My inspiration

This past year has been incredible, I really don't think there's any better word to describe it. Incredible doesn't have to always be good and it hasn't always been good. There's been so many times thinking, I'm not sure if I can do this and times when I've thought this would be so much easier if he was still here.

I automatically get drawn back to that time, one year ago, thinking, what was running through my head, what was I doing at the time, what was I doing the day after, how did I react. I always get too hung up on that kind of thing, I really don't know why. Maybe it's because I worry I didn't do enough, or I didn't feel enough. But I can remember two feelings. First there was the fear, seeing into his eyes, knowing there was nothing that could be done anymore. And then there was the immediate sense of calm when it was over, I just felt this relief descend to me, stillness and peace in the room.

I think why don't I seem to miss him like people expect me to, why aren't I stopping and remembering him. I do, sometimes. I think it's important to stop and remember anyone who's altered our lives, whether they be your Dad or that solider in World War One. But that is only part of remembering - it should have an active component as well, and I hope I honour him in what I do. I finally realised what effort he put into Rotary when I was fundraising earlier this year. I try to match the kindness he showed to everyone, literally everyone. I'm not quite the 'true gentleman' he was yet though. I understand how hard working he was for us and how proud he was of what we achieved.

In that way, he lives in me. It's taken me a year to realise it and I can't even tell him but he's the biggest role model I've ever had. I look up to him more now than anyone. I don't need to be scared of doing things by myself. I didn't need to be scared of coming to uni because he prepared me for it all, he showed me how to live and be happy. I may not have known it, I may not have appreciated it, I didn't even appreciate him always. But I do now, and I'm so grateful he was in my life, so lucky that he was my Dad.

Action 126: Write a letter

I got post today. I really love getting post. That's something I'll hint at even more now by saying my address is HB109.2, University of Warwick. Anyway, today I got post from my Aunt. IT was made even better by the fact that it had money in it. But I was still really excited to get my first bit of post. I always got excited at the thought of post. When I first joined the Youth Council, the fact that I would get regular post was a major selling point to me.

Don't tell me you feel the same. I mean, we get emails a lot and emails are great, texts are great, but it's all done in an instant, it's very easy to do, it's all quite effortless. Writing a letter though, or sending someone a card when they don't expect it is something special. Sending an email when someone doesn't expect it is something special of course, but this is even more special. It's taking part in an art form we've almost forgotten about. It's getting some paper, getting a nice pen, writing nicely, getting an envelope and a stamp and physical posting it. It's a process far more enjoyable, far more active than typing and clicking.

I wrote my first letter from uni on Thursday and I know the recipients appreciated it. That to me is what letter writing is about - adding something special to someone's day, sending them a smile through the post, even if it takes about 7 years to get there because basically the Royal Mail is crap. Despite that, I will send a letter to anyone who wants one and then you might get that little lift to your day I had because you've got post.

Action 17: Try watching less TV

i actually don't watch that much TV. As long as I can watch Ugly Betty, The Choir, The X Factor, Grease: The School Musical, Sonny With A Chance, Wizards of Waverly Place, Hannah Montana, JONAS ... OK so maybe I do watch more mindless Disney shows than I really need to. Well more accurately I do. we all have guilty pleasures though. Anyway, I still think I don't watch so much television. The problem is more being on the computer for too long but that will be dealt with in another action.

TV is good. It helps us relax and I genuinely thinks it can help us get through tough times in our life, which might explain why I was the only person in the country who enjoyed Britannia High. But when you sit down and flick through the channels because there's 'nothing else to do' or when you start planning your day around This Morning and Loose Women (I'll owe up to that one too) maybe it's time to switch off and preferably not turn on the computer instead.


As I go off to uni I will have to watch less TV, seeing as I won't have a TV license. I'll miss Sonny and Selema and all my Disney Channel favourites but I'll get over it, I'll find other tasks to do, like write essays. If that doesn't appeal to you why don't you go for a walk in the park. Or join a choir. Bake a cake. Do some colouring in. Write a letter of complaint. Write a letter of thanks. Read a book. Write a book. Go see a play. Have a kickabout. Go to the pub.

There's so much that can be done in the world. Turn off and turn away otherwise you might miss what else is out there.

Action 36: Take time to listen

I can't just sit there and say "OK so I'm going to listen to eveyone's problems and that's another action done." That would make for a very brief blog entry and wouldn't do the task any justice. Taking the time to listen isn't a tick box exercise. It's not as easy as it sounds, because people can be really quiet and silent at the times they want people to stand out and share their fears and troubles with. And then you've got to listen - not judge, not solve, just listen.

It's a job Samaritans do rather well all the time and although we can't all be Samaritans on the end of a phone line, we can all be samaritans to the people we meet. Just prepare your heart and mind so that you're ready to listen when someone needs you. I've been blessed by so many people doing exactly that for me just this week, and i appreciate it far more than they realise. You can't know how helpful you might be to someone, but you can know you won't be any use if you don't try to listen.

