When I received the calling to start this club, I initially resisted the commitment.

As a trainer, faciliator, coach and consultant, I am more used to having direct relationship and rapport with my audience and clients.

This virtual space of creating connection and support through sunshine inboxes and the monthly online The Good Life Sessions is totally new to me.

It has been a huge learning curve and I am still gaining new insights along the way.

What fuels my commitment and provide immense joy is receiving messages from members throughout the past 10 months. Examples such as these:

Thank you for your sharing. I have always loved your Tree of Life painting, so it’s simply wonderful to start the year reading your reflection on it. It’s given me something to chew on for the week.

Just a short note to share that things have changed a lot in my life. This whole lenten season has been one of fasting and reflection and I can’t believe the freedom I am experiencing. I do believe that having you walk with me has opened up a different path, a wider, and deeper road. In short, a much, much larger world than I ever envisioned, allowing me to see how much larger I, myself, am. My Catholic teachings have also changed & their dynamics have shown me a very flexible and meaningful range of teachings without governing man-made rules and laws. There is more joy in my life, a joy that would be nice to share with someone who in turn could share joy with me. Just thought to share this with you.

Your post just makes me want to share this. Thank you so much for being supportive in your own unique and caring way, much appreciated.

The Sunshine Inbox is more than just a weekly newsletter. What truly stood out to me was how the Sunshine Inbox goes beyond storytelling. It offers a structured yet thoughtful approach to personal growth, with dedicated sections for reflection, a practice for the week and an action plan. This made the experience not only inspiring but also practical, helping me translate insights into menaingul action. I went in expecting an uplifting read, but what I received was so much more!

I have read a few of the latest sunshine inbox, though short and simple, I find them really insightful and thought provoking.

I enjoyed this week’s sunshine inbox on luck! I resonated with Ina Garten’s notion of luck where it is the planning and preparation when the opportunity happens – be ready when the luck happens. Your post revealed the deeper layers of luck which I was intrigued and read it over again a few times to grasp the concept. Thank you for your post and I will be journalling with the reflection prompts you shared.

My biggest impact working with you on the club over these 9 months is the “community” – knowing that I’m not alone in this, and realising that there are others I can relate to in my belief that there is so much more to life than just our professional and personal roles. That if we take a more “meta” view of life and embrace that we will all experience different seasons (and even the coldest winters will pass!) and to focus only on the things within our own locus of control, things will feel so freeing. These are topics that are not commonly discussed even among friends. Really appreciate that the club is founded to attract such like minded individuals. Thank you!

It demonstrates that affirmations, appreciations and encouragements when communicated truly spark joy. They provide the motivation for us to stay committed; the wind beneath our wings as the song goes.

Yet often times, we tend to keep such positive communications to ourselves or we assume that the receiving party already knows.

I am grateful to members who decided to text or email me their sharing, thank you!

There is a growing body of research on positive communication whether through affirmations, encouragement or positive feedback which shows the measurable benefits for emotional resilience, cognitive performance and even physical health.

1. Brain Activation & Self-Perception

Functional MRI studies show that affirmations activate the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, a region linked to self-processing and reward response. This helps reinforce a positive self-identity and buffer against negative thought patterns.

2. Stress Reduction & Emotional Regulation

A study published in PLOS ONE found that individuals who practiced self-affirmation performed better on problem-solving tasks under stress. The practice helped regulate emotional responses and improve clarity of thought.

3. Cortisol Reduction

Affirmations may reduce cortisol levels (the stress hormone) leading to better sleep, lower risk of heart disease and improved emotional well-being.

4. Academic & Workplace Performance

Research from Stanford University showed that affirmation exercises helped minority students close academic performance gaps by reinforcing self-worth. In workplace settings, positive feedback has been linked to increased motivation, engagement, and team cohesion.

5. Healthier Lifestyle Choices

A study by Epton & Harris (2008) found that people who engaged in self-affirmation were more likely to adopt healthier behaviors like regular exercise and mindful eating.

6. Long-Term Well-Being

Psychology Today highlights over 40 years of research on self-affirmation theory, showing consistent improvements in life satisfaction, emotional resilience and self-integrity.

Positive communications also fosters performance cultures at workplaces. In our corporate workshops on building positive performance cultures, we often highlight that the ability to communicate effectively is critical.

We communicate lots everyday yet very few are mindful if their communicated message energises or de-energises their fellow colleagues.

Whether it fuels commitment to the tasks/ actions/ behaviours or erodes it.

I like the THINK acronymn that my team uses to encourage professionals to speak with purpose and courage:

Another tip for positive communications is to focus on constructive conversations:

The world is compressed right now leaving many feeling demotivated and discouraged.

Trust me, your team members who are high performing are certainly well aware of their commitments and likely, their shortcomings.

Same with your family members.

What’s needed is more joyous and positive communications.  To sooth, to encourage and to uplift.

In closing, I like to leave you with the wise words by Denise Linn on communication:

Communicate from your heart and speak your truth without hesitation. Be willing to stand before the crowd and share from your centre. This isn’t the time to be shy and hesitant but to heal through communication. You’re a natural teacher.

Let us continue to be encouragers and spread good vibes through our communication!