through their eyes. My piano teacher’s heroic power is joy. She radiates joy. And the more I get to know her, I now realise she still radiates joy when Life is not so kind. Thus, if I were to ask myself, “What would D say about this?” the answer would always have a good dollop of joy mixed with it! Who are the heroes through whose eyes you could look at your situation? What is their heroic power? What’s the quote that changes your mind?

“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” So says William Shakespeare via the lips of Hamlet. (Act II, Scene 2. Whether you believe this absolutely or partially, it begs the question, “What’s good thinking?” Or, “What’s the kind of thinking that makes us see each experience as good?” One pattern of thought that’s really helped me recently is a tweak on the gratitude-attitude that we so often speak of in our blogs and comments. Specifically, it is asking myself, “What’s working?” When Life is tough, it can feel like nothing’s working. But this is rarely, if ever, the truth. I’ve got a few issues at the moment that I can’t think how to fix – they are ‘not working’ but they are a tiny part of a massive portion of my life that is working. Thus, I ask you directly, what’s working in your Life at the moment? The answers to this question may surprise you in the little things that come to mind, almost in the same breath as the big things. As far as big things go, Penny and I really enjoy one another’s company, and the little kindnesses we find to do for one another and say to one another. There are so many tokens of thoughtfulness that say, “You matter to me.” She is very good at reminding me (when I feel overwhelmed) that, “Remember, I love you.” Those four words (and their many loving and creative variants) are a foundation for a Life that can weather many storms. But what of the small matters that are working – a list I’ve shared here many times. It would be therapeutic for you to mirror this pattern of thinking for yourself. What small things are working well in your life? Immediately springing to mind is the first new bloom of a magnificent orchid we have. I think of the perfect blend of coffee we’ve found and settled upon as ‘our brand’. There’s the shower in our well-lit bathroom. The goats’ milk soap that is ’my favourite’. I know what wine works for me. I love my ‘commute’ to work – such a beautiful journey. The autumn leaves changing day to day. My friends who thrive at our coffee morning each Friday. My radio show and the station manager who makes working there such a pleasure. Finding, “Now and Then,” by the Carpenters in a charity shop (5 CDs for a £1!) The list goes on and on making me smile. I wonder if you would do me a favour today and pause for thought. Ask your wonderful mind, “What’s working for us at the moment?” and then sit back and enjoy the answers… This is good thinking

Music to My Ears I’ve found her… at last! “Who?” you say. “My Piano Teacher,” I say! At last, I have found the perfect piano teacher… for me. Danielle (who I shall be raving about by name in online reviews, so no secrecy necessary about her name) is the most encouraging and affirming teacher I have ever met. (And I mean the most affirming and encouraging teacher in any subject.) More than this, she meets her students where they are – musically. Then she sets a course for where they want to get to. All my previous teachers were good teachers. They taught well. But they taught their agenda. It was ‘their way’ or ‘find another teacher’. That is no bad thing because all of them had a proven way that worked. I find it fascinating, though, that I didn’t stick with them. Their way wasn’t the best fit for my way. Danielle uses all kinds of magic to make it work. As an educator of some sort myself, I notice that she is using ‘Pacing’ and ‘Leading’. By this, I mean she ‘paces’ me, her student, in my map of the world first. She was very astute at uncovering exactly what I wanted to achieve. She began our classes with my desired destination in mind, and we started with patterns that would be of immediate value to me. Here’s where the ‘leading’ comes in. (‘Pacing’ and ‘Leading’.) Once deep rapport was established, Danielle very gently nudged me towards the less exciting disciplines that were not on my agenda: note-reading, scales, and a couple of children’s books to learn the basics that are essential to strengthen my own agenda! She knew best. I believe she’s got the order right: listen to what the ‘student’ desires and dreams of, give them 80% of the time on that, and then lead them, 20% of the time to the other material that you know is good for them. As in Piano Teaching, so in Life. Perhaps Danielle’s approach would work for bigger issues. Perhaps Danielle’s approach would work for bigger issues… on a global scale. There is a deeper magic, though. I have a chaotic personality. I’d love to be disciplined and tidy and diligent and organised… but I never will be – not if history is an accurate predictor of the future. Yes, people can change, but I doubt I will – not at that fundamental level. This is where Danielle wins over every other teacher I’ve ever met. There is not one word of criticism from her. Not a word. Only encouragement. I feel like a flower, battered by the winds of Winter, beginning to grow taller and stronger to face the hope of Spring. I’m sure her gentle approach will bear fruit. Encouragement can do that for a person. Here’s the weirdly wonderful part. I now enjoy every practice session I take time for. I even find myself humming the children’s tunes; oh, “Firefly,” how I love thee! May we all ‘Be More Danielle’. May we listen to what ‘they’ want first and help them move towards their dreams, and only when we have rapport – deep rapport - may we then make helpful additional suggestions. And may we become more encouraging with not a word of criticism. Pace, lead, encourage. Perfect.

