I was looking through a copy of the poetry book I wrote, around 30 years ago, last night (they were originally going to be songs but I have a voice that makes a hoover sound tuneful!)

This morning I watched a video on stoicism, as a result I am starting to think our bodies change way more than our minds do as we journey through this life.

My body looks way different to what it did 30 years ago and it can't do the things it used to and that has happened without any effort on my part. Yet my mind which I have put years of effort into trying to change hasn't altered much at all.

After watching the stoicism video it dawned on me that 90% of us or more know what it takes to be happy and content mentally.

Live in the moment.

Focus on the things you can control.

Be grateful.

Be humble.

Be kind.

Deal with the way things are not how you wish them to be.etc

I am starting to think though that mental health is affected far more by our environment and external factors than it is on what goes on inside us...as I say it feels like our personalities are kind of set in stone and that outside factors  impact individuals to greater or lesser degrees.

I was always at my happiest when I was in relationships I had no problems mentally, loneliness though brings with it real challenges but in both those scenarios my personality is the same.

If anyone became destitute over night some would cope and others me included would collapse but would our personalities change.

If on the flip side I won 10 million tomorrow I would live a great life but again my personality would stay the same it would just be in an environment where it could thrive.

This is interesting with regard to the mental health crisis we keep hearing about, it feels more complicated than it perhaps is.

If I raced 50 meters along a flat track while my fittest friend or even Usain Bolt ran alongside me but in 5ft of water I would win. My 50 meters would be far easier to complete. The respective external factors would have a massive impact.

It feels obvious that a millionaire should have a much happier contented life than a person living on the streets.

I had always thought, that mentally, we should look on the inside for answers but it seems the inside, our minds don't change that much!

Food for thought for me with the job that I do.