📖 Book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff … and It's All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson, PhD. Synopsis: Simple ways to keep little things from taking over your life. The book consists of 100 short articles -- we'll go through them week by week. This week’s # 25: Smile at Strangers, Look into Their Eyes, and Say Hello Here's what you need to do: 1. Read it yourself, take time to reflect on it and make notes. 2. Join the live reading on Wednesday. We'll read and listen to the article together, line by line. 3. Share your thoughts. Keep your answer under 4 minutes. Be clear, and focus on expressing your ideas about the topic to practice real English speaking. No debates, just sharing thoughts. ***** Have you ever noticed or thought about how little eye contact most of us have with strangers? Why? Are we afraid of them? What keeps us from opening our hearts to people we don't know? I don't really know the answers to these questions, but I do know that there is virtually always a parallel between our attitude toward strangers and our overall level of happiness. In other words, it's unusual to find a person who walks around with her head down, frowning and looking away from people, who is secretly a peaceful, joyful person. I'm not suggesting it's better to be outgoing than introverted, that you need to expend tons of extra energy trying to brighten others' days, or that you should pretend to be friendly. I am suggesting, however, that if you think of strangers as being a little more like you and treat them not only with kindness and respect but with smiles and eye contact as well, you'll probably notice some pretty nice changes in yourself. You'll begin to see that most people are just like you -- most of them have families, people they love, troubles, concerns, likes, dislikes, fears, and so forth. You'll also notice how nice and grateful people can be when you're the first one to reach out. When you see how similar we all are, you begin to see the innocence in all of us. In other words, even though we often mess up, most of us are doing the best that we know how with the circumstances that surround us. Along with seeing the innocence in people comes a profound feeling of inner happiness.

For anyone who's been waiting to hear from me: I will reschedule to fit our schedule. So sorry... Apologies for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. Kind regards

📖 Book Don't Sweat the Small Stuff … and It's All Small Stuff by Richard Carlson, PhD. Synopsis: Simple ways to keep little things from taking over your life. The book consists of 100 short articles -- we'll go through them week by week. This week’s # 24: Spend a Moment Every Day Thinking of Someone to Thank Here's what you need to do: 1. Read it yourself, take time to reflect on it and make notes. 2. Join the live reading on Wednesday. We'll read and listen to the article together, line by line. 3. Share your thoughts. Keep your answer under 4 minutes. Be clear, and focus on expressing your ideas about the topic to practice real English speaking. No debates, just sharing thoughts. ***** This simple strategy, which may take only a few seconds to complete, has long been one of the most important habits I have ever engaged in. I try to remember to start my day thinking of someone to thank. To me, gratitude and inner peace go hand in hand. The more genuinely grateful I feel for the gift of my life, the more peaceful I feel. Gratitude, then, is worthy of a little practice. If you're anything like me, you probably have many people in your life to feel grateful for: friends, family members, people from your past, teachers, gurus, people from work, someone who gave you a break, as well as countless others. You may want to thank a higher power for the gift of life itself, or for the beauty of nature. As you think of people to be grateful for, remember that it can be anyone -- someone who allowed you to merge into traffic, someone who held the door open for you, or a physician who saved your life. The point is to gear your attention toward gratitude, preferably first thing in the morning. I learned a long time ago that it's easy to allow my mind to slip into various forms of negativity. When I do, the first thing that leaves me is my sense of gratitude. I begin to take the people in my life for granted, and the love that I often feel is replaced with resentment and frustration. What this exercise reminds me to do is to focus on the good in my life. Invariably as I think of one person to feel gratitude for, the image of another person pops into my head, then another and another. Pretty soon I'm thinking of other things to be grateful for -- my health, my children, my home, my career, the readers of my books, my freedom, and on and on it goes.

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Today, March 21, we celebrate Newroz, the arrival of spring and a new beginning. For us, it’s more than just a new year—it’s a symbol of freedom, hope, and renewal. In Turkey, especially among Kurdish communities also across Kurdistan, Newroz is celebrated with fire, music, and dance. We gather outdoors, light fires, wear colorful traditional clothes, and dance together to welcome a fresh start. Newroz comes from an ancient story about resistance and freedom, which is why the fire is so important—it represents light overcoming darkness. In Iran, Nowruz is celebrated with beautiful traditions like the Haft-Seen table, family visits, and welcoming the new year with symbols of life, growth, and prosperity. Newroz is also celebrated in many other places around the world, from Central Asia to the Caucasus and beyond—each with its own unique traditions, but sharing the same spirit of renewal. Though traditions may differ, the spirit is the same—new beginnings, unity, and hope for the future. No matter where you’re from, Newroz is a reminder that every spring brings a new chance to begin again. ✨ Newroz pîroz be! نوروز مبارک (Happy Newroz!)