I’m Sandra Piddock, and I’m a freelance writer, dividing my time between Spain and the UK. I’ll write about anything that interests and/or challenges me, and I like to focus on the lighter side of life whenever possible..
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When some people hear the word spiritual they automatically think of Talking to Dead People, but that’s Spiritualism, which is something totally different. There is, however, a similarity, in that both are governed by energy. We are all composed of energy – every one of us, and everything. I am energy, you are energy, the laptop I’m typing on is energy, as is whatever you choose in order to read this now.
Energy is fluid – it can change and it can be changed. That’s what spiritual wellbeing is all about, and that’s what this category is all about. So, you will read about gratitude, happiness, positivity – all the things that make us feel better about ourselves and about life. No dead people, I promise! This category is all about life, and living it to the full.
Having an attitude of gratitude has never been more important. As the lock-down due to the Covid-19 outbreak continues, our mental health is taking a bit of a hit. No matter how positive we are normally, all this isolation and bad news is sure to take its toll. Strangely enough, when things seem at their worst is the very time when we should be looking for the good in every situation.
If you think that’s a really big ask, well, yes it is. But it’s well worth the effort, because cultivating an attitude of gratitude is a very powerful self care tool. Let’s look at the practicalities – it’s impossible to feel grateful and negative at the same time. If you don’t believe it, just try saying ‘thank you’ out loud and see what happens, physically and emotionally.
For a start, you can’t say ‘thank you’ without smiling, even slightly. And just the sound of the words is enough to lift your spirits. As you say ‘thank you,’ you feel yourself standing straight and tall, lifting your head, and at the same time, you feel a positive shift in energy. That’s the beginning of gratitude.
So, how do you build gratitude into your life? It’s simple really. Whenever you feel down, upset, depressed – any sort of negative feeling – think of three things that make you happy right now. It can be as basic as a nice cup of tea, just when you need it. Maybe your child or your partner brought you tea and biscuits in bed. Look at all the things you have to be grateful for. You have a comfortable home, a family who care, and the time to enjoy your tea and biscuits before you need to do anything else.
Now we’ve covered the practical side, what are the spiritual benefits of an attitude of gratitude? Under the Law of Attraction, the thoughts and feelings you put out into the Universe attract more of the same into your life. So if you count your blessings, you will attract more reasons to be cheerful into your life. So it makes sense to send out good thoughts, and nip the negatives in the bud.
One of the best ways to do this is to use positive affirmations. This can be a simple phrase you repeat to yourself, or it can be a sort of positive prayer, where you don’t ask for help, you say thank you for the good things. You don’t need to say this out loud for the Universe to hear you – your thoughts have enough energy to carry them where they need to go. And you don’t need fancy words and phrases, or to use religious terminology. All you have to do is feel the gratitude in your heart.
I was talking with a friend a few days ago. He’s a successful businessman, but he feels for his clients, who are all worried about how their own businesses will manage to ride out the lock-down. When you’re an empath, you can worry about others as well as yourself, and it’s very draining energetically.
As I was talking him through some coping strategies and exercises to raise his vibrational energy, I was given an affirmation, channelled through Archangel Michael. I was told to share it with him, and also with others who might need to be reminded that an attitude of gratitude can strengthen your soul and help you through the dark times and bring in more success. I suggest you print this off or write it out, and read through it when you need to.
You may wish to carry it with you. Words are like crystals – they carry healing energy, and if you keep them close to you, you may feel extra benefits. When you want to read your affirmation prayer, find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed, and take a few deep, calming breaths, as if you were preparing for meditation. I like to hold a hand over my heart, and visualise the words coming from my heart, into the air around me.
Love and blessings, and I hope this beautiful affirmation prayer, channelled from Archangel Michael, brings you comfort.
Affirmation for gratitude and success
(Channelled from Archangel Michael, 19 May 2020)
Thank you, Universe, for all the blessings in my life.
I am grateful for my happy family
I am blessed with my beautiful home
I am fortunate in my friends
I am surrounded by love
I love my work, which keeps me busy serving others
I have everything I need for happiness within me
I am truly blessed
I am truly grateful
I am truly content
Thank you, Universe for the abundance in my life right now
Cutting the energetic cord to Covid-19, as visualised in the meditation.
There is no doubt we are living through an unprecedented situation unknown in peace time. And no matter how positive you try to be, there are always going to be times when you are anxious – for yourself, for your loved ones, and for the general situation as a whole. This is where cutting energetic cords, with Archangel Michael, can come in useful.
