"When students, or professionals, sit down across from me for what I call a 'Flourishing Chat,' they rarely begin with a crisis. More often they say something like, 'I know what I want to do... I just don't feel that great about it.' They describe futures that sound impressive: consulting, medicine, law, leadership roles at major companies."
"I want them to tell me what time they'll wake up, who they will spend their days with, what kinds of problems they will solve, what their evenings feel like when they come home tired. At this point in the conversation, every time, students, and sometimes even professionals, can't answer my questions."
"We are taught early to think of success as a possession. We accumulate credentials, milestones, promotions, and recognition. We pursue outcomes that can be measured and displayed. Yet even if we mark our life journey with milestones, most of our time travelling will be in the everyday steps we take along our way."
"The philosopher Aristotle distinguished between external goods - wealth, status, honor - and what he called eudaimonia, which is what today we call flourishing. How we travel will not only determine which path we take, it will also determine which milestones are worth marking."
Success is often viewed as external achievements, but true flourishing arises from aligning daily actions with personal values. Many individuals, when asked about their future roles, struggle to articulate their daily experiences and interactions. This highlights a disconnect between aspirations and the reality of daily life. Aristotle's concept of eudaimonia emphasizes the importance of internal fulfillment over external possessions. Ultimately, how individuals spend their days significantly influences their sense of success and well-being.
Read at Psychology Today
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