What exactly does wellbeing mean? (DW#961)
Sep 20, 2021
Last week, we discussed why and how our mental and emotional wellbeing matters, not only for our personal lives, but also for our working lives and especially for our family lives.
Let’s remind ourselves that we need to focus on our wellbeing not just for ourselves. When we are at our best, we are more productive and more loving.
And we are able to contribute our gifts to the world.
Let us take a moment to make the distinction between what popular culture calls happiness and actual wellbeing. Let’s explore two different words for happiness.
To put it REALLY simply:
Hedonia is about:
- pleasure, enjoyment, comfort and satisfaction;
- and the absence of distress.
Eudemonia, a more complex and nuanced concept which includes:
- authenticity: clarifying one’s true self and deep values, staying connected with them, and acting in accord with them;
- meaning: understanding a bigger picture, relating to it, finding one’s purpose
- contribution: recognizing how our wellbeing is connected to the wellbeing of the community, the society, and even the entire ecosystem;
- excellence: striving for higher quality and higher standards in one’s behavior, performance, accomplishments. Living a life based on principles and virtues;
- personal growth: self-actualization, fulfilling one’s potential and pursuing personal goals; growth, seeking challenges; and maturing as a human being.
Of course, we will explore these in more depth in the coming days but for now, can you see how they can sometimes be at odds with one another?
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