I was given this visualisation by Spirit for Covid-19, but it works for any situation where someone or something is draining your energy and making you feel anxious. And today, with lockdown having lasted for three months now, it’s still as effective as ever.
Basically, cutting energetic cords can help if there is something playing on your mind, whether it’s in the present, like the Covid-19 outbreak, or in the past, but still affecting your life now. Focusing on past or present worries robs you of the joy of now, and if there’s nothing you can do to alter the situation, it’s pointless wasting energy on it. Negative energy, in thought, word or deed, has a habit of reproducing and attracting even more negativity into your life, so it’s something that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.
Why Archangel Michael?
Archangel Michael is the go-to angel for cord cutting, and this visualisation will help you to do just that. When you cut the energetic cords to a person or situation, it doesn’t mean you no longer care, and it doesn’t airbrush anything out of your life. What it does do is allow you to detach from the energy around the situation, and see it for what it really is – something you couldn’t change or control, which doesn’t have an important place in your life right now.
When you cut energetic cords, you feel a lightness and clarity of thought that wasn’t there before. That’s because you set the intention to detach from it. You can’t control or change what’s happens, but you can control and adapt your response. Once you realise that you can’t do anything, no matter how much you want to, whatever you are detaching from loses its power to impact on your life in a negative way.
As someone classed as vulnerable because of an auto-immune system condition, I can’t do what I want to do, and get out and volunteer my services to those who need them. However, I can use my psychic and healing skills to help people cope emotionally and spiritually with isolation and worry.
A friend who was weighed down with anxiety because she was caring for an elderly relative, and her daughter was facing danger every day as a key worker, asked me to help. I wasn’t sure where our session was going, but I did feel that a cord cutting exercise was needed. As we talked, I was given this visualisation by Spirit. It is specifically to cut the energetic cords of the Covid-19 situation, but it can be adapted to anything that is causing you concern.
So, let’s work through this together. You may want to record this, so you can play it back and focus all your attention on the visualisation. Or you could copy it out, read through it a couple of times, and then try it for yourself. However you do it, it’s a very powerful visualisation. Are you sitting comofrtably? Then we’ll begin!
Cutting the energetic cords of Covid-19
Begin by closing your eyes and taking a few deep breaths in through the nose to the count of three, hold for three, then exhale through the mouth to another count of three. Imagine breathing in love and healing, and breathing out tension.
Now invite Archangel Michael to come into your presence and wrap his protective wings around you. You may feel a different sensation to alert you to his presence, like warmth, or the pressure of a hug, or even a sense of peace and calm. Don’t worry if you feel nothing – you can be sure he is with you, because when you ask the Angels to come forward to help, they are obliged to do so.
See before you a small black dot in the distance, something like a full stop, which as it comes closer quickly develops into a large black ball, about the size of a football. You notice that there is a thick string attached to the ball, and although you can’t touch it, you know it is really strong. You also notice flecks of red in the ball, and you feel a threat from it.
As the ball stops, a few feet away from you, level with your heart, you recognise it as Covid-19, waiting to overwhelm you with worry and fear.
Now ask Archangel Michael to cut the literal cord attached to this situation of fear and isolation with his Sword of Light. Look steadily at the black ball, and inwardly tell it you will not allow it into your mind or your life. Watch as Archangel Michael severs the connection with one blow of the Sword of Light.
Feel your spirits lift and your soul strengthen as the black ball floats slowly and harmlessly into the distance. It may have rushed towards you, but know that as it floats away, it has lost its power to rob you of your peace of mind.
Thank Archangel Michael for his help, and bid him farewell for now. Enjoy the new feeling of lightness and happiness as you bring your awareness back to the here and now.
If you are feeling really overwhelmed, you may need to do this more than once to clear your mind and heart. And of course, it’s still vital to practice caution by following expert advice on minimising the risks to yourself and others.
If you see something other than a ball, that’s okay. It’s your visualisation, and it’s the cord cutting itself that matters. And the lighter feeling you get as a result.
What else you can do
Another step you can take to distance yourself from the energy of Covid-19 is to draw it, as I have, in a way that makes it less threatening. I’m the first to admit I am no artist, but I deliberately set out to do a child-like representation of the visualisation. That again robs it of its power to cause anxiety, by making it look ridiculous while treating it with respect.
Let me know in the comments how you get on with the visualisation, and remember, the Angels are always there, waiting to help. Love and blessings to everyone at this challenging time. Stay safe and well, and be kind to yourself and others. This will pass, and we will all be stronger for it.
