Sometimes while we're a little buried under our to-do lists a positive comment or a special story from an enthusiastic fan really hits us (in a positive way) and makes us take a moment to appreciate it, and it all.

From the outset of Socks for Happy People, when we were but a holding page with a website that was forever coming soon, Nadia has been one of our most passionate fans. She loves to write, and takes great photo's (see below, with her wearing our What Lies Beneath socks) so we asked her if she fancied writing a blog post for us, starting with why she's so into socks, and where that passion started. Below is what she came back with...and we promise, we didn't give her a script!

Enter Nadia, Stage Right...

I’m an unabashed sock fan!

It started some time ago my mother began giving me socks for Christmas, something that seemed perfectly comprehensible since I was always in need of a pair. However, these socks were never plain or ordinary socks. They always had something catchy, something that spoke to me and something that revealed a fun side of my mother’s that was previously unbeknownst to me. And so that first pair of brightly colored socks began my hunt for the most extraordinary pair. Every time I saw a pair of socks that was different I aimed to include it in my collection.

The gift of socks

Seeing how much I love socks my mother began giving them me for most every occasion. Bright ones, fuzzy ones, striped ones and many more! And though I loved the gift of socks (most people are aware that socks make truly great gifts) I did sometimes wonder if they could be more than great? What if they could be remarkable? I guess this is exactly why Socks for Happy People have resonated with me so much! You see, as well as being an unabashed sock fan I’m now an unabashed Socks for Happy People fan!  And that’s probably why they asked me if I’d like to write a little about where my love of socks began.

Now I’ve done that I thought I’d just take a moment to explain why I personally think Socks for Happy People are more than just a great gift, why I think they are truly one of a kind.

First of all, the price is right! They fit perfectly into the gift price range and are a premium item which means I can afford to get top notch quality when it comes to my socks. Beyond that, each design has its own unique story which is further revealed when you open a pair of them. I also instantly loved that as a company they are committed to making a positive impact on the environment as well as socially, and provided me with the opportunity to make a difference myself as well, whether it is through the ‘Buy One, Give One Free!’ initiative or through the Penny On organization. Both of which are great social programs—one gives a much needed pair of socks to disadvantaged children in Mongolia and the other aims to end world hunger through simple penny contributions for every transaction we make

I am certain that had Socks for Happy People been around when my mother first started giving me socks as a gift these would have been first on her list! Life is full of simple pleasures, and socks are an underrated one. So my tip, as an unabashed sock fan, would be to try a pair of Socks for Happy People!

Nadia xxx

This last month I've thought a lot about the relative pros and cons of leading a life of orderliness and a life of chaos (see comments below for my personal description of both).

Which helps me be happiest?

There I was living (and loving) a newly crafted lifestyle of order when I suddenly embarked on a bit of a whirlwind period of chaos, which I also loved. I really like that two such polar opposite lifestyles can both bring me such hedonistic joy!

That they seem to be mutually exclusive - in that they can't both be enjoyed in their purest form at the same time - led me to wonder about which path or lifestyle would led to me experiencing the most happiness. The age old question of how to live I guess, and a question that I remembered being the focus of one of my favourite books Zorba the Greek. The novel is a quite literal dance between two characters who embody each approach: Buddhist mindfulness, reflection, restraint and orderliness (narrator) thrown in with unbridled earthly passion, act first-think later chaos (Zorba the Greek).

Conclusion

To cut to the end of the chase I came to the conclusion that neither are sustainable (for me) on their own - I seem to work best with a bit of both. Or, more accurately, I work best with a majority of one (order) and a bit of the other (chaos). Too much order can leave me a little stifled, insular and a little unexcited and uninspired. And anything more than a short burst of chaos leaves me feeling a bit lost, desperate, and eventually lethargic and frustrated with myself.

The ultimate synthesis

And then I remembered that's along the same line of thinking as old wise man Osho who encourages living like a Zorba the Buddha, mixing the two! Below is a little excerpt from Osho talking poetically and quite frankly about it all:

Zorba the Buddha is the ultimate synthesis — when Zorba becomes a Buddha. Zorba the Greek is beautiful, but something is missing. The earth is his, but the heaven is missing.

Eat, drink, and be merry is perfectly good in itself; nothing is wrong in it. But it is not enough. Soon you will get tired of it. One cannot just go on eating, drinking, and merrying. Soon the merry-go-round turns into a sorry-go-round — because it is repetitive.

So for me it's a matter of order and chaos as opposed to order vs chaos. Now I need to work out the best order-to-chaos ratio. Right now I'm thinking an 6/1 ratio would be pretty sweet! Maybe even 8/1, with a seriously good whirlwind, or the 1...

