Kindness
What does it mean to you?
In response to this question, I thought I would write a whole page of words, but somehow found I could distil it into these five lines:
A gentle nudge
A quiet word
A look that says I see you
I am here if needed
Take my hand
These lines probably say more about the kindness I have received in the past, quiet, understated, authentic and real. Kindness that doesn’t pass by with a hurried ‘good luck,’ but sticks around and checks what is really happening. Kindness that is active and takes the initiative.
Perhaps it’s the season, the time of year, but I am noticing an increasing interest in kindness on the LinkedIn platform, which can only be a good thing.
So, today I am remembering the acts of kindness shown to me over the years by the people who stepped forward to help, often when I was least expecting it.
PS
And my other question from almost ten years ago still stands: what happens when someone asks for our help?
The power and beauty of birdsong…
I’m sure I’m not the only person who notices the calming, soothing effect birdsong has on me when I listen to it while sitting in my garden as part of my morning routine. I already understood that birdsong triggers our parasympathetic nervous system, but Louis VI’s TED Talk: The language you’re fluent in – but forgot how to hear, tells me why. Louis reminds us that the language of nature is hardwired into us; our ancestors evolved to tune into it, to understand it and derive meaning from it.
I was also fascinated to hear that music may have predated words, which makes sense if our ancestors were tuning into the birdsong around them.
But with our busy lives and even busier cities, we risk ignoring this language, and our inattention could be causing us all sorts of problems.
This beautiful talk blew me away, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and take the time to tune into the nature around you, as Louis VI suggests:
‘Close your eyes and open your ears’
Music that still calms my brain
It all began with Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro, then expanded to include Sona Jobarteh, Eneida Marta, and Handel’s Messiah.
Over the years, I have discovered that music increasingly soothes and calms my mind, helping me concentrate on writing and any development work that requires intense focus.
Sona Joberteh is a singer and composer who plays multiple instruments. According to her Wikipedia page, she is also the first female professional kora (a stringed instrument used extensively in West Africa) player from a griot (West African oral storytelling tradition).
Eneida Marta is a singer from Guinea-Bissau, a country on the West coast of Africa, who sings in Portuguese and Guinea-Bissau Creole. There is something magical about Eneida’s voice that either calms and soothes or uplifts and energises, depending on the song.
If you are inclined to listen to music as you work, I’d encourage you to tune in and see what you think of both these artists.
Today, my collection also includes:
Bach’s Magnificat in D Major
Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
And most surprisingly, Bizet’s Carmen – it’s taken me over twenty years to be able to listen to it because the first time I saw the opera, I became ill and had to leave. Then, unexpectedly, after all this time, my mind tells me I am ready to listen and appreciate it. Now I can’t stop listening to it.
There is some healing here, but that’s a story for another day.
So, what helps you to focus and concentrate — complete silence or some form of music?
Until next time