[To listen to an audio version of this blog post please click here: https://soundcloud.com/lex-mckee/what-to-do-when-hungry-motivational-podcast-for-moodscope and to watch a video, please click here: https://youtu.be/axd_qagumwI]

Autumn is upon us in England. The Season of mellow fruitfulness is predicated upon what was sown and nurtured in the Spring. I love the Natural Truth of seed-time and harvest.

I’m hungry, are you?

Hunger comes for many matters. The spiritual may hunger and thirst for ‘righteousness’ – whatever that may mean. Others hunger for justice. Some may hunger for companionship. I hunger for a hug. A long hug. No patting.

There’s talk of the 5 Languages of Love. Hey, I even found a quiz for us all to try (https://www.5lovelanguages.com/quizzes/) I’m a tactile person – the kind of guy who used to go out of his way to use Wareham Post Office before the refit. Before the ‘improvement’ the old wooden counter was sculpted by countless transactions – scooped out by the exchanges of currencies. I loved feeling the stories in the wood.

If I trust someone, and am not tense, the best way to communicate is wordless. Touch speaks louder than words for me. A warm handshake, the cheek to cheek of a professional kiss, the full embrace of deep friendship… all are worth more than gold to me.

Then along came COVID. Whoever is truly responsible has much to answer for. They’ve hurt our future – and that of our children in education. But the future is yet to come. I have something to say about this present hunger. I have hug hunger. And I am fully aware that this sounds like a callous first world problem!

However, the psychobiology of the mind-body connection is irrefutable. Happy nerve-endings, happy soul. I’m hungry for hugs because my mind-body-system needs them!

Wearing your mask, I cannot read your face… and I never was that much of a mind-reader. Wearing my mask, I literally cannot breathe at times.

What can we do?

We can call this the New Spring. We can intentionally sow that which we want to reap in the New Autumn.

This means I need to give the gift of tactile kindness to those I’m allowed to do this to. That cramps my options but doesn’t occlude them. For example, Lady Penelope (she under whose roof I shelter) isn’t tactile… but she is in pain. Years of being on her feet at ASDA are taking their toll. Cuddly she ain’t but give her a foot massage and I can hear the relief. Thus, foot massages it will be.

Thus, if you are hungry – feed someone else.

If you are thirsty – give someone else a drink (btw Majestic Wine deliver!)

If you are discouraged – encourage someone else.

You get the picture.

Oh, and you could get a prize too, if you’re in the UK. I’ve found a Scratch-Off Poster with 100 Random Acts of Kindness. Let’s work out a competition where the prize-winner will be sent one of these as a random act of kindness from me!

What we do to others, we do to ourselves (or so they say!)

Right, I’m off to be a Sow-and-Sow!

Lex

A Moodscope member.

Ps. I did the test and my primary love language is “Physical Touch” – so what’s yours?