As it happens I am having an off-day today: I have caught a cold and my ears are closed. I am sneezing and generally feeling unwell. I have postponed two appointments today because of it. I generally don’t talk about me not feeling well and hide inside my house. I soldier alone. Only when it is taking me more than a week I will let others know I don’t feel well. In that case I will ask for help if needed. But I prefer to be sick on my own and don’t bother others with it. I just don’t like the feeling of being dependent on others. I rarely ask for help.

'Thank you' is the best prayer that anyone could say. I say that one a lot. Thank you expresses extreme gratitude, humility, understanding. Alice Walker

Expressing gratitude is a way to say that you acknowledge the importance of somebody else or something else, other than yourself. It shifts the focus on the other in your life. As somebody who is mainly preoccupied with oneself, being and living alone, it is a great way to be less selfish and more grateful to others and to life in general.

I love October as the month of fall. The colors of the leaves are golden, orange and red, the pavement is full of crackling dead leaves and the weather is crisp and hopefully sunny. We have left the summer but are not yet in winter. That transition period is mostly a time of reflection.

This year I hope to start a new job in October, so my hopes are high. I just have made a first appointment for the first week in October to talk about what they have to offer.