Our theme for World Day of Prayer was, "I Know The Plans I Have For You." The day and the service were planned and printed and prepared for well-before any knowledge of what was to happen in Ukraine. For this reason, I believe it is doubly comforting. God is in the business of restoring people who have been displaced from their homeland. More than this, He is also committed to their wellbeing during any season of displacement. The passage we had was Jeremiah 29:1-14, some of which I share in the podcast. I do not believe the displacement of the Ukrainian people is anything other than the purpose of Russia (unlike this passage that has a very different political and historical perspective). I share the words because they show God's heart is towards those who are displaced, and His purpose for them is only good - to give them a future and a hope. We, of course, have a part to play in making certain this is so.

Anne Squires is an excellent spokesperson for Fairtrade and the benefits of supporting Fairtrade suppliers. The interview was recorded today as Monday 21st February, 2021 is the beginning of "Fairtrade Fortnight." https://www.fairtrade.org.uk The interview is due to go out on Purbeck Coast FM tomorrow morning on my Breakfast Show. You can listen from anywhere you have an internet connection by following this link: https://bit.ly/listentopurbeck

Do you enjoy the benefits of having a generous heart? Those who truly love are naturally generous givers. They give without expecting to receive in return. They give without any hidden agenda. They give because they LOVE to give. They give for pleasure. This is a ministry and a gift. It is also the secret of divine prosperity until you start giving in order to receive... then it goes a little haywire! The path to prosperity is to realise that giving is like planting seeds. What you plant is not what is going to come up. In a similar way, what you plant may not be returned to you from the place or people where you planted it. Become a greater Lover by becoming a greater Giver. Great song to go with this theme: https://youtu.be/DL7-CKirWZE

I quote the Moodscope.com site: What is Moodscope? Moodscope members seek to support each other by sharing their experiences through this blog. If you’d like to receive these daily posts by email, just sign up to Moodscope now, completely free of charge. Moodscope is an innovative way for people to treat their own low mood problems using an engaging online tool. Anyone in the world can accurately assess and track daily mood scores over a period of time. We have proved that the very act of measuring, tracking and sharing mood can actually lift it. [End Quote] I believe in Moodscope so much that I have written (for publication each Monday) a blog for many years. Of course, I am in no way pretending that I have the answers. Rather, my blog is one person's perspective on the journey, he hopes, to good mental health. Today's blog is about experimenting with giving to others first before asking for or expecting anything in return. It was recorded in difficult circumstances when storm Eunice took out our electricity. This means it is not up to the usual broadcast quality, being recorded, as it was, on mobile, battery-powered kit. Here's a good song that goes with this: https://youtu.be/DL7-CKirWZE

The 12th Day of Christmas On the 12th Day of Christmas, we celebrate the Eve of Epiphany. This means we are on the cusp of change. We end the 12 Days of Christmas and move into Epiphany. I rather like the decision of the Council of Tours in 567 (what a great date!) that there should be celebrations from Christmas Day through to Epiphany Eve – which gave birth to the 12 Days of Christmas – or what we Brits call Christmastide. This is a splendid idea since most folks don’t really come back to work until about 10th January! Holding to this tradition and adapting it to the modern work pattern, we’d have 12 Days of feasting and 4 days to detox! In fact, the ancient pattern wasn’t that far away from that - because there is a tradition of fasting during Advent to get ready for the feasting. Fasting, feasting, detox! From tomorrow, Epiphanytide will run until Candlemas. What is Epiphany? This is traditionally when the Three Kings came to adore the baby. Thus, the Irish tradition of adding the figures of the Three Kings to the Nativity scene on Twelfth Night ready for Epiphany. But that’s tomorrow… let’s talk about partying! The famous Carol, “Here we come a wassailing,” refers to this evening where the poor would often go door-to-door singing songs of good cheer and blessing each household in return for a drink from the wassail bowl – filled with hot ale, apples, spices, and mead! The noun, “wassail,” refers to the drink. Where the wassail is more cider than ale, it can be connected to a more rural request for a good cider apple crop in the year to come. To wassail, as a verb, means to party on in the lively way associated with twelfth night, and also to go from house-to-house singing carols. It should, therefore, be a jolly good evening! Another tradition you may enjoy bringing back is the King Cake – baked with a bean and a pea. I’m guessing there was a separate cake for the boys and the girls as whoever gets the piece with the pea in gets to be Queen for the night, and whoever gets the bean gets to be King… for one night. We can be heroes just for one day. Servants would become masters. This could become a fun family tradition for you and yours - if only for one night! Do we need any deep spiritual message for today and tonight? I don’t think so. Epiphany, tomorrow, is deeply significant, but for tonight let’s enter into the spirit of celebration, blessing, thanksgiving, and generosity… and if you don’t have the energy for that, you could always watch Shakespeare’s comedy, “Twelfth Night.” (But that’s another story.)