What would your apple tree be?

I’m currently writing a World War 2 novel about a Parisian pastry chef who joins the French Resistance. It's a delicious mix (literally) of spying and intrigue and cream cakes, and let it be known that I have taken the eating part of my research VERY seriously.

In an early scene from the novel the chef is talking with a close friend, both of them reeling from the recent German occupation of France, and in the course of their conversation one of them says to the other: ‘In a world where hatred and fear rule, simply being happy is an act of rebellion.’

This becomes a recurring theme in the story, as the main characters strive to use their happiness as an act of resistance, and as I was working on the final draft this week it occurred to me that this could maybe be a helpful theme for modern life too.

In a world where war is raging it can be all too easy to succumb to fear and despair - or despair’s sullen cousin, apathy.

Then I remembered a favourite quote of mine that is attributed to Martin Luther, although no-one seems to be sure if he actually wrote it!

“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree today.”

Don’t you just love the optimism and defiance in these words? And the notion of hope as an act of rebellion?

So, today I have a question for you: If you were to adopt a similar spirit of defiant optimism, what would your apple tree be?

And by that I mean, what could you begin doing or creating as an act of hope?

For me the answer was quick and easy - I’d create an affordable online writing course to help make the joy of writing accessible to everyone.

This has been a long held dream of mine that I’ve kept putting off because I’ve told myself that I just don’t have the time.

But if the world were to go to pieces tomorrow, I’d really regret not starting it today.

Perhaps you have something similar - a project or a dream or a lifestyle change you’ve kept putting off - but you’d be so disappointed if you didn’t end up doing it.

And if like me, the reason you’ve put it off is because you feel you don’t have enough time I have a wonderful and very effective hack to share with you.

I call this hack ‘The Power of 30 Minutes a Day.’

Unless you’re insanely busy it’s completely doable to find 30 minutes to spare most days. But maybe, like me, you tell yourself that 30 minutes isn’t nearly enough time to get anything done.

This week, out of a mad desire to start planting my apple tree, whilst also right up against a book deadline, I decided to experiment and see what I could do by dedicating the first 30 minutes of my working day to creating my writing course.

I’m happy to report that it was surprisingly fruitful, ‘scuse the pun!

I achieved a lot more than I’d anticipated and I created a real feeling of momentum by doing something every day.

But best of all, I felt really good about myself for finally planting that tree - or beginning to dig the hole to plant it in anyway!

I hope this inspires you to plant your own apple tree - even if you can only find 30 minutes a day.

And I would LOVE to hear what your apple tree is in the comments or a reply to this email.

Here’s to planting more hope and happiness in the world!

Siobhan