We often hear people saying it’s hard to be happy. Even worse, that you can’t expect to be happy. And this is usually followed by a long list of whatever’s going on in their lives followed by what’s on the news. 

 

While it’s true that there are always going to be things going on in our lives, we always seem to look for happiness in the wrong place. In the world around us, rather than within. If this sounds rather strange, bear with us, it’ll all make sense in a moment. 

It’s no secret that regular exercise has a myriad of health benefits, both mental and physical. 

 

Sadly, it’s equally true that exercise is a dirty word for many people. Often this can be traced back to those dreaded games lessons at school which put them off exercise for life. And, as someone who was always last to be picked for any teams – not to mention a fully paid up member of the “two left feet” club (!) – Elaine knows all about this first hand… 

 

What’s so sad, is that there are many different forms of exercise – particularly these days – which are light years away from those inflicted at school. And, even better, many of them don’t really feel like exercise at all. Just something that’s fun to do. 

We were asked this question the other day and it’s a great one to get you thinking about what you truly value in life. 

 

So, before we go any further, why not take a couple of minutes to answer it for yourself? 

 

And, for those of you who worry about getting the answer “wrong”, the good news is there isn’t a “right” answer. Phew, that takes the pressure off! It’s only about what matters to you and, you never know, you might learn something interesting about yourself in the process... 

 

Having posed this question to various people, it quickly became clear that people tended to focus on tangible things when first answering it. Not surprisingly things like their home, car or granny’s engagement ring were popular initial answers. These were quickly followed by their “significant other”, parents or a much loved “four footed friend.” 

Having answered the question of why joints “pop” a few of weeks ago, we weren’t expecting to be answering another one of those questions so soon. It must be something to do with schools going back; as we’ve been asked lots of similar questions recently, only some of which will feature in future blog posts… 

We all have times when we just don’t know what to do. 

 

Perhaps we’ve looked at things from every angle and allowed “analysis paralysis” to bring us to a complete standstill. Sometimes, if we’re completely honest, our heart just isn’t in whatever it is and so nothing gets done. Or we’re waiting for the “right time” which, ironically, never comes. 

 

And not forgetting those times when we know exactly what needs to be done but have convinced ourselves – for whatever reason – that we can’t do it.