How to Cultivate Eudaimonia
2022 comes with both excitement and trepidation... She’s invited to a seat at the table - on the promise of better behaviour than predecessor, ’21 (the type who overstays the dinner party and, at some point during the evening, escalates into an unrecognisable, unwanted version of herself who everyone is sidestepping).
'22 may not have big shoes to fill – but we are counting on her for kindness and a little predictability.
That said, predictable is now almost synonymous with stale. How resilient we have become to change!
Last year, my word was Metamorphosis – can you relate?
For this year, I've chosen...
Eudaimonia.
It’s a Greek word for which there is no direct English translation.
It’s ‘the condition of human flourishing or living well’ which sounds rather vague – but, for me, it sits in the place between ‘peace’ and ‘growth’, both of which I’m ready to cultivate.
“Unlike our everyday concept of happiness, eudaimonia is not a state of mind, nor is it simply the experience of joys and pleasures. Moreover, happiness is a subjective concept. Eudaimonia, in contrast, is an objective standard of 'happiness,' based on what it means to live a human life well.”
It's a CHOSEN way of living – an activity rather than a state or goal.
You see, we’re all chasing happiness. A relentless hunt. A desperate desire to run from pain, grief, difficult moments, tough conversations, or anything dull and boring.
Eudaimonia invites us to sit with ALL the moments, to be content with them, and LIVE through them…
To live a peaceful life where we choose to FLOURISH...
To remove the constant RUSH to get things done, even the mundane, and find contentment in them...
To sit with boredom, and absorb what that space and time can teach us... I’ve noticed it with my daughter. When she’s bored and well-rested – she is her MOST creative.
And there it is – Eudaimonia. So for me, it will look like this...
'22 may not have big shoes to fill – but we are counting on her for kindness and a little predictability.
That said, predictable is now almost synonymous with stale. How resilient we have become to change!
Last year, my word was Metamorphosis – can you relate?
For this year, I've chosen...
Eudaimonia.
It’s a Greek word for which there is no direct English translation.
It’s ‘the condition of human flourishing or living well’ which sounds rather vague – but, for me, it sits in the place between ‘peace’ and ‘growth’, both of which I’m ready to cultivate.
“Unlike our everyday concept of happiness, eudaimonia is not a state of mind, nor is it simply the experience of joys and pleasures. Moreover, happiness is a subjective concept. Eudaimonia, in contrast, is an objective standard of 'happiness,' based on what it means to live a human life well.”
It's a CHOSEN way of living – an activity rather than a state or goal.
You see, we’re all chasing happiness. A relentless hunt. A desperate desire to run from pain, grief, difficult moments, tough conversations, or anything dull and boring.
Eudaimonia invites us to sit with ALL the moments, to be content with them, and LIVE through them…
To live a peaceful life where we choose to FLOURISH...
To remove the constant RUSH to get things done, even the mundane, and find contentment in them...
To sit with boredom, and absorb what that space and time can teach us... I’ve noticed it with my daughter. When she’s bored and well-rested – she is her MOST creative.
And there it is – Eudaimonia. So for me, it will look like this...
- Enjoying the growth of our businesses, rather than amplifying stress.
- Taking time in the week to be mindless - rather than mindful.
- Investing in mastering ONE skill.
- Living with purpose and intent, every day.
- Focusing on quality, rather than quantity, in every facet of life: The clothing we buy, the followers who join us, the goals we execute, and the relationships we have.
- Eliminating negativity, gossip and complaint from conversations.
What’s your word for this year? I love hearing about it, so go ahead and message me here!
How BLESSED you and I are to follow our dreams, and to continue dreaming expansively.
I wish you all the Eudaimonia the world has to offer this year!
How BLESSED you and I are to follow our dreams, and to continue dreaming expansively.
I wish you all the Eudaimonia the world has to offer this year!