Goddess Haumea -A Painting by Ruby

One of my areas of deep interest is positive psychology, a branch of psychology dedicated to the scientific study of what makes life most worth living. People often refer to it as the science of happiness, which sounds so wonderfully appealing!

One of the founding parents of positive psychology, Dr Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, identified and extensively studied the concept of 'flow,' a highly focussed mental state in which a person is fully absorbed in the activity they are performing. Often referred to as being 'in the zone,' flow is achieved when the activity is challenging but attainable according to the person's skill level, time passes by unnoticed and a positive state of serenity is achieved.

Reaching a state of flow can increase happiness levels by bringing a person into the present moment in a fully immersive way. It helps a person to derive a greater sense of enjoyment and fulfilment from their activity, as well as boosting motivation and skill development. It also supports the growth of positive emotional regulation.

"The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times...The best moments usually occur if a person's body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.' (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990.)

I often find myself in a state of flow when I am immersed in writing or painting. My eldest daughter, Ruby, has inherited my passion for painting (although her talent has far surpassed mine!) and I love seeing her lost in the depths of her latest creative endeavour. She produced some truly stunning pieces at school and, nowadays, she regularly presents her family and friends with brilliant, hand-painted greeting cards.

On Mother's Day this year, I was still in bed when Ruby came into my bedroom and surprised me with a painting she'd been secretly working on. She knows I love Hawaii, it's one of my favourite places on Earth, and she knows how I value being a mother as my greatest, most rewarding and most defining role in life. So, she painted Haumea, the Hawaiian goddess of childbirth. I was totally blown away by her talent and deeply touched by such a beautiful, thoughtful gesture. It was just so perfectly meaningful.

At the moment, it's taking pride of place on my French dresser in the dining room, but I'm planning to get it framed and find a prominent space on the wall for it. I adore the colours and their vibrancy, the tropical, green, earthy feel, the strength, power and steely look of determination of Haumea, but also her femininity and beauty.

It also fills me with warmth that Ruby took great joy in producing this beautiful piece. For a few hours, she was lost in the happiness of a creative endeavour, and I love that I now get to treasure a physical representation of that bliss.

Both my parents loved to paint, and my youngest sister, based in Byron Bay in Australia, still creates some stunning paintings based upon her passion for animals and spiritual exploration. It's wonderful to have witnessed Ruby's talent grow over the years and I can't wait to see how it continues to evolve. She's going to university in September to indulge her love for the environment and study a BSc in Environmental Geoscience. I love how she's pursuing her dreams, but I also hope that she always makes some time to lose herself in her artistic talent and creativity which, I know, will help to sustain her happiness levels and sense of well-being as she makes her beautiful mark on the world!