Historic Curiosities, Forests and a Kindness Jar

Happy Easter weekend. I hope you're enjoying some extra time off to relax and recharge.

What a wild week of weather we've had here in the UK, with rainstorms battling sunny spells and gusty winds. Thankfully, though, it seems spring is finally winning.

‘Only the present moment is real.’ Thich Nhat Hanh

– – –

Writing – Words for Wellness

Last weekend, we visited the beautiful Tatton Park in Knutsford. It’s close by, and we often explore the gardens or deer park, but this time, we stepped back in history by venturing into the neo-classical mansion and spent a lovely couple of hours roaming the embellished, colourful rooms.

I was especially fascinated by the cellar area with all the old food storage and prep rooms. There was even a little track that would have transported supplies directly to the kitchen. What a handy invention! It made me ponder what life was like back then.

These days, I find myself intrigued by our ancestors and how they lived. Their practices, mistakes, and discoveries paved the way for our modern lifestyles, and while certainly challenging at times, life seemed simpler in many ways.

I often wish I could hop in a time machine like Bill and Ted's phone booth to explore past worlds. But then I remember I have an imagination and that's my greatest time travel device. With that in mind, let's use today's journal prompts to revisit our roots:

✐  Journal Prompts

• What era of history most piques your curiosity? Why does it intrigue you?
• Write a short story set in a historical time you find interesting. What role will you play? Focus on the rich details.
• Make a list of historical sites/environments you'd love to visit. As you check them off, write about the experience in a journal. What fascinated you most?

‘The man who has no imagination has no wings.’ Muhammad Ali

– – –

Nature – Discover a Nourishing Connection

After being flattened by a superbug last week, I'm finally feeling re-energised and have clocked three runs already this week. I've missed the fresh air and find that it nourishes me in much the same way as food. My body feels sluggish and my mood takes a dip whenever I'm cooped up for too long.

Did you know 21 March was the International Day of Forests? Forests provide such a vital haven for biodiversity and sustainability, and most are free to explore along designated trails for safety and protection against unnecessary erosion.

Now more than ever, we must protect these sacred spaces. Forests are bountiful in the food chain and shelter all walks of life, so we need to nurture their growth and guard them against the threat of destruction.

I recently spotted a colleague’s post on LinkedIn asking about our favourite nature spots: coast, mountains, countryside or forests. It's a tough choice since I love them all for different reasons, but I had to go with forests. There's something magical about their cool, hidden realm where trees reign supreme. Who knows what tales await around the next towering trunk? To me, forests are where stories are born and forever evolving. Let's reflect on our favourite natural havens with these prompts:

✐  Journal Prompts

• Which environment calls to you most: coast, mountains, countryside or forest?
• Describe it in vivid detail: the sights, sounds, smells, colours, textures.
• How does being there make you feel?
• What memories or emotions does it stir up?

– – –

Creativity – Explore Your Authentic Self

With this lovely long weekend upon us, I'd love to invite you to create your own ‘kindness jar’. What's a kindness jar, you ask? It's simply a jar or container filled with uplifting messages and affirmations. Pulling out a little token of kindness, especially on tough days, can be such a spirit-lifter.

There's an old dumping ground near us that, over time, has started resurfacing household artefacts – primarily old glass since plastic wasn't really a thing back then. On a recent trail run, my partner’s daughter found this unusual jar buried in the soil. A good scrub later and it was ready for a new life.

One evening, we made an activity of preparing the kindness jar together. I was the ruler master, making sure our paper strips were uniform. Neil was on scissor duty while Greta penned positive messages. We ended up with nearly 100 unique affirmations. Amazingly, we only had a couple of repetitions and it was great fun to create.

So, I encourage you to make a kindness jar for this creativity section. Find any jar, box or container and decorate it with stickers, paints, ribbons – whatever speaks to you. Then grab paper, scissors, and pens to write your kindness messages. Fold them up, pop them inside, and voila! An instant pick-me-up is at your fingertips.

To complement the kindness jar, here are some additional prompts:

✐  Journal Prompts

• Choose three affirmations that resonate deeply. Write them where you'll see them daily – in your journal, on a mirror, on your desktop or screensaver. Read the affirmations to yourself every morning before you get stuck into your daily routine or last thing at night before you drift off.
• Reflect on something you tend to judge yourself harshly for. How could you reframe it with more self-compassion?
• Say three kind things to yourself right now.
• Say something kind to the next three people you encounter.

I hope these ideas inspire you to tap into your creativity and nurture self-kindness this weekend.

Wishing you a rejuvenating, joy-filled few days.

– – –

Book & Podcast Recommendations

• Book: The Creative Act, A Way of Being by Rick Rubin – a refreshing insight into creative acts and how let creativity flourish.
• Podcast: ‘Chip Conley — Why Life Gets Better With Age, Creativity in Midlife, Role of Newsletters and Blogs, Creating Ideal Conditions for Writing’ hosted by the London Writers’ Salon.

Writing with Purpose Resources

• Connect: Please connect with me on your preferred platform
• PDF: Access a free March journal planner
• Podcast: Listen to the Writing with Purpose podcast
• Podcast: Listen to my collaboration podcast, Soulful Reawakening

The April journal planner will be released over the next few days and delivered to your inbox. Please let me know your thoughts or ideas for improvements.

Finally, I invite you to listen to my Writing with Purpose podcast. The current series is me solo chatting about writing, reading, creativity and nature. Here are the last few episodes:

• Episode #24: Solo Chatting: Social Jet Lag, Where Your Head Is & Creating A Rainbow Plate.
• Episode #23: Solo Chatting: The Wellbeing Benefits of Reading Fiction, the Concept of NEAT and the Power of Observation.
• Episode #22: Sharing the Unvarnished Truth About What Makes a Difference in the Business World with Libby Langley.
• Episode #21: Ditching Addictions and Finding a Fulfilled, Purpose-led Life with Will Armstrong.

– – –

As I draw this newsletter to a close, here’s a friendly reminder that we'll lose an hour of sleep this Sunday as the clocks go forward!

Until next time, listen to your body – what does it need?

Love & energy

Anna 💚

P.S.

If you know anyone who wants to explore their creativity or improve their self-awareness and may benefit from receiving these emails, please share this with them.