Go as far as you can see and when you get there, you'll be able to see further: the 11th Seed of Hope & Kindness

I’m thinking of you as winter in our southern hemisphere reaches its mid point, and summer light fills the northern hemisphere. I hope that you are going well.

In Perth, Australia, our garden is quiet yet stirring. Many of the birds with whom we shared the autumn have flown north now. Some of those who have stayed - the little and the large - are making pairing and territory claiming calls. Some flowers and green leaves are awakening. It feels as if our garden’s mid-winter point is earlier than that of our calendar, and early spring has already arrived. These first signs of flourishing new life fill me with joy.

While savouring the annual round of season changes, I’m thinking back to our human world when I wrote my last Seed of Hope in February 2021. Covid was the major concern and lockdown was the way of life. Since then the virus has become a far lesser threat and other concerns have emerged: the human and economic fallout from the covid years and the Ukraine-Russian war just for starters. Beneath is sense of unease, perhaps a sense that what was lost during the covid years won’t be regained….

I’m wondering if “normal” now means simply living with uncertainty; if going with the flow of the world around me and responding kindly is the best way to go; if accepting that planning for certain outcomes is less of my way forward now. Especially when connecting to other people. Given my recently acquired habit to withdraw during our lockdowns as the kind thing to do, I’ve had to awaken my pre-covid habit of reaching out to meet old friends and new ones. I’m surprised how long its taking me for this simple habit to become my normal once more. 

This saying is helping my journey at the moment:

“Go as far as you can see and when you get there, you'll be able to see further.”Thomas Carlyle

"Rainbow" by Rob Campbell

As a writer, the words that I craft are intended to invite conversations where readers can learn, explore and discover how they might achieve what they want to achieve, kindly. Now that I’ve accepted that my writing is never going to deliver on its intention through the traditional publishing path, a new way forward has emerged. Its focus is to help people awaken from our covid years kindly: the 7 Keys of Kindness online courses, based on the 7 Keys of Kindness which were at the centre of the Resilient Leadership project. Sadly this project is now closed.

Thankfully, my friend Sally Paulin, one of the past members of the project, is co-creating these courses alongside me. You might find our "Unlock Your Own Wisdom" Taster a helpful place for your awakening. It’s available FREE from the 7 Keys of Kindness webpage:

www.7KeysofKindness.com

Sally and I would be delighted to hear how you go.

As you make your way forward, I wish you kindness.

Wendy