The Encarta ® World English Dictionary © defines well-being as:
Conducive to good health: in a way that promotes health and physical well-being (often used in combination.) Good health or fortune: a good, healthy, or comfortable state.
However another definition states:
A good or satisfactory condition of existence; a state characterized by health, happiness, and prosperity; welfare: to influence the well-being of the nation and its people.
This second definition places the emphasis of well-being on health, happiness and prosperity, rather than just one of these things. This, I feel is a better reflection of the state of well-being. If we assess each area of our lives (using a coaching technique such as the wheel of life click here) it is easy to understand how one aspect of our lives influences another. For example, worry about finances can induce ill health, having good relationships with a partner can make us more tolerant at work. Well-being exists when harmony is occurring in each aspect of our lives.
Another interesting point to consider about the definitions above is that the language used to describe the conditions for well-being are not “excellent,” “amazing” or “wonderful” but simply “good” or “satisfactory.” I believe it is absolutely essential that we all have goals, dreams, call them what you will. This is especially important for males, who tend to have a great deal of intense energy (as opposed to the softer, nurturing female energy) and this energy must be channelled in the form of setting and achieving goals. If a male does not have these, he will often find himself on the wrong path in his life. However I also feel it is important to have reasonable expectations. If every moment of every day had to be amazingly wonderful in order for you to achieve wellbeing, it could be a challenge to have your need for well-being met. Also, if you think that you will only experience well-being once your goals has been achieved, you will have a whole chunk of time whilst it is a work in progress where you will not allow yourself to feel that sense of well-being. Why not feel well-being whilst working towards your goal? The more achievable your expectations for feeling good are, the easier it will be to have your feeling of well-being. So what does this mean- give up on dreaming big? No. Dream big, but each day find happiness and achievement in the little things too.
For example:
Finances- A big Goal could be to earn £100,000 in 6 months, but if you can feel prosperous by finding £1.00 down the back of the sofa, you will tap into feelings of prosperity more easily.
Health and Fitness- A big goal could be to lose 3 stone in 8 months, but if you can feel the same sense of achievement with each individual pound you lose, you’ll be more motivated to continue working towards your goal.
Personal Relationships- A big Goal could be to get married, but a lower expectation that can make you feel good more easily could be to feel totally connected to your partner when on a date.
Spirituality- A big goal could be to feel total spiritual enlightenment, but if you can feel spiritual whilst having your questions about life and the universe unanswered you can feel spiritual all the time.
Personal Development- A big goal could be to attend a £1000 training course, but if you can feel you are developing yourself whilst reading a good book (like this one) then you can develop yourself must more easily.
Fun- A big goal could be to have a certain number of holidays each year, but you can also have fun when spending a lunch time with friends if you make it your intention to have that happen.
Career- A big goal could be to get a promotion, but an easily and immediately achievable way to have well-being could be to make someone that you work with feel valued by telling them that they’ve done a great job.
Family- A big goal could be to have a harmonious household, but an immediate sense of well-being could come from taking a walk with your family at the weekend.
In short, it’s important to have challenges in your life to help you to stretch and grow as a person, and it’s equally important to make life easy for yourself sometimes. (Some people really like to make life more difficult than it really needs to be. I’m not someone that subscribes to this idea.) Make it easy to feel good and the more likely it is that you will exist with a sense of well-being. In doing so, from an attraction point of view, you are not only practicing feeling successful, but in feeling success you are able to attract more of it on a larger scale.
By Gemma Bailey
