Reasons To Be Cheerful

It's February. We've already had three months of the light fading early. Some days the weather's cold and crisp, on others stormy and wet. At this time of year it can be challenging to be cheerful.  

Our writing exercise Reasons To Be Cheerful is inspired by the lyrics of Ian Drury and The Blockhead's song Reasons To Be Cheerful, Part 3.

It also fits with the gratitude practice which is gaining in popularity and impact. This suggests writing three things you're grateful for each night before sleep. (Link below)

Reasons To Be Cheerful: Part 1

Write down as many reasons to be cheerful you can think of. Let your pen flow, be specific. Here are some:

•     an open fire
•     crocuses - purple and orange
•     the big blue moon last week
•     pets - a small tortoise shell cat,  a black rescue cat, two Newfoundland dogs
•     turmeric tea   

Part 2 
Pick one and write about it for 10 - 15 mins. Write why it makes you cheerful, describe it in as much detail as you can using all your senses. Get in touch with the feelings it inspires as you write. Write about the feeling.  

Part 3
Share your reasons to be cheerful with some one else.

Here are Ian Drury's Reasons To Be Cheerful

And a link to: The Science Behind Gratitude 

This blogpost first appeared on The WordTherapy Centre blog.

The WordTherapy Centre is run by Diane Medhurst and Christine Hollywood

New Year Poems

It's 2016 and Spring is on its way! This is how people were feeling at the Care In Mind group I work with on Tuesdays. This is the poem we made, Winter is Nearly Ending. 

It was very spontaneous, with people speaking their thoughts inspired by the sunny, cold weather that morning in Newham. As they spoke I wrote the words they said. 

I also like this New Year poem written by WS Merwin. The last lines are so full of hope and possibility ...


To the New Year

With what stillness at last
you appear in the valley
your first sunlight reaching down
to touch the tips of a few
high leaves that do not stir
as though they had not noticed
and did not know you at all
then the voice of a dove calls
from far away in itself
to the hush of the morning

so this is the sound of you
here and now whether or not
anyone hears it this is
where we have come with our age
our knowledge such as it is
and our hopes such as they are
invisible before us
untouched and still possible



Here are more New Year poems from the Poetry Foundation and some early 2016 crocuses too.