1. Quote I’ve been pondering this week “There’s nowhere you can be that isn’t where you’re meant to be…” – John Lennon
2. Christmas decorations made this week – No cook cinnamon ornaments. My 5 year old and wife made these for his Kindergarten friends, they’re amazing. If you’re looking for nice homemade presents, then these are personal and hand made, there isn’t much that can beat that.
3. Most inspiring read this week – Armand David shared 3 life lessons from a masterclass with Chris Hadfield. He used Masterclass.com a fantastic resource where famously skilled people teach all sorts of subject (think Gordon Ramsey cooking and James Patterson on writing). I’m starting the Malcolm Gladwell teaches writing in the New Year, there are many many courses, take a look if you haven’t seen it already, it’s a wonderful place for learning.
4. Since the birth of our first son, each December the Kindness elves visit overnight, setup an activity and leave a little note. This happens in our house for all 24 days till Christmas. We find it’s a great way to cement acts of kindness into a day, as well as a good reminder of the power of kindness to others. You don’t have to just do it at Christmas, the Kindness elves are for anytime really. So if you have children, it’s worth considering integrating Kindness elves into your lives.
5. This week I’ve been listening to Whatever, a December chart release from 1994. It’s by Oasis, an often misunderstood band. They wrote many great ballads and acoustic songs, Whatever is one of them, an inspiring song filled with meaningful lyrics, violins and electric guitar. It reminded me of the first time I saw Oasis live, in a small pub in Cardiff, Wales. It wasn’t long after the release of Definitely Maybe, there debut album and Liam the lead singer was punched by someone jumping on stage. He wasn’t best pleased, yet the crowd was filled with approbation because he kept on singing and didn’t stop the gig. I was in a strange place at the age of 21, and it’s fair to say their music helped save my life, I’ll always be grateful.
For those celebrating Christmas next week, I wish you all the joy and love Christmas can bring!