Would you like to join a kindness and gratitude thread?

I think we all know that loving kindness given and received makes us happy. And gratitude makes us happier too. There is plenty of research evidence to confirm this – but all we have to do is pay attention to our instinctive knowledge to know it is true.

So I have the idea of a thread where we share examples of true loving kindness, and of gratitude for things in our lives, some of which we might otherwise take for granted.

We could grow a shared positive life thread. This is not to deny that we all have painful times – just to say we can have happier lives if we allow ourselves to pay attention to kindness and gratitude, and this will help us in the hard times too.

On this thread you can tell us about kindnesses done and received, and if you are shy about telling something kind you have done, in this thread its ok to say “someone I know/a relation/a friend…..’ or whatever you like. And of course it is ok to tell us directly of kindnesses you have done yourself. We could use the thread to express gratitude for kindness received too.

We can learn from each other and be uplifted by the loving kindness of others.

Gratitude is about paying attention to the good things in our lives and being grateful. Some people keep a daily gratitude diary and write about three things they are grateful for that day, with a word or two about why they are grateful. This thread might become a shared gratitude diary – if others join in, I would aim to add at least a short post about something I am grateful for every day. And kindnesses too but not necessarily daily. We could be cheered by each other and it could become part of the day for any of us who chose to join. What do you think?

I will start with something I am grateful for today: seeing beautiful tall trees beginning to turn to autumn colours. This took me beyond myself to enjoy and feel connected with nature.

And a kindness which springs to mind: I stopped in the street to rearrange a lot of bags and parcels I was carrying, and then walked on. A minute or two later a passerby caught me up – and gave me my handbag which I had left in the middle of the pavement.

Sending you loving thoughts for whatever difficulties you may have and wishing you good things.