There’s a song called Happiness, made famous by Liverpool comedian Ken Dodd way back in 1964. The first line describes happiness as ‘The greatest gift that I possess.’ While I love the song, I take issue with the sentiment. Happiness is within us, whenever we want it, so it’s not a gift, it’s as essential to a healthy life as your heart or your kidneys.
However, while the organs work automatically for our benefit, happiness isn’t something that can run in the background. You need training to use it, so I see happiness as a job for life, with a pension that you are able to draw on from the minute you tap into your own happiness.
In his comedy routines, Ken Dodd talked about ‘exercising your chuckle muscles,’ but happiness isn’t a physical state, it’s a state of mind. so you don’t need to head off to pump iron at the gym in order to be happy. You do have to recognise that you, and only you, are responsible for your happiness though.
You won’t be happy when the Neighbour from Hell moves 100 miles away, or when your child graduates from university with a First, or even when you meet the love of your life. You see happiness does not depend on the presence or absence of people or things – it depends on your state of mind, and your ability or otherwise to live in the now. If you are constantly looking back to perceived better times, or forward to a future of happiness and hope, you are missing out on the things that would make you happy right now, in this moment, if only you brought your attention to them.
See happiness as a vocation – something you will be doing for the rest of your life, because it’s something you love to do, and something you would do, even if you weren’t paid for it. Of course, if your performance doesn’t come up to scratch, you are either sidelined for promotion, or you are sacked. So work at being happy – not by forcing it, but including it in your routine until it becomes as natural as breathing.
Employees at the top of their game are an inspiration to others, and this brings job satisfaction in its wake. So there’s a feelgood factor about being the reason that someone else is happy. Look on it as a productivity bonus – although there is no salary for the job of being happy. Other than a lifetime of positivity, of course – which is beyond price.
So, look on being happy as an astute career move, when all the work you put in is acknowledged rewarded, and the working conditions get better and better as you move up the ladder. When you find yourself having a problem maintaining happiness, examine your options. Check in on your inner Human Resources, and find help and inspiration. You are entitled to happiness – it’s your job to be happy. Remember that.
As more and people turn to spirituality and move away from recognised religious practices, the concept of prayer is changing too. Traditional formally worded, one-size-fits-all prayers are making way for more heartfelt, personalised, spontaneous requests for divine help, and all you have to do is to ask the angels. It really is that simple!
Angelic roots
Angels figure in many religions and belief systems, and have done for millennia. The term itself derives from Greek and Latin roots meaning ‘messenger.’ With the exception of Sandalphon and Metatron, who were incarnated as the Biblical prophets Elijah and Enoch, angels have never existed in human form.
This distinction is emphasised by the fact that all the
other members of the Angelic Realm have names ending with the suffix ‘-el,’
which means ‘God.’ Therefore, angels are messengers between Heaven and Earth.
The most well known messenger is Archangel Gabriel, who announced the Nativity
of the Messiah.
Angels may be from a higher realm, but they are always instantly accessible. Under the Universal Laws, if anyone asks an angel for assistance, they are obliged to help. However, they cannot just step in and fix everything, because it would interfere with the exclusively human prerogative of Free Will. Such action would disrupt the delicate Spirit/Human balancing act. We need to face up to and overcome challenges in order to learn and grow, both spiritually and emotionally.
How can Angels help you?
Angels can and will come to your aid, but it may not be in the way you envisage it. The Universal Laws dictate that the solution to your problem must be for the Highest Good of all concerned. If you’re thinking to put out a Celestial Contract on a troublesome ex partner, the angels can’t deliver.
That’s a shame from some perspectives, because angels have no use for cash, and they can’t give evidence against you or be judgmental. However, the ex may suddenly get an offer they can’t refuse which means relocating, so everyone gets emotional space and nobody gets hurt. That’s the way angels rock, and it’s a lot less messy as well.
For the angels to help you in the best way possible, you must trust them to do the necessary to ensure the best outcome for yourself and others who may also be affected. Don’t give them a wish list to work from, because what you want isn’t necessarily what you need for your soul’s growth. They can see the bigger picture, including the pitfalls associated with your requests.
Talking to the Angels
So, how do you talk to the angels? In the same way you’d talk to any other friend.The difference is, you’ll hold the conversation in your head, and it will be a monologue rather than a dialogue. Start by asking the angels to draw near. If you have a particular intent, you can call on a named angel, such as Raphael for healing, Chamuel for love, or Michael for justice and protection. Otherwise, just inwardly ask for anyone who can help to step forward, and outline your problem.
