Rose, Thorn, Bud

Rose, Thorn, Bud

Feel better now

We asked you and some of our other favourite people some questions on what’s challenging for you at the moment.   Your answers inspired Mark to create something new to help you, it’s called:

Rose – Thorn – Bud  

In this video Mark shares a simple technique that you can do anywhere, anytime to help you to:
  • feel better today
  • connect with those around you 
  • feel more optimistic about the future

…you can do this alone or with others, whenever you need it. 

We’d love to learn what you found most useful, please share your comments below.

We look forward to seeing you next month and in the meantime.. 
Continue to stay safe, be well and thrive!
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31 Comments

  1. Mark-Reply
    2nd July 2020 at 12:53 pm

    I’d love to hear from you…
    – What’s your rose, thorn and bud today?
    – What did you find most useful about this video?
    – Who could you play this game with?

    • Paul Curci-Reply
      2nd July 2020 at 3:59 pm

      Thank you, Mark. Love this.
      Rose – This beautiful, sunny day at the beach, where I’m working today.
      Thorn – That shoulder pain that’s been annoying me for weeks.
      Bud – Small group of family and friends are scheduled to arrive at the beach later day, and through the weekend. Social distancing, of course. But, so excited to see them.

      • Mark-Reply
        3rd July 2020 at 8:41 am

        Thanks for sharing Paul, the beach with your friends sounds magical and I hope you get your shoulder sorted soon.

  2. Kirsty-Reply
    2nd July 2020 at 1:25 pm

    I really loved the part about our in built negative bias, it’s really interesting to learn how we can change this by practising gratitude.

  3. Bern-Reply
    2nd July 2020 at 1:28 pm

    Today my rose is being alive and healthy.. especially given everything that’s going on at the moment. My thorn is that I have lots of chores to do around the house, and my bud is that I’m a frontline worker who is off this weekend. I can’t wait to relax!

  4. Bryan-Reply
    2nd July 2020 at 1:31 pm

    Thanks Mark for another fantastic video! I love how simple yet impactful the game is. Well done.

  5. Sarah-Reply
    2nd July 2020 at 2:16 pm

    Rose – The healthy and delicious lunch my husband just made me
    Thorn – Brain fog!
    Bud – A walk on the common, with my dog this evening.

    The most useful thing for me was taking the time to think – Bud was the most helpful. Thorn was really difficult for me as such an optimist!

    I’m going to play this with my girls on our Wednesday wild_womens_weekly call!

  6. Giancarlo-Reply
    2nd July 2020 at 3:50 pm

    Such a simple exercise, yet it makes such a big difference. I consider myself an optimistic and positive person by nature, and yet I have been noticing how many negative thoughts take most of the space in my head during the day. Doing this exercise every day will help me invert the trend, I’m sure.

    • Mark-Reply
      3rd July 2020 at 8:43 am

      Giancarlo, thanks for the feedback so glad you find it useful.

  7. Jalpa Lai-Reply
    2nd July 2020 at 3:52 pm

    I love this video as I was having a meh day and this helped me focus.
    Rose – a family achievement and a reason to celebrate
    Thorn – a niggling issue that needs confronting
    Bud – Sunday afternoon when I’m going to do not very much

    This will replace our weekly family cards session this Sunday evening … can’t wait for the answers !!

  8. Marcus Gardiner-Reply
    2nd July 2020 at 4:53 pm

    Excellent simple way to check in

    • Mark-Reply
      3rd July 2020 at 8:47 am

      Thanks Marcus

  9. Lisa Range-Reply
    2nd July 2020 at 6:01 pm

    Rose – having my gorgeous family around me today

    Thorn – struggling to bounce back from gastroenteritis

    Bud – a chilled out weekend with the boys planning our Christmas Lapland trip

    • Mark-Reply
      3rd July 2020 at 8:49 am

      Hey Lisa, so great you and your gorgeous boys are getting on so well and I hope you get over your nasty gastroenteritis soon. .

  10. Julie Martin-Reply
    2nd July 2020 at 11:03 pm

    Another wonderful video Mark! And it’s an easy principle to put into practice because it’s simple. It’s like you get a mini perspective on your day, week or whatever. For me: Rose – Not bad being in lockdown in Hawaii. Thorn – technology overload trying to maintain work via all the online platforms. Bud – getting creative about possibilities once the “thorn” has been overcome!

    • Mark-Reply
      3rd July 2020 at 8:46 am

      Julie, thanks for sharing your mini perspective of life in Hawaii.

  11. Ray-Reply
    3rd July 2020 at 11:54 am

    Rose – Listening to my 3 year old make jokes in the morning. A fresh coffee which I prepared with some poor latte art. Feeling more active when I woke up today.

