Day 37 Accepting Your Lot

I'm not a natural runner... or indeed, naturally good at anything remotely sports-related other than drunken darts. And I'm not even very good at that. So maybe if you're a natural runner, running makes you happy. Personally, it causes pain, stiff limbs, a blinding reminder of my innate clumsiness and a notable lack of running fashion sense. Holey leggings and an ancient Dire Straits t-shirt do not a sexy jogger make.

So, not only am I missing out on the heady cocktail of endorphins, I don’t even reach a blissful state of contentment whilst running. But it’s got me thinking about what the hell this inner peace malarkey; concept of contentment is that I’m blabbering on about? Who knows?! A brain-rotting side effect of 37 days exposed to the Happiness Industry? IS it reaching an emotional state of satisfaction, the veritable oasis of tranquility? OR plain old Accepting Your Lot? From what I can gather, it's not 'fighting' with yourself... it’s finding a balance, changing perspectives, realising that you're in control of your own boundaries, expectations blah SOMEONE BRING ME A PEN there's a superfluous self-help novel in this girl yet.

I love the phrase 'accepting your lot'... it makes me think of old 'uns, berating the yoof of today for craving iPods and laptops and violent films and e-numbers when in their day a cardboard box was more than sufficient fodder for entertainment. YOU KNOW IT. Accepting your lot. That acceptance is appropriate falls dangerously close to fatalism or defeatism, but I can't face delving into the isms right now. SO instead, I found a survey. WOOHOO! MATHS.

A while ago, I mentioned the BBC Happiness Formula program. As part of this, GfK NOP (what a catchy little name!) carried out a Happiness Survey and compared the results to a similar study in 1957. It would seem, broadly speaking, that Britain is less happy than in the 1950s, despite the fact we are three times richer. So wealth doesn't buy you happiness. But increased wealth is a product of what? Capitalism and consumerism? The more wealth we get the more we want? Ergo, less happy with the lot? Could I be asking any more questions in today’s blog? Is it simply that in post-war Britain they were so bloody grateful to not be at war, wealth and materialism didn't even get a look-in?

The rest of the questionnaire isn't tremendously groundbreaking. Social relationships, escaping the pace of modern life, a sense of community, being healthy all contribute towards higher levels of happiness. But to what definition of happiness? To what degree can an essentially subjective entity be assessed within the parameters of a survey? OK I'LL STOP. Today will be all about accepting ones lot and being content. YEP for 24 hours I'm not going to complain about anything. At all. Ahem.