My sisters and I needed a night away from being moms; an escape from making dinner, facilitating homework and being the bedtime drill sergeant. We agreed to an evening of painting and cocktails; although I’m not sure how. To this day, none of us will take credit for making the suggestion! We walked in hesitant to give something new a try; but after lots of guidance and giggles, we walked out proud of our artwork and a little bit smarter too.

Little did we know, while we were mixing paint we were also actively developing our intellectual wellness.  According to the National Wellness Institute, intellectual wellness is one of the six dimensions of wellness. Each of the six dimensions are interrelated with each other; and each is equally important in the pursuit of a healthy and fulfilling life. Engaging in creative and mentally-stimulating activities nurtures our intellectual wellness. These activities expand our knowledge and skill set while also allowing us to share our knowledge and skills with others. Intellectual wellness encourages learning, open-mindedness, travel, new hobbies and expressing yourself creatively.

Two days ago, I stood in front of a group of women and shared tips on how to properly and simply track inventory for their direct sales businesses. Much like painting, public speaking is not a skill that I have finely tuned. My daughter, who had tagged along, assured me on the drive home that I had done a fine job, but I wasn’t so sure. Put me in front of a group of people and my well-prepared presentation comes out in a fast-talking, tangle of words that felt like a hot mess. I enjoyed every minute even though I was nervous. Sharing my skill set to help ease the stress of others makes me feel like I am closer to finding my place in the universe; and it boosts my intellectual wellness. Who knew feeling like a hot mess could be a good thing?!

Did you know that small business of yours is nurturing your intellectual wellness? It is! You might not have given it much thought, but we would bet that you’ve been reading and learning more since starting your business. If you’ve been to a team meeting or conference, you have likely been listening with an open mind and sharing what you have learned with both your customers and your teammates. A few weeks ago, we wrote about the not-so-well-known benefits of having a small business. Nurturing your intellectual wellness is another one! Your small business can be an extremely fulfilling part of your life. And if nurturing your intellectual wellness leads you to learning more about bookkeeping skills; we would be thrilled to share our skills with you!