The problem with social media is that it has encouraged us to become very self absorbed and focussed on me, me, me. Look at me….. look at where I am, look at what I am doing…. look at what I'‘m eating….

We are now far more likely to feel good as a result of how many likes our posts receive than perhaps any face to face contact and interaction we have had that day. But it is short lived and fairly shallow. Old fashioned, proper human contact is far more powerful and long lasting - receiving genuine thanks and appreciation for something we have done for a person, positive feedback for a job well done, or just a genuine compliment about who we are, what we are wearing, etc., makes our day (and possibly longer). It lifts our spirits, makes us smiles and definitely encourages to do more of XYZ, putting us in a great frame of mind and boosting our self worth. What a gift.

So, my question is how often do you give genuine compliments, heartfelt thanks, positive feedback - unprompted, spontaneous and to anyone who deserves it, including strangers? Could you do more? YES! It could be for great service in a shop where they’ve gone the extra mile to help you, real care from a doctor or nurse, excellent guidance from your child’s teacher, great public service in an airport, a hotel, a restaurant or even in the petrol station. There are three petrol stations that I could easily use around me - but I go to one in particular because the guy working there is always so cheerful, helpful, and positive, it makes such a difference but does he know it? It’s not always easy to say, “You are a ray of sunshine and always brighten up my day” but how powerful would that be for him to hear - and so well deserved!

So here’s the challenge. A candle is not there to illuminate itself, so perhaps we could spend less time promoting what we’ve been doing and what we have, and instead maybe we could make ourselves, every day, at least once (if not more), say something positive to a friend or acquaintance, unprompted, to make their day happier? Furthermore, on top of that, at least once a day say a proper thank you backed up with a reason, or an unprompted compliment to a stranger and make their day. It would be a gift to them and make you feel good, too - a win, win. Try it, every day this week to someone you know, and to a stranger. Make their day so much better. Just imagine if everyone did this on a daily basis, what a better world it would be for all of us. Enjoy the challenge.