We have three little pots of succulents that have been languishing in our front room for a few years now. My husband finally noticed them, soaked them in water overnight and declared them alive, (even though one of them still looks dubious.)

It got me thinking about how we see things- alive or dead. Promising or hopeless. Examining myself, I always err on the side of doom. But today we reached sale agreed on our house. So all my pessimism was for nothing! Again I say, expect success and not failure. Expect blue skies not rain. Expect good things to happen, and if they don’t, it is better to laugh and shrug than nod with an unsurprised look on your face.

We were on the way to Newcastle earlier, and again I looked out at the rain, not noticing the breaks in the dark cloud. It was only when I was sent a photo of a rainbow taken that afternoon that I realised how much I was missing. When our heads are bowed down with previous hard experiences, it is easy to miss moments of hope.

So I would encourage you to look on the bright side, expect rainbows and never forget to hold onto hope. That is the way to live. The next time you see a plant that looks nearly dead, give it some water and look for signs of life. Living with hope is a path lined with budding plants and rainbows. What direction will you take?