Keep it positive, because the thoughts you put out are the
ones that will be returned to you under the Law of Attraction, so be careful
with your phrasing. And remember, the angels know what you need most to be
happy and fulfilled, so take a leap of faith and allow them to work their
miracles unhindered.
Remember to show gratitude for all the good things in your life – waking up every morning is a bonus, after all! Then thank the angels for their help, and look for signs to show your prayers are being answered. You may experience synchronicities, where events just slot into place, or people come into your life just when they are needed.
Also you may see patterns of repeating numbers, or hear the same song on the radio often. Maybe even see repeating symbols, like birds, butterflies or rainbows. When these things happen, notice where you are and what else is going on around you, so you can play your own part in co-creating your best life.
Asking the angels for help
Asking the angels for help in manifesting abundance and happiness is as natural as calling in a plumber to fix a water leak. You don’t need to use special words to make yourself understood, because they are the experts, and they know what you need.
Remember to approach the angels with love and gratitude in your heart as you ask for their help. Never request anything that would harm anyone – yourself included. Work with the angels for the Highest Good of all concerned, and live your best life. You know it makes sense.
There’s a lot of talk about kindness right now, following the recent tragic suicide of Caroline Flack. The former Love Island presenter was due to face trial charged with assaulting her boyfriend. Mental health problems and pressure from mainstream media and social media trolls proved too much for her.
Just a couple of days before she died alone at home, Caroline put out a message saying:
In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
It has become her epitaph, and people are adding ‘Be Kind’ to their social media profiles, and urging people to check on fragile friends and family members. While it’s an admirable sentiment, there are a couple of flaws in this theory.
The good and the bad
The first problem is, such an all-encompassing, sweeping statement just adds to the distress of the deceased’s friends and family. We tend to blame ourselves when a loved one passes in these circumstances, and they will have already been thinking along the lines of, ‘Why didn’t I do enough/say enough/support her more/visit more?’ You can probably add other ‘Why’s’ and ‘If only’s’ to this list – the permutations are endless.
The second issue is more complex. Kindness can work miracles, but in some cases, it’s just not enough. When someone is in the grip of a deep, all-consuming depression, they can’t be saved – or pushed over the edge – by kindness alone.
Often when true depression hits, reasoning leaves by the fire exit, and the object of your kindness may not even recognise it for what it is. When you can’t even process your own motives and feelings, nothing else has any impact, positive or negative. All you want to do is make it stop.
What is kindness really?
Kindness in its purest, most helpful state of being can’t be turned on and off like a tap, or the central heating. It’s a state of being and a way of living. It’s not something you’re born with, either, although it is something you can and should nurture and cultivate in yourself.
Kindness is like a muscle – the more you exercise it, the stronger it becomes, and the stronger you become as a result. It emanates from you, and is noticeable without the need to draw attention to it. You can’t hide it, because, just like ripped muscles, it’s there for all to see in the way you carry yourself.
On the other side of the coin, if you don’t exercise kindness regularly, just like muscles, it will waste away from your being. And again, it will be aparrent to everyone around you. Your body may not be out of condition, but your soul certainly will be, and it will show on the exterior.
Just as muscles cannot be built up overnight, nor can kindness. You don’t need to work hard to build kindness, but it does require regular practice. It can’t be emphasised enough – kindness is not a trend that will be forgotten when the Next Big Thing hits the news and social media. Just two weeks after everyone’s news feed was full with ‘Be Kind’ memes and hearts, the Coronavirus hype has taken over, and suddenly everyone is a public health pundit.
How do we utilise kindness?
So, how can we best cultivate and utilise kindness? Lead by example, and do it quietly. If you plaster evidence of your kindness all over the place, it doesn’t come from the soul, it comes from the ego. Kindness does not need recognition or validation.
True kindness is its own reward, because when we help someone with words, thoughts or actions, we vibrate at a higher level of energy, and we feel better about ourselves. Not because everyone knows about it and is congratulating us, but because, thanks to something we did, another human being feels better about themselves and their situation than they did previously.
Be kind – always. It’s one of the greatest gifts you can give to anyone – including yourself. True kindness really does make the world a better place. Let’s spread it far and wide.
As we head to the August full moon, the energies suggest that we clear stuff that no longer serves us and drags our vibrations down, ready to replace the low, stagnant energies with something more positive. Full moon is a time for abundance, but in order to bring in the good, we have to release the bad energies – whether coming from ourselves, from others, or from situations.
