Towards Wellbeing !

The water bath in the garden in front of our cottage was not a favourite pale for birds for some unknown reason. Yesterday, I watched a Myna frolicking in water in the water bath. 

It waited for a while perched in the water bath before it began its rituals. There were other birds in the feeding table. The Myna waited till other birds flew away to make the bathing private. It flew away beyond my sight to dry itself. The way it used its wings to splash water all over the body was a sight to watch! 

Among the birds visiting us the Sunbird and Myna have an immaculately groomed body all the time. The sunbirds fly fast and Myna fly high to perch at the tall trees. The Myna bird has a bulkier body. The birds therefore behave conditioned by their needs. They are aware of the needs. 

The attention birds give to their physical wellness is worth watching and emulating. 

In the book, Wellbeing-five essential elements by Tom Rath and Jim Harter, the authors explore the themes of Career wellbeing, Social wellbeing, Financial wellbeing, Physical wellbeing and Community wellbeing. The book is a resource of practical wisdom. The strong suggestion in the pages of the book is for humans to be aware of their needs, towards experiencing wellbeing. 

The suggestion that about thirty percent in some societies can be obese as against four percent in some other societies substantiate their argument that wellbeing is a vocation many overlook while some  pursue it religiously.  

The focus on mindful living not just for longevity in life but for quality of life, is well presented in their arguments. About sixty four percent of those who go bankrupt in the USA is due to health care expenditure. 

The wellbeing is therefore is not an option but is the call of life and living according to the authors. The indulgent eating and indifference to movements and exercise seem to be a major factor which compromise  wellbeing. 

The birds move and fly and stay healthy. They eat to live well. 

Let me quote from page 4 of the book: 'Wellbeing is about combination of our love for what we do each day, the quality of retionshiops, the security of our finance, the vibrancy of our physical  health, and the pride we take in what we have contributed to our communities. Most importantly, it's about how these five elements interact'.

 

It is now thirteen years since Anna and I have had an opportunity to have visiting birds in our garden ! They bring messages for us to ponder upon!

M.C.Mathew (text and photo)