Rich : )

What do you think, or what have you experienced of any of the above? Leave your thoughts below by clicking the comments... that'd be great  : )

What comes to mind when you think of hospitals?

Chances are it probably didn’t put a smile on your face. For whilst there is certainly joy and love and relief and the like to be enjoyed there, hospitals more often than not house some of the darkest and hardest emotions that we ever have to deal with.

But in spite of that, can we still feel good?

Much has been written about the value of a positive mental attitude in hospitals, even if it’s ordinarily accepted that it can’t literally mend bones or fight a disease. Remaining positive has been shown to bring a variety of benefits that can make difficult or unpleasant situations that little bit easier to deal with. A positive mental attitude can help a patient (or those around them) relax more, or lessen the amount of anxiety and fear that is experienced. It can make a seemingly unbearable situation slightly more bearable, inject a little hope somewhere, or gives us the strength to face something that would otherwise sink us. Maybe it simply reminds us how good it feels to have a smile light up our face. However it is of benefit, the important thing is that a positive attitude can make a real difference in hospitals (like in can in any situation).

Get dressed for success to feel good.

So no matter what you or someone you know might be facing, finding ways to be positive is a very worthwhile exercise. And this is exactly the thinking behind ‘Feel Good Gowns’, a truly inspiring company that wanted to add a something uplifting to the hospital environment and so began creating amazing handmade custom hospital gowns! Look at them...aren’t they great?

Sad and dreary

With monthly trips to the hospital, founder Shalon Whitgob (below center) was appalled at just how sad and dreary the hospital issued gowns were. Taking matters into her own hands, she designed a gown that was both functional and fashionable. A gown that made her feel good! Having enjoyed the benefits personally she then set about creating funky gowns and caps and other accessories to help others feel good in hospital too.

And it’s not just for patients either. Visitors and medical staff enjoy and appreciate the dose of colour and fun! Even surgeons and nurses are encouraged to don something less sterile and more uplifting from Feel Good Gowns to help make someone’s trip to hospital feel that little bit less like a trip to hospital.

It’s a truly wonderful idea isn’t it? We definitely recommend ‘liking’ their facebook page so you can enjoy the truly heart-warming difference the gowns etc make.

We first came across the company when Shalon got wind of our Affirmation Socks whilst on the lookout for socks to add to her existing collection – it was clearly a match that was meant to be as our Affirmation Socks are all about dressing to smile and feel good too! We’re very proud to supply Feel Good Gowns with socks. And we hope that her gowns, caps, blankets (and socks!) can brighten hospital wards all around the world for many years to come. And it seems to be working, with one patient even ‘looking forward to her next trip to hospital as [she] gets to wear her cute new Feel Good Gowns outfit’. Amazing!

So would you be more likely to feel good wearing something made by Shalon? Do you know someone who can benefit now from a dose of style and feel good feelings? Send them a link if so 9or better still treat them to an item!). Have you ever dressed to feel good? What did you wear and why? Would love to hear so please do leave your comments below...

*Wanted* - Talented techie required to become part of the Socks for Happy People team!

You must be self-motivated and able to work to deadlines.

WordPress and Infusionsoft proficiency are essential, either using existing knowledge or having the passion, drive, and ability to learn them VERY quickly.

This position will require about 20 hours a week, paid on a per task basis. (Don't worry, we have more tasks than you could ever do in a year, and the list is growing quicker than we could ever fulfill it!)

This role would suit a driven individual who wants to gain valuable experience from developing and working on a major company's website.

At Socks for Happy People we're looking to pioneer many new ways of doing business on the web, so come prepared for an awesome, challenging, and hugely rewarding ride!

This role would be ideal for a smart, focused student or recent graduate looking to add impressive value to your CV.

If you're ready to get cracking immediately, please mail me at tom@socksforhappypeople.com.

I'm looking forward to hearing from you!

Maybe it's just me and how I've learnt to be, or because I've not been in London long enough, but I still really enjoy my daily commute. There's so much to love about it! And despite obviously being aware of others not enjoying it quite as much as me I didn't quite realise what an unpleasant daily occurrence it actually was for people  until I listened to this fascinating BBC Radio 4 program all about commuting (available online till Friday 16th July 2010 - I recommend listening to it if you can!).

It explored the history of the commute, the culture and etiquette of it, as well as the physiological and psychologicalrepercussions it can cause. For example, did you know only the English and Japanese have a specific word for the act of commuting? Speaks volumes somehow doesn't it?

The program also explained that scientists had found by studying brain activity that commuters literally 'switch off' mentally to escape the experience. And simply by starting out on our commute we can experience the same levels of stress that we experience when actually at work.