Action 26: Give blood

I wanted this to be a glowing advert to persuade you all to give blood, how it's really not a big deal. luckily it's not quite a horror story about me fainting - I just about managed to avoid it.

I'd already gone on the blood.co.uk website where you can search for local sessions where you can donate, and book appointments to minimise your waiting time. It also has a really good step by step guide through how it all works, from walking through the door on your way in to walking out again, so I knew what to expect. except for the almost fainting, but I'll get to that bit.

After the questions, the registering, the double checking on the questions and my identity, the initial finger prick test, the water and the triple checking on my identity, I was ready. they laid me down on the bed and set everything up and then put a needle into me. It wasn't painful, but I wouldn't say it was pleasant. And then I knew for the next 5 minutes I had this needle in me. but I was doing some calming breathing and you have to open and close your hand so I was doing that too. How the person in the bed opposite was able to read at the same time I don't know.

Anyway as I slowly got up, I was feeling OK. not "Joey Jump" energy levels but I wasn't expecting that. I went over to the refreshments, started eating some crisps, drinking some water, and then I felt worse, and could start seeing black spots. Which I thought would pass but it didn't. So when one of the staff soon asked if I was OK, they quickly put me onto a bed, put my legs up and gave me wet towels. And I felt better. This was while everyone was packing up wanting to go home, so I felt a bit bad for prolonging their exit. Mum came to pick me up so I didn't ever make it to choir, let alone the pub. About an hour later I felt "Joey Jump" better, not that I did one.

I would like to say I'll do it again, because I did actually give blood and survive. And well if not enough people give then the people who need the blood maybe won't survive. Only about 4% of those able to give blood do. Some people might not have a body "that agrees with it" mas one of the nurses said to me, and if I do it again and almost faint again, that will be the end of my donations. But I was the lucky 2% of donors who feels faint afterwards, so you're far more likely to be just fine. Don't let my story put you off something amazing, something like saving a life.

Action 123: Don't start a war

Today is World Peace Day. It's a great idea. Of course I'd say that, becuase I'm a hopeless dreamer holding out for a kind of Disney fairytale world where in less than 90 minutes, everyone turns out happy becuase evil is defeated. But I'm glad I'm not the only dreamer, and there's a great guy called Jeremy Gilley who for the past decade has been running Peace One Day and he mde a rather inspirational film about it that I think you should all watch or pester your Citizenship or PSE teachers to let you all watch.

So today I decided "it's World Peace Day, I'm not going to argue with anyone, I'm not going to start a war." Andd I'll admit I got annoyed at people. One was because I couldn't get in contact with them, so I couldn't speak to them to argue and start a war which is kind of good. The other was Mum, which isn't that surprising becuase we all annoy and get annoyed by our family. I calmed my temper though and told her I was "more than a little annoyed" about the matter.You see, we make 217 decisions a day (and that's a stat I swear I didn't make up but I don't have a source for it) and well we can decide to speak out, and sometimes that's the right thing to do. I'm going to have to write to Waitrose this week because they've stopped serving Sunday roasts. Which is a far bigger deal to me than you could imagine. But most times it's better to be quiet and swallow your tounge and get on with your day.

Today though I want to take the third way. It's all very easy not to start a war, but when you're in one, for whatever reason, it's very easy to drag your feet and stay there. Well this is the moment I lift my feet up and say it's over. I'm sorry, I've said bad things to good perople and bad things about good people. I've clinged onto the actions from the past and turned them into grudges. I've runied friendships that I miss. I surrender, I end the wars. I know I'm not in my Disney world and that won't suddenly make everything OK again, not least becuase the people I really want to read this won't. But if I don't try, if I don't vow to make a change in me then everything becomes static when life's too short to stand still.

Action 120: Give lots of compliments

All too often we criticise, get on our high horse and shout out about everything, like when someone gives you a job to do when you think it should be their responsibility, or your friend starts going out with someone you don't like, or when someone is holding up the traffic, or when its raining and then everything is just rubbish. But it's just all bitching and moaning and gossiping. And that can be far more hurtful than people realise, it brings people right down and it breaks relationships.

So you need to lift people up instead, and that might lift the whole nation up and make the sunshine. Just maybe. The best way to lift people is to say nice things - to give lots of compliments. It's really quite simple. Meet a person - what can you say nice about their outfit? Or their hair? Their bracelet? And BANG, that's one compliment already heading someones way before pleasantries are even over.

And then someone makes you a drink, you like - say well done, that's a lovely cup of tea. Or someone write you a beautiful letter - tell them how grateful you were for it. Even something so small like how someone just walkas around with a smile and a spring in their step. Or as I like to do from time to time, a "Joey Jump". If you like what someone does, they'll love to know you do.

Set a target of 5 compliments to give out a day. That's a tiny tiny almost criminally too small amount of compliments to give when you think of the number of people you probably see in a day. But it's a chance to make 5 people have a brilliant day instead of a bad one, which is something pretty special.