In her novel Emma, Jane Austen writes that “One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other”. It’s a saying I remember most days! And it’s a saying I remembered when last year I read a book sharing the author’s mental health issues. Through all her struggles, the author reflected, the people who supported her wanted her to be able to go on to live a “rich and full” life. What would a rich and full life look like, I wondered? What feels to you a rich and full way of living, and how different might that ideal feel to each one of us? It’s never a one-way system.
Wellbeing has become a shared common goal. Maybe our quest for wellbeing could be summed up as a quest for a richer and fuller life – more joy, more contentment, more hope. How do the two words themselves differ? A “rich” life might be about enjoying many different and new experiences, maybe enjoying material riches and what money can but, but also deeper riches. A “full” life might be about being busy, satisfied, with a sense of purpose and fulfilment – the opposite of boredom, apathy, loneliness or aimlessness. And yes, they overlap – a rich life might be about “”living life to the full”.
Is it even negative and damaging to dwell on how to live a rich and full life? Can it become a form of overthinking? Are so many of us today so busy thinking how we might live richer and fuller lives that we miss little riches along the way? Destination addiction (“I’ll be happy when…”) can overshadow the present and leave us in limbo.
Wellbeing models and frameworks abound. One of the most recognised, the CHIME framework, highlights our need of connectedness, hope, identity, meaning and empowerment. I’ve even developed a model of my own, five building blocks that form the basis of my art for wellbeing training course, Paint Your Mind. They are root, ground, express, absorb and connect. All these words might sum up ways to a live a richer and fuller life. Feeling rooted, or grounded, makes life’s experiences richer and deeper, while connecting with others can be integral to a fuller life. But each wrd will look different to each person. Feeling rooted might raise questions about identity, community and belonging, or might be more about simply celebrating and feeling part of events through the year, like a sports tournament.
Creativity gives these words tangible form, for me and for others. Creativity enriches my life and makes it fuller day by day, in ways large and small. It’s active and productive, it makes things matter more – details like colour and form that I might take for granted. But as Jane Austen knew so well, it won’t do that for everyone.
Riches and fullness have to be discovered, even unearthed, but they may be closer than you think. The world sets standards for a rich and full life – but that very life might feel barren to some of us, or overwhelming, or disappointing. Riches may be under your feet, under my feet, here and now.
It would be so good if you would like to share thoughts on any of this in Medley’s Facebook group – just go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/359291215486002