Smile stories

TELL me a smile story? This question popped up on my Instagram feed this week and it really made me think. Just as I was pondering the smile question, a producer from BBC Radio Berkshire called me to put me through to the presenter as I was that day’s guest on the Coffee Club feature.

And the question, what puts you in a positive frame of mind? Literally the same question, minutes apart.

I had no choice but to think about it and come up with an answer.

I’m ever the optimist and can usually find reasons to be cheerful. But I get that right now it’s a challenge for most of us. I’m a freelancer so my life is made up of uncertainty and change.

Thankfully I’m able to roll with it. But this year has presented more than it’s fair of challenges and sometimes my smile has slipped.

With most of my family in the North West, our annual Christmas shindig has been cancelled.

As of this week they’re on local lockdown and unable to visit other peoples houses. I guess it’ll be just the four of us this year at home in Wokingham.

Yes, it’ll be a quieter affair and the fun and games won’t be half as raucous but it’ll be lovely.

If I’m honest, it’ll probably be far more relaxing and restorative.

So for that I need to smile.

My life lesson is that at a time when so much of our lives is out of our control, we need to find and delight in the things we can control.

I suppose because so much of my working life is controlled by my clients and no two days are ever the same, I’ve learnt how to deal with the unknown.

It’s something that’s really helping me at this time.

So what’s making me smile right now?

When I think about it, there are so many things. Yes, they might be little but they add up to be enough to lift a mood. I live on the Reading Road.

The traffic noise usually drowns out any other sound. But right now I can hear the tweeting of the birds when I wake up and there’s even an owl that hoots in the trees behind my house when I go to sleep each night. I’m more than happy to say that I’m tuning in and it feels good.

I’m also cheered by the wonderful community I live in.

Businesses showing resilience and flex as they pivot and change in our brave new world.

It makes me feel proud that we have some great indie shops and businesses able to make the change.

I’m making sure I’m doing my bit to support them.

And if all else fails, there’s nothing that some great tunes can’t cure. Find your favourite playlist and turn up the volume. It honestly works every time.