Pillars of Interest

I had brunch with a very clever man today. He could see I was feeling a bit restless and asked why. I answered that I was starting to worry that I hadn't completed as much work as I hoped to have over the break and that I was starting to feel guilty about all this mooching about. Anxiety was starting to creep in about the amount of work I had to do.

He then spoke to me at length about the importance of 'mooching' and building areas of interest in your life. Apparently we all need ten different pillars of interest to keep us balanced, happy, healthy individuals. He was delighted to hear that I'd started to blip as he could see how enthused I was about it but I REALLY struggled to name another nine! So, after our brunch I mooched off and bought myself a sketchbook and some watercolours determined to start painting again. Two down ...eight to go!

With all this talk of pillars, a blip of the Old Royal Naval College seemed appropriate so I was delighted I had my camera on me!

When I came home I found the below text via the Internet about reaching well being. I am posting this as I think this is something we could do with being reminded of in today's modern & work obsessed world!

P.S. Blip contributes to two of these areas of well being! Hooray for Blipping and Blipland :-))

Connect...
With the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day.

Be active...
Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy and that suits your level of mobility and fitness.

Take notice...
Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you.

Keep learning...
Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun.

Give...
Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.