Also very notable in the program were the comments from Dennis Nothdruft from the Fashion and Textile Museum. As an American he really enjoys the "extrovert and expressive ways of wearing suits here in the UK" and went on to say that he's particularly impressed by the "flamboyant and fabulous colours of socks" that he sees paired with suits on his own London
commute.

Exactly! How can one be glum when there's always someone in a tube carriage (aside from me, obviously) that's made the effort of pulling on some great socks? Surely everyone appreciates socks for happy commuters?

Have your own socks ever given you or someone else a lift? Or someone else's socks perked you up on your commute? Did you say anything to them? Compliment them on their socks or thank them? Great socks are only one way of giving and receiving a little lift on the daily commute so how do you survive (or even enjoy!) your commute? It would be great (and helpful!) to hear, so leave your thoughts and ideas by clicking below to comment...

We love our dads!

And it has to be said that dads - for the most part - are pretty brilliant.

They're here to help guide us, support us, and love us. They encourage us when we're moving forward and pick us up when we've fallen down. And, even for those of us who may not have always seen eye-to-eye with dads, they teach us valuable lessons about life.

So with Father’s Day coming up on 20 June Richard and I thought we’d take this opportunity to share a few great things we love about our own dads, and invite you to share what’s great about your dad with us.

To celebrate great dads everywhere we’re giving away SIX pairs of Socks for Happy People!

It works like this:

If you’d like to be in with a chance of winning TWO pairs of Socks for Happy People – one for you and one for your dad (or a great dad you know), complete the following sentence with your own words:

'Happiness is when my dad…'

This doesn’t necessarily have to be about your dad, it could be about a great dad you know.

Share your answers with us by:

2) Posting a comment or a video on our Facebook page -->

3) Tweeting us at @Socks4HappyPPL -->
You can write a comment or record a little video, either way is good for us – although we REALLY LOVE videos on our Facebook page!

Then at 2pm British time on Friday 11 June (not Friday 8 June like I say in the following vid!) Richard and I will be choosing our three favourites, each of whom will win TWO pairs of Socks for Happy People – one for you and one for your brilliant dad!

While we’re here, here’s the little video from Rich and me sharing a few little things about our dads:

Click here to view the embedded video.

So there you go! We look forward to hearing from you about how great your dads are, and hopefully sending you both some fantastic Socks for Happy People!

Post comments about your brilliant dad – or a brilliant dad you know – below! As well as completing the sentence ‘Happiness is when my dad…’ please also share happy and/or poignant memories of great times with your dad. Let’s celebrate our brilliant dads together!

There's not much I can say, you simply HAVE to watch this. It will almost certainly exceed your expectations, and make 'laugh-out-loud' in the truest sense of the term. You'll also find out the answer to the above question.

Click here to watch, and be patient while it loads : )

Thanks SO much to Gilberto (@bapower), a Socks for Happy People follower on Twitter - you've amazed us with the video you sent in!

Rich

There's been plenty of talk of economics here in the UK recently, especially in light of the recent general election, yet what do any of us actually know about it? I'd hazard a guess that most of us know very, very little about the economic system in which we conduct a large proportion of our lives.

Sure, here at Socks for Happy People we have our philosophical views on economics. After all, part of our core purpose is to play a part in helping humanity live more holistically within our capitalist system. But how can we help evolve economics beyond cold numbers, exponential 'growth' and a clear disregard for human well-being and nature when, if we're honest, we know relatively little about the economic system?

We can take steps in the right direction, sure, but with a broader awareness and a bit of swotting up we can hopefully go forward in leaps and bounds!

So for the next 10 weeks we're going to be studying Economics with Justice at The School of Economic Science. Here's a bit of blurb about the course:

This fresh and innovative approach to economics considers the principles relating to the major areas of economic study.

It takes as its basic assumption that in practice economics should have a just and equitable outcome for all those participating in, or affected by the economy. Economics is approached as a human study, involving all of humanity, but with humanity seen in the context of its place in nature and the universe. The role of nature as the source of wealth and sustainer of life is emphasized.

Importing considerations of justice, equity and nature’s laws into the study of how economic laws work opens up a much brighter prospect for planetary health and human prosperity.

Exciting stuff, eh? We think so.

*In fact, we'd quite like to make a song and dance about it...

...ahem:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Do you have any thoughts or knowledge on the economy (could be local, national or international!) that can help us on our way to somewhere more beneficial for people and kind to nature? Can you give us any associated homework? Have you been back to school recently? How was it for you? Leave us all your thoughts and comments by clicking below dear people : )

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