Well-being is one of those slippery concepts that everyone wants to embody; but few people seem to have a firm grasp on a definition for well-being.
Philosophers have been going on about well-being for centuries, from Aristotle’s eudaimonia–a life of flourishing achieved through virtuous living–to John Stuart Mill’s utilitarian notion of maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain.
Let’s be honest here, the pursuit of well-being today is often lost in the void.
Aristotle famously argued that well-being is not just about feeling good but about living well according to reason. He said, “Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence.”
Epicurus, on the other hand, suggested that well-being is about seeking pleasure–but not in the hedonistic sense. Instead, he advocated for simple pleasures and the avoidance of pain as the keys to a fulfilling life.
Fast forward a whole bunch of years and we get Viktor Frankl, who claimed that well-being comes from finding meaning, even in the midst of suffering. “Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear almost any ‘how,'” he wrote.
Ponder This Line of Thinking
Journal Prompts:
Write about your ideal day, something simple, that you could actually achieve without the need for a time machine or a winning lottery ticket.
What’s one thing you keep telling yourself you’ll do for your well-being, but haven’t? Reflect on why future-you keeps letting present-you down.
If your life was a reality TV show, what would the tagline be? And would it promote well-being or just drama?
Think of the last time you felt truly content. Was it because of what you were doing or because you finally put your phone down?
List all the things you think you need for well-being. Now cross out everything that you really don’t NEED.
Be Well Out There Friends
In the end, well-being isn’t about achieving some lofty ideal. It’s about finding small, meaningful ways to live a little better each day–and maybe ditching some things that are holding you back.