Pursuing well-being. Inspired by Dr Nick Baylis

Happy New Year of course!!

Well into another decade as well as year, so Something has to be done with myself. Yes, it is that time of year where all sorts of resolutions are made, only to be broken a few days/weeks later, but I determined to continue to head in the right direction, albeit little by little. Though I have made strides in clarity of thought, not procrastinating nearly as much and so on, there is much more to be done on this front. I have had the serendipity 2 days ago to have come across a cool book by Dr Nick Baylis who lectures on the skills of well-being at Cambridge University (UK). I am now part of the way through it and am already benefitting! His definition of happiness seems very good to me. Evidently it is not possible nor even desirable to be in a constant state of unquestioning 'happiness' which can frankly be almost bovine, but what I have found useful to think about is Dr Baylis's take on how we can also utilise to positive ends what are considered negative emotions such as feelings of loss, frustration, anger etc. It sounds rather trite and simplistic put like this in my stumbling way, but he does it in far more depth and much more convincingly of course. I have already identified some patterns of behaviour in myself from his writings and genuinely believe that I will be able to make changes and improvements by having done so. I'm not expecting to turn my life around rapidly, but hope that gradually I will come to see myself, my life and what is merely fantasy more clearly. I have, since starting the book, already embarked on a small new project which may or may not succeed, but as I now I recognise that one of my failings is being so keen not to fail, or be seen by others to do so, that I have talked myself out of many things and opportunities which may have led who knows where over the last several years, I have determined to employ a more 'nothing ventured' approach to my whole life. Thank you Nick!!.