I have something I really need to release right now, and I was meditating on it this morning when I was given this exercise. Although it is initially a gift to me from Spirit, they know I like to share anything that helps me grow and learn, so here it is.
Are you dealing with a particular issue that is allowing lower energies into your space? Think of a sentence, or even just a word, that sums up what you need to release. Mine is ‘I refuse to allow those who do not serve my highest good to disturb my inner peace and steal my joy’
Now get a large sheet of paper. draw a big pink heart on it, and write your sentence in big letters inside the heart. Take up all the space, so that your issue is literally enclosed and touched by loving heart energy. In the two mounds at the top of the heart, write your signature and the date on the left side, and the time on the right side.
Here’s the twist – choose a coloured
pencil or pen to help you to release what you need to, and also amplify the
blessings you will receive once you have cleared this energy block. Working
with colours can be very insightful, and very therapeutic spiritually as well. As
with most colour related practices Spirit give me, it’s based around red, blue,
green and yellow.
In my case, I wrote my sentence in
red, and not just because it is my favourite colour! Red is for courage,
strength and empowerment, and I need courage and strength to work through this
particularly challenging release. The empowerment follows successful release,
which will help myself and a very good friend to eliminate an ongoing negative
impact in both our lives and move forward in joy.
If it’s a healing situation, for yourself and/or others, choose green. It’s a colour to help you deal with the stresses of the modern world in all its manifestations, whether related to work or personal life. Your reward is balance and harmony, and a feeling of renewed energy.
If the situation is centred around communication or trust, then write in blue. It’s the colour of clarity, communication and peaceful reconciliation. Your reward is peace, tranquility, and physical and emotional relaxation.
Is something or someone stealing your
joy? Maybe you have a personal block that is preventing you from moving into
the creative and abundant state of being we all deserve to experience. Write
your sentence in yellow. Yellow gives you the confidence and self esteem you
need to move through this situation and live your best life in happiness and
joy.
Once your paper is ready, call on
Archangel Ariel, the Angel of Abundance to help you. Invoke Ariel by saying, ‘Archangel
Ariel’ three times to form a strong connection, then inwardly or out loud,
whichever suits you best, say these words:
Archangel Ariel, I call on you in humility, love and grace to help me to release and transmute any negativity in any shape or form that is preventing me from moving into abundance and joy and living my best life
I use the cleansing power of fire to
return this energy to the Earth, so that from it, love may rise like a phoenix
and embrace all those who have been affected.
It is done
Thank you, thank you, thank you
Now hold the paper over your heart centre with the words facing inwards. Take three deep breaths in through the nose, holding each breath for a count of three before releasing through the mouth..Imagine white, cleansing clouds of air entering your body, and black clouds of negativity leaving it, getting lighter on each exhale.
If, after three breaths, you are still visualising very dark smoke, take three more breaths, and then three more if you need to. The aim is to visualise those black clouds turning to grey, and maybe even white, because that means you are actively releasing negativity, even though you may not feel any different.
Finally, hold the paper over a fireproof dish or container, light a stick of white sage incense, and before the flame goes out and the incense starts to smoke, touch the stick to the bottom corner of the paper to set it alight. The cleansing flames of white sage will begin to transmute the energies in the paper.
When it has burned through, bury the ashes in a corner of your garden that you can see all the time, or that you walk past regularly. Visualise the remnants of the paper turning into the vibrant pink light of unconditional love, and imagine that light reaching upwards and outwards like the branches of a big tree, and filling you with light and love. Now, visualise opening your heart centre to send that love anyone involved in the situation, or even just the situation itself.
Do this every day for a week. If you
still feel you haven’t released most or all of your emotions related to the
sentence on the paper, you can repeat the practice again. Releasing is like
peeling away layers of an onion – sometimes, it’s fairly easy, at other times,
you have to work a bit harder to achieve the outcome you want.
I did my releasing exercise yesterday, and I feel so much more settled and motivated today. I’ve done a bunch of stuff around the house – probably as much as I’d do in three or four days normally. I’m tired now, but it’s a good tired. I feel I’ve accomplished something important with this release, and I’m ready to move forward in love and joy. Let me know how you get on in the comments. Please do read more on my blog. Love and blessings to you all.
One of the most inspiring quotes I’ve read in a while.
