September is here, and in Britain, young people, teachers and lecturers are heading back to school and college.  Always a busy time in the academic calendar; I remember it well during the time I was a lecturer.

For some this is a happy time. It’s great to be back, a new term, new faces and fresh beginnings.

For others there may still be a hankering for the life of the summer holiday just enjoyed:  a lie in, a day at the beach with the kids, the simple pleasures of life and a more relaxed pace.

The actress Helen Mirren expressed a dichotomy that many of us I am sure have felt:

“I think we all have a dream of what it would be like not to work and grow heir loom tomatoes, and I do have that dream.  It would be lovely.  I do love gardening and all of that, but I do love my work.”

On the surface her choice is obvious. The lure of a different lifestyle is outweighed by a greater love, her work, though she is  keen to point out her love for gardening’s simple pleasures too.

Yesterday, during a break in our work, I took this snapshot of a little moment in our life.  I gave it the same title as an earlier video and blog ‘What is brilliant living?’ so this could be thought of as ‘What is brilliant living? (Part 2).

[responsive_video type=’youtube’ hide_related=’1′ hide_logo=’1′ hide_controls=’0′ hide_title=’1′ hide_fullscreen=’0′ autoplay=’0′]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHcpmnW5qkU&t=74s[/responsive_video]

The video, the differing views of those returning to work and Helen Mirren’s quote are in many ways part of that same question.  What is brilliant living?

My answer would be to say that brilliant living is your own concept of what a brilliant life looks like to you.

For Helen Mirren, although she has toyed with a different lifestyle, her work was her primary love over gardening.

But we should not consider life’s simple pleasures and work as mutually exclusive.

The key is having consciously chosen our lifestyles and our priorities.

So what about you? If you are returning to work this week, I hope it is with a happy heart.  If it’s not then perhaps it’s time for you to consciously consider what you want from your life.

You see, the simple things in life can sometimes lead to weightier considerations but that doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy them for what they are. It’s a question of priority.

So what sort of lifestyle are you looking for?  And what are your priorities in life? Tell us in the comments section below or click to like us on the Book of Faces, in the Twittersphere and Goggles Plus (not forgetting the Pin thing)!