Of late, this blog has consisted almost entirely of 40 Acts posts.  Life has been busy to point of stupidity - last week I worked around 70 hours in five days, this week I've already done about 24 in two.  It's not sustainable and there's no sense that this level of madness will continue.  It does, however, mean that in the short term I am not posting much here... normal drivel will be resumed as soon as possible.  In the meantime, here's a cat photo!!

I have a feeling that the degree of challenge in this one will depend to quite a degree where a person is from - reserved English southerners will find it more demanding than those from the northern English cities; Weegies will find it more natural than those from Reekie.

Talking to poeple we don't know... saying hello or goodbye to people in shops, chatting to peopple in waiting rooms or on buses... for some it's easy for others it's terrifying.

So here are today's options:

As children we are always taught to be wary of strangers. But when does that change? Stranger Danger is real, but so are the opportunities that we miss when we block the world out. After all, friends were once strangers and you never know where life may lead after starting up that initial conversation.

I'M SUPER-SHY:

Try stepping out of your comfort zone and speaking to one new person today. It might be someone new to a forum online, your supermarket cashier, a bus driver, or a colleague you haven’t spoken to before.

FEELING BOLDER:

Make an effort to deepen the relationship you have with people you see every day but don’t really know: shopkeepers, bus drivers, postal staff, office cleaners. Ask their names, share a story or two, and take some time to find out a little bit more about them.

GOING ALL OUT:

If this challenge ticks your box, try and spend as much time as you can talking to strangers. Strike up a conversation in an unusual place – like a tube carriage, a GPs waiting room or a lift. Make the awkward less awkward. Watch this video for inspiration.