Das Nachrichten-Portal für eine bessere Welt.

by Isolde Hilt

When I travel to other countries, I am most interested in how other people think and feel. What do they long for? What concerns them? And what is important to them? I am most touched when I discover similarities, as they strengthen my theory that we as humans have so much more in common. Feeling seen and understood, experiencing support, being able to live in peace, experiencing joy … A short visit to London and the seaside town of Brighton was very inspiring.

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1. Bringing colour into life

We meet Thierry Noir in the hipster neighbourhood of Shoreditch in east London, internationally renowned for its street art. Originally from Lyon, the artist moved to Berlin in early 1982, partly because David Bowie, Iggy Pop and Nina Hagen were also living in the then divided city at the time. At the end of 1984, he was the first to paint the Berlin Wall, a strictly forbidden and dangerous endeavour at the time. Thierry Noir also made a significant contribution to the East Side Gallery, the world’s longest open-air gallery on the Wall in the former eastern part of the city, from 1989 onwards.

With his vibrantly colourful, simple figures, the Frenchman also set new accents in the British metropolis: „Street Art is a necessity in the city. Especially in East London where the winters are long, cold and dark, the attitude of the people changes during those long days of melancholy. This is the season when people need Street Art like water and bread.“

Tip: Colourful is good for you, especially in winter when it is so often grey. If you don’t feel like painting, you can give yourself a colourful bouquet of flowers or wear a colourful jumper, for example. You can also make life more colourful together with friends, for example by cooking together, decorating the table cheerfully and giving each other splashes of colour in the form of surprises.

Question: What colourful ideas do you have?

More about Thierry Noir: https://www.bbk-kulturwerk.de/kioer/kuenstlerdatenbank/profil/thierry-noir and https://thierrynoir.com

2. Have a nice day

It’s raining cats and dogs. Not neatly in a line, but in gusts, so that the umbrella bends upwards and doesn’t do what it’s supposed to – keep you dry. Suddenly the slogan „Have a great day“ catches my eye at the next set of traffic lights and I have to laugh out loud. What kind of prankster stuck that on there? Astonished, I realise that a switch has just flipped inside me and it’s up to me how I view the rest of the day. It still showed its most charming side: with a mega-delicious Napoletan pizza, a bus driver who let me on at the crucial moment despite my credit card not working and other dripping wet people who laughed at each other and waited together for Big Ben’s bell to ring.

Tip: We all know thoughts that are not good for us and bring us down. I don’t always get to the bottom of such moments, but when I do, I ask myself the question: „Do I want to get myself into this any further?“ The answer is usually: „No.“ Then I think about what good things I need to do today. What could I do for myself to make me feel better? The brain reorients itself, new thoughts are formed that do not remain without effect.

Question: How do you get out of a mindset that is not good for you?

3. Know that you are not alone

This poster really touched me. Perhaps because it suggests that there must be many people who feel lonely and unseen. But perhaps also because there are always situations in life in which you realise that you have to go through them alone: You have to go through it alone, nobody can do it for you.

At the same time, I wanted to know: Who is Cat Burns? I discovered a very likeable, young British pop singer who became famous throughout Europe in 2022 with her song „Go“. „Know that you are not alone“ is her latest release.

Listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEJN7opj-QE

Tip: Paying more attention to each other and supporting each other is the best thing you can do for yourself. You will be richly rewarded with encounters and relationships that strengthen you again.

Question: What do you do when you feel alone?

4. Just say Yes once

I don’t really know … Maybe another time … I’m still thinking about it … We don’t say YES that often. And who knows what would follow a yes? The adventure of a lifetime? The great love? Maybe a rather bad experience, but it would be new and teach us something.

Tip: A yes may not always be the best choice, especially when it comes to taking good care of yourself. However, we often don’t say yes because we don’t know what to expect. Our personal comfort zone has skilfully prevented many things from happening. Very often a yes is a yes to yourself. With a little more courage, simply do one thing or another and dare to do it – wouldn’t that be a great resolution for 2024?

Question: When was the last time you said yes to your own surprise and were so glad you did it?

5. Draw boundaries, be clear

I call this work of art a statement: this far and no further! You don’t have to bite right away. The two foxes are certainly an apt symbol. Every living creature has its boundaries, its territory – in both a direct and figurative sense. Knowing this about each other also helps us to get along better.

Tip: Knowing your personal boundaries and making them clear to others is important for your own mental hygiene and personal well-being. Clarifying inconsistencies and transgressions is not easy and we often avoid doing so. However, if you realise the consequences in both directions, it is easier to make a decision for yourself. 

Question: When was the last time you bravely stood up for yourself?

6. Express yourself kindly, be nice

How often have I thought to myself: Couldn’t some official guidelines be formulated in a friendlier way? Instead of banning something, why not emphasise the benefits for everyone in order to better understand the purpose of something?

I was immediately taken with the public litter bin in the seaside town of Brighton. Hey, when someone says THANK YOU to me, I find it much harder to dispose of rubbish somewhere else. And of course I would like to be part of „I love our city“.

Tip: Very few people write rules and guidelines for authorities and the like, but we can also be nice and yet binding in our everyday communication – at eye level. A friendly tone, both spoken and written, is sometimes the magic word for a different outcome.

Question: What nice, friendly experience with a stranger has surprised you recently?

7. Today is going to be a good day

„Today is going to be a good day.“ Isn’t that a great way to start the morning? And if you’ve got out of bed on the left foot, it’s certainly helpful to look after yourself first and recharge your personal battery. You’re no help to anyone if you’re not in a good mood.

Tip: Thinking about yourself from time to time is neither selfish nor inconsiderate. Too often we forget about ourselves and don’t treat ourselves to anything. How about a date with yourself? In a breakfast place, for example. Who knows what will happen there?

Question: When was the last time you treated yourself to something really nice?

8. Shopping regionally

Our shopping behaviour shapes the future. Most of us love the small, individual shops when we are out and about. They offer products and services that you can’t find anywhere else. However, an increasing number of large chains and high vacancy rates are robbing cities of their charm. Many places where people meet, talk, discuss and feel alive are being lost.

Tip: Isn’t it nice to be personally recommended something – from person to person? By buying more locally, we not only strengthen the economy in the region. The ecological footprint is smaller and the quality of life is different.

Question: Where do you like to shop and why?

9. Peace for you and me

We are not the only ones who are worried about the state of the world and how we can find our way back to peace. Coming across a billboard like this gives me confidence, because people – across national borders – are seriously looking for solutions. We are not alone in one of the most important issues in the world.

Tip: Even if we cannot stop wars directly, we still have enough influence to make a difference in our environment. Volunteering in various areas of society contributes a great deal to social peace and better mutual understanding. Personal interaction that is characterised by respect and appreciation, even if you don’t share the same opinion, also goes a long way. And everything starts small …

Question: Do you have an example of a situation in which you were able to calm tempers?

10. I’ve been thinking about you

Somehow it used to be exciting. Going into a phone box and hoping that the person you were calling was at home. Of course, you also needed enough change. Those days are definitely over. But somehow a phone box like this seems to wake up dormant brain cells and ask: „Haven’t you been meaning to get in touch with your old friend again?“

Tip: Isn’t it nice when someone you like thinks of you and gets in touch after a long time? When you can chat and time seems to stand still? How about finding out what the other person has been up to in the meantime …

Question: Can you think of someone who would be delighted to receive a call from you?

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Did you like the 10 impulses?

Feel free to share your ideas with us in the comments section and what you have planned for 2024!

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