When you love baking bread, it's frustrating to find your sourdough starter has suddenly become inactive. No prior warning, no major change in external conditions, just nothing happening. Google offered up three ideas...feed more often, stir more frequently and give your sourdough starter a name. In an astonishing turnaround, "Rufus" responded immediately to all this extra attention, bubbling away happily on the windowsill.
Earlier this year, another family member suddenly appeared on the doorstep after an extended period of inactivity due to the pandemic lockdown. Pulling off his sweater in the sunshine, he accidentally revealed a series of small scars across his inner arm. It turned out he'd been having suicidal thoughts.
As a behavioural motivation expert, had I really missed all the signs of deep suffering in a family member? I chose to ignore such unhelpful inner promptings and focused instead on the compassion I knew would help right now...I cooked his favourite food, I stirred things up asking how it could have gone so far without him reaching out and I named his experience of cutting.
Just like Rufus, this young man immediately flourished. His confidence began to reactivate and in no time at all, he secured his first full-time employment since graduation a year ago. It's truly magical to witness the rise beginning!
