I have recently been called to think about what wellbeing means to me and I would encourage everyone to take a mindful minute to consider the topic.  I was involved in a professional conversation about recovery and spiritual values.  We all agreed that hope, meaning, connection and giving to others are spiritual values that people who travel the recovery path from illness back to health hold dear. 

I am struck by the overlap between these and what I believe wellbeing to be.  As humans we seek to connect with others before we are born, as demonstrated by the synchronization of mother-baby biorhythms which happens while in our mother’s womb.  As we mature, our achievements are reinforced through the recognition of others, whether this be as an individual or by working cooperatively in groups, teams or in communities. 

Our knowledge is transferred from one generation to the next; this transfer–which we could name cultural– means that the next generation, can afford to take on greater challenges than those of the previous.  We also connect to a sense of something greater than ourselves, a higher purpose if you like. 

This connection calls upon us to reach out to others, to make a difference and to contribute to the other.  It is through these connections that meaning and hope are sought.  Maintaining deep connections means we give something of ourselves. This giving requires both inner and outer strength. It is through activity and awareness of the self and that which surrounds us that strength is maintained.  In these remarkable times it is good to know that it is the innate that is pivotal to our wellbeing.