‘Compliments of the season’ is a phrase that’s bandied about a lot in December, isn’t it? I’ve used it myself on occasion, although I do try to be a bit more original. It comes in handy when you’re dealing with someone you don’t know well, and you’re not sure if they celebrate Christmas or not, but two posts on Facebook got me thinking yesterday – shouldn’t compliments be available for every season?
The first post carried the legend, ‘Be an encourager – the world has plenty of critics already.’ I liked, shared, and commented, and thought how very true this is. The newspapers, TV and social media are overflowing with criticism of everything and everyone, but how much actual encouraging stuff do you see? Not all that much, because when people do post the good stuff, they often feel the need to say something like, ‘Here’s something positive for a change,’ or something similar. And good news doesn’t sell papers, unless it’s a royal wedding or baby.
I was still pondering this when another meme showed up on my newsfeed. This one really spoke to me out loud, because it mirrors my own feelings exactly. It went like this:
If you look for something to criticise, you will find it. If you look for something to compliment, you will find that, too. Your choice.
It’s definitely a choice you make. I don’t mean you should glide through life always being happy about everything – that would be extremely irritating for everyone around you. Nor should you habitually accept poor service and bad behaviour rather than risking offending someone or ‘causing a fuss.’ I can, and do, criticise – firmly, fulsomely and fervently – when it’s necessary. I won’t tolerate bad service, rudeness or bullying, and I will state my case and ask for appropriate action from the offender or offenders, whether it’s Tracy at the local bar having a bad day and taking it out on the customers, or big corporations.
However, I don’t go looking for something to complain about, whether I’m shopping, eating out, buying something nice or heading off on holiday. It’s all an adventure in this thing called life, and I expect to enjoy myself. I find that I pretty much always do, because I’m looking for a good time, and if that’s what I get, I compliment the people involved.
Going back to Christmas, I was stunned a couple of years ago when, just after the festivities were over, I called into our local butcher to tell the staff just how much we’d enjoyed our free range turkey crown, Aberdeen Angus beef joint and smoked gammon. The manager was taken aback, because I was only the second person to go in and say how much we’d enjoyed our meat, whereas theyd had complaints that this or that wasn’t right. Some of the complaints were justified, because when you’re serving thousands of customers over a few days with thousands of kilos of meat and other stuff, there’s bound to be the odd thing that slips through the net.
However, sometimes, the complaints were that the joint was not big enough, the turkey was too dry, or even ‘Little Johnny didn’t like it.’ All of these issues were not the butcher’s responsibility – the quantity of meat, the cooking methods, and Little Johnny’s latest food fads are down to the buyer, not the seller. It’s as if some people are looking for something to criticise and someone to blame, because Christmas wasn’t everything they’d thought it would be. It rarely is – because life in general is neither perfectly good, nor perfectly bad. It is what it is, and you can’t change it.
However, you can change your outlook, and you can change your reactions. Look for the good things, because there are plenty of them there, if you look with joy and love for life. Babies, children and dogs live in the now, and enjoy the moment, and all that comes with it. Be more baby, be more dog.
For some time now, I’ve made sure I pay at least one sincere compliment every day. If I can’t do it in person – which I prefer – I’ll do it on social media. And if it’s been a particularly busy or trying day, and I get to bed and realise I haven’t paid anyone a compliment, I’ll tell my dog Paddy what a good boy he is. Even though I do that lots of times a day, it’s pretty much automatic – I do it without thinking about it. Actually considering why you want to say something nice is good for the soul, because it reminds you of the beautiful person you’re talking to, or the lovely thing that just happened. Conscious compliments are the best compliments of all – it’s too easy to just say something nice because you think it’s expected, or because somebody else just did, and you don’t want to be left out.
Sincere compliments are given with no thought of the feedback you may get – they come from the heart, and are all about the person you are complimenting. You want to say something nice to make them feel good, not you. And if they seem awkward about accepting your compliment, maybe that’s just because they’re not used to hearing nice things. So pay them another compliment, and make their day.
Sincere compliments take just a moment to deliver, but they can have a lasting impact on lives. People who feel good about themselves want to spread the love, and they’ll be nice to others, because they remember how you made them feel when you said they had a wonderful smile, or you enjoyed their song on the karaoke, or whatever it was.
Compliments of the season? Let’s make compliments a feature of every season, shall we? Starting now.
I’m Sandra Piddock, and I’m a freelance writer, dividing my time between Spain and the UK. I’ll write about anything that interests and/or challenges me, and I like to focus on the lighter side of life whenever possible..
