Become a RAKtivist

Last word

Become a RAKtivist! Donna Le Marrec has the last word

This year seems to have been especially difficult both here at home and in the wider world.

I have been to a few funerals and only one wedding (is that my age?), friends have had terrible tribulations to overcome, and our beloved cat Ruby died.

It also feels like we have gone back in time to the 1970s and the Winter of Discontent in the UK with widespread strikes, electricity blackouts and soaring rates of inflation. I can vividly remember my mum searching for candles in the dark and my dad digging out our gas camping stove so we could cook (probably Findus Crispy Pancakes).

At the moment I am thoroughly sick of politics (local and global), the energy crisis, climate crisis and Russia! So, I have subscribed to something called ‘Positive News’ in the hope that I can find some joy!

Positive News is a magazine, both print version and online (www.positive. news) about good things. When much of the media is full of doom and gloom, it reports on what’s going right. It is a pioneer of ‘constructive journalism’ which is focused on progress, possibility, and solutions.

Highlights of the most recent edition includes a study that has revealed a million more ancient trees in England than previously thought, a blueprint for the revival of high streets, growing ‘green cities’, retailers using paper bottles, rejuvenated rivers, electric ‘flying’ ferries and more… lovely, heart-warming stories that make the world seem a much nicer place and stories that make the future seem so much more positive.

What particularly struck a chord with me, as a perennial ‘Moaning Minnie’, was an article on ‘gentle activism’ and five small but significant things we can all do to improve the world right now:

1. Find the Joy

Simply put, joy is a radical act because it creates unity between people. ‘Recognise that pleasure is a measure of freedom,’ writes Adrienne Maree Brown in her bestselling book Pleasure Activism. Brown argues that what all activists are striving for – freedom, equality and justice – are in fact joyful states, and so pleasure is a powerful tool in helping us achieve them.

2. Fix something

A needle and thread are all you need to take a stand against throwaway culture. Upcycle clothing with some beautifully imperfect stitches, buy secondhand furniture, repair simple but broken things. Or take electrical items to a Repair Café (now also in the east of the Island as well as in the west) – get expert help to fix anything from bicycles to electrical appliances, for free.

3. Switch off

The digital world is engineered to keep us glued to the bad news cycle. Ditch those mobile phones, iPads and other devices: declare a screen-free bedroom. Get a real alarm clock, watch, calendar and notebook. And make a list of all the things you’d rather be doing!

4. Take a nap

The growing ‘rest is resistance’ movement invites you to slow down, to deprogramme yourself from the belief that you should be doing more, that we have to be productive every single moment of our lives. Connect with the beauty of being human. See your friends. Care for yourself and others, and rest.

5. Become a RAKtivist

Short for ‘Random Acts of Kindness activist’, this global kindness community is on a mission to make the world a nicer place with spontaneous ‘acts of senseless beauty’. There are currently 43,209 signed up RAKtivists in 89 countries. Join them in reminding people how much goodness there is in the world.

I can add more to those five things.

Go sea swimming! I have met so many amazing women this year who swim daily. They all seem to glow with health and vitality! Cuddle a cat and go on a guided walk to learn more about this amazing island we all call home. I still have one beautiful and pampered feline friend, my sister has a mad Labrador puppy who has brought joy, and I have made the first step in terms of sea swimming and have bought a ‘dryrobe’!

All I need now is the energy (and bravery) to take the plunge…