A Happy Place

When I lived in my previous house, I enjoyed walking down to the bottom of my estate and down a footpath over a little stream and past a field with horses in. It was quiet and peaceful, and I used to walk down by myself, listening to music and just generally having some me time and a chance to think about things and relax. I called it my happy place.

We lived there for six years before we moved, and we've been in our current house for over a year. I was worried when we moved - aside from loving our house, I loved the area and worried about missing my "happy place" and having nowhere I would hold in the same regard.

Which made me wonder, do we really need an external happy place, in the outside world? Shouldn't we be able to create our own "happy place" inside our minds? If we rely on external things to make us happy, well, as my house move demonstrated, those things won't be in reach forever, so it's a safer bet to rely on your own mind instead.

If you need to go to a happy place, close your eyes and imagine it. Or, just close your eyes and imagine nothing. Call it meditation, call it simply taking a breather - if you adopt this technique, you can access peace as long as you have your brain with you. Which we all hopefully do, the majority of the time! Namaste.

(The above picture was taken in Jersey, which I wish was close enough to have been my happy place!)