Greetings and welcome to our second Happynesshub ‘Weekly Words’! As another week of social distancing goes by, I hope that you’re still finding ways to practice self-care and enjoy the beautiful weather. I have taken the opportunity this week to get out doing some socially-distanced cycling (Archie Boy my Black Lab in tow, of course!) and have loved hearing all your stories of how you have been spending your time in the sunshine whilst lockdown measures continue.

I hope you find our roundup of thoughts, stories and news both informative and soothing as you prepare for a restful weekend.

Watch out everyone – Celebrity Alert! Whilst we’re on the topic of cycling, I am so proud to present to you the next film in our Bow-Wowza series, featuring none other than our resident fitspiration expert Joe Sniffs. He’s on a mission to get kids up and down the country into their groove mentally and physically, and he’s PAWSitively PUMPED about it!

I so enjoyed watching ‘Football, Prince William and Our Mental Health’ on the BBC on Thursday, where the goal (if you’ll pardon the pun) was to get men talking about their mental health. In the documentary, the Duke of Cambridge talks with football players from many different backgrounds, ranging from professionals to amateur enthusiasts, all united by their desire to open up a conversation about what goes on ‘up there’. In the same vein, Bow-Wowza wants to encourage all kids, footie-mad or not, to feel comfortable talking about their emotions and sharing how they feel. I highly recommend watching the documentary if you get the chance, and in the meantime head on over to YouTube and PopJam to get movin with Joe Sniffs and #unleashyourbestlife!

We’ve kept this week’s musing short and sweet to round off a chilled four-day week we had here in the U.K. Please enjoy these words of wisdom from one of the world’s most inspirational figures:

“Courageous people do not fear forgiving for the sake of peace.”

Nelson Mandela

On this, fabulous Felicity, our newest member to the Happynesshub HQ Team (welcome, welcome!) says:

“Forgiveness is something that we teach children from a very young age, but can seem to fall by the wayside in the ‘grown-up’ world. This quote reminds me that it’s not always an easy step to make – it really does take courage, and is a sign of strength, rather than weakness or ‘backing down’. So, this week, I invite you to think about how you could use forgiveness to bring about peace in your life. For me, lockdown has certainly brought new challenges, many of which I’m sure we can all resonate with, from small disagreements blowing up more easily, to having more time on my hands which has led to me thinking back on past difficulties. Either way, what I’m learning, is that practicing forgiveness holds benefits for both our mental and physical health! Check out this article to read more about these benefits and the science behind them – which, as you know, is our favourite part here at Happynesshub HQ”.

I am so excited that we have continued Super Saturday to make it a part of our weekly newsletter. Our growing community is something I treasure, and your thoughts, stories and photos truly add the ‘Hub’ to the Happyness! This week we have a wonderful reflection from our Hubber, Dimple, on the practice of writing letters to her future self. Here is her thoughtful and highly personal contribution:

“In 2017 I wrote myself a letter as part of a business coaching exercise. The letter was about all the things I was hoping to achieve in a year. Fast forward to 2018, I received the letter I had forgotten about. However, that year had turned my life upside down and inside out, and when I read the letter I cried as my life had changed beyond recognition and most of the goals had not been achieved.

Once my emotions had settled, I decided that I was going to continue the practice of writing to my 12 month future self – but instead I would fill the letter with self-compassion. So, each May I write to myself on stationery that I like and have collected, and hand the letter over to a trusted friend to post. I choose May because a lot of life changes over the years have happened in this month, so I wanted to celebrate this time as a time of rebirth rather than being sad about the past.

This year when I received my letter it reminded me of the distance I had travelled and of my healing journey. It reminded me of my courage and resilience. It was a letter of genuine compassion acknowledging my own humanness and experiences.

We often forget to be kind to ourselves and therefore to me this practice is about taking a moment of putting what I need to hear in a note or a card. When I read it again, it feels like the greatest act of self-kindness, helping me to recognise and accept that nothing lasts forever. Light and darkness are part of the cycle of life, so all we can do is be present and kind to ourselves and others.”

Thank you dear Dimple. Your heartfelt words have definitely struck a chord with me, and I’m sure many other Hubbers reading. We are so grateful for your entry and are humbled by the candidness in which you’ve written it. My letter to future-me will be drafted this weekend. What a perfect way to round off our Weekly Words!

So, Hubbers, I hope you have enjoyed our musings. I wish you a peaceful, courageous and happy weekend. Please do keep sending in your thoughts to us via happy@happynesshub.com or through our contact form – see you next week!

With love,

Sally x