NOUN

: the state attained by an individual living her life within the moral boundaries set by virtues and fulfilling their role and attaining goals in life.

- Science Direct

Aristotle believed that Eudaimonia is the highest human good, the good that is strived for it’s own sake, as an end in itself rather than a means to an end.

So often when we think of creating the life of our desires, we think in terms of happiness. But happiness can be argued to be a modern and even insufficient word of misguidance. Not only is happiness usually a temporary, passing emotion, but can also generate loops of anticipation and endless inquiry. We can find ourselves always wondering when and how we will find happiness.

The ancients didn’t believe that the purpose of life was to be happy, it was to be fulfilled. Fulfillment is one of the words that leans towards the true meaning of Eudaimonia. Eudaimonia is a consistent state of living well, of nourishing the Spirit..the flourishing of life. Eudaimonia embraces the various realities of life that include the ebbs and flows of circumstance, of pain, challenge and the full range of the human experience. While not always cheerful, these experiences will provoke us, force us to trust, learn new depths of faith, courage and exploration and effectively usher us into something much more grand than happiness. Maybe it’s worth taking a look at the various categories of our lives - career, love, health, finances, dreams - and challenge whether we are striving for happiness, or for the idea of total fulfillment, of Eudaimonia.

with love,

Sarah

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