Feel thejoy

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Notice the leaves on the trees. That sounds simple, but remember that each leaf is unique – no two leaves are ever identical. My dear friend told me this at a moment that I needed to hear it. Now I will never forget it and it’s such a magical fact.

Look for colour around you. You will see it even on the greyest of days; it may not come along as a flower in midwinter, but buildings have colour, people wear colour (especially if they read this book!). There’s colour everywhere, just take a moment to look for it.

See someone smiling. Yes, believe it or not many people smile; if you spot someone smiling, try sending a smile back.

Take note of delivery drivers singing, postmen whistling, street cleaners dancing, children skipping (go on, try a skip, because that does most definitely make you smile), postboxes with knitted hats on (yes, I keep spotting them around), window cleaners high up on tall buildings, and take a moment to feel the joy at your fingertips.

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Spot birds in the trees, or simply pets trotting along.

All of these things are VERY simple and obvious. They are wonderful, they’re free, and they’re there for us all if we just take time to look. They may seem so obvious that you may possibly pooh pooh this list, and if you do, that’s completely fine, but why not make your own list of things to look out for? Give it a go and pass your list on to others to see if they are really looking around too.