    Thorn – Overwhelmed with too much to do and learn. Missing my quality time to read and relax.

    Bud – Looking forward to spending time walking Nutmeg (my dog) without technology devices. Spend some time tonight reading my book.

    • Mark-Reply
      6th July 2020 at 7:48 am

      Thanks for sharing Ray, you’ve cheered me up this morning hearing about your 3 year old and Nutmeg.

  12. Mike Howells-Reply
    3rd July 2020 at 5:25 pm

    I love the bit about accepting the parts that I shall refer to as ‘sub-ideal’ lest I trigger a profanity and screaming filter. So often we’re encouraged to wish these feelings away in a cloud of butterflies and cupcakes and sunsets and insta-motivational-claptrap. These things are real and to not accept them is to not deal with them which leads to cognitive dissonance and that way madness lies. So thank you for suggesting we hit the sub-ideal bits head-on.

    Rose: The nagging knee-injury I’ve been carrying is fading and running is becoming easier and faster and more joyous again. As a result, I’m slowly starting to shift some of this timber!
    Thorn: Ongoing struggles with solitude and a lack of touch are feeling particularly overwhelming today.
    Bud: Tomorrow morning I’ll be running up hills in all that beastly mud and oomska with friends and it will be filthy and excellent and cathartic and paradoxically cleansing.

    “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
    Frank Herbert, Dune

    • Mark-Reply
      6th July 2020 at 7:43 am

      Mike, thanks for being so frank. I love the fear quote.

  13. Derrick-Reply
    5th July 2020 at 10:38 pm

    Sublime game Mark!

    Rose- My relationship with my husband for 34 years.

    Thorn- Uncertainty of life Post Covid-19

    Bud- Leaning into the uncertainty of life Post Covid-19

    Peace and gratitude from Amsterdam

    • Mark-Reply
      6th July 2020 at 7:43 am

      Thanks Derrick, 34 years wow!

  14. Joni Carter-Reply
    6th July 2020 at 12:58 pm

    Thanks Mark
    Rose
    Today I feel grateful for a brilliant song on the radio that woke me up
    Annie Lennox- little Bird
    Thorn
    Last night I had a bad sleep and was woken early by a neighbour. I feel sleepy today but going to embrace it.
    Bud
    Looking forward to getting out the city tomorrow with a friend. A river walk and my first pub lunch out.

    • Mark-Reply
      10th July 2020 at 10:54 am

      Sounds great Joni! I hope you get a better night’s sleep tonight!

  15. Harri Llywelyn-Reply
    9th July 2020 at 5:03 pm

    Brilliant game!

    Rose – helping my ‘mamgu’ translate her book into welsh

    Thorn – rusty “wenglish” habits

    Bud – Heading to Wales this weekend to see my family for the first time in 4 months!

    • Mark-Reply
      10th July 2020 at 10:54 am

      Hey Harri, thanks for sharing … have fun with the family.

  16. Paula-Reply
    10th July 2020 at 10:16 am

    Hi Mark thanks for the motivation to keep in touch with ones self. I love this game and I’m going to play it everyday. Life is getting busy again and I will take at least 5 minutes to consciously take time to reflect and rose bud thorn will help me achieve this. My rose is a nice sunny day today thorn constant worry about my parents and bud is a nice relaxing evening watching my new Netflix fix queen of the south ..

    • Mark-Reply
      10th July 2020 at 10:55 am

      Netflix … don’t know what I would have done without it during lockdown.

  17. Vijay Reed-Reply
    12th July 2020 at 1:15 pm

    Mark – thank you so much for another thought provoking and helpful video. It could not have been more timely as I’ve been having a moody week!
    Today:
    My rose is the wonderful family and friends I have around me who give their love and support unconditionally
    My thorn is not being able to put the negative thoughts in perspective, and recognising the positives (where the rose helps!)
    My bud is that tomorrow I start week 7 of a 12 week fitness and nutrition plan that is making me stronger and fitter.

    I found the neurological insights really interesting – especially why we’re wired to have a negative bias!!

    I’ve played it with the husband and it’s been really helpful in opening up a conversation about how we feel, giving one another perspective, and other ways that we can support one another (including alone time if we need it!).

    • Mark-Reply
      12th July 2020 at 7:13 pm

      Hi Vijay, so pleased it was helpful in opening up a conversation with your husband on new ways to support each other.

  18. Phil Wilde-Reply
    17th July 2020 at 5:54 pm

    I’ve been using this game with my kids at bed time. They love it!

    Getting them to reflect on their day by naming their rose-thorn-bud has given me such a great window into their life away from the home.

    Thanks for sharing Mark!

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