What are the five pillars of a flourishing life?
Martin Seligman, the founder of positive psychology, identified five elements that contribute to human flourishing—not just "not being miserable" but actually thriving. He called it the PERMA model. What might these five elements be?
P = Positive Emotions: Joy, gratitude, hope, love, curiosity. Feeling good matters!
E = Engagement: Being absorbed in activities (flow states). Using your strengths in challenging tasks.
R = Relationships: Deep connections with others. Being known and knowing others. Love, friendship, belonging.
M = Meaning: Serving something larger than yourself. Purpose, contribution, mattering.
A = Accomplishment: Achieving goals, mastery, competence. The satisfaction of having done something well. Progress and growth.
Use PERMA as a checklist: Which elements are strong in your life? Which need attention? A life rich in all five is a flourishing life. You don't need perfection in each—balance and awareness matter.
PERMA: Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, Accomplishment!
Key insight: These five pillars are independent—you can have meaning without pleasure, or pleasure without engagement. A flourishing life cultivates all five in your own unique balance.
🤔 Which thinking lens(es) did you use?
Select all the lenses you used:
🌱 A Small Everyday Story
Take inventory:
P: What made me smile today?
E: When was I fully absorbed?
R: Who did I connect with?
M: What felt meaningful?
A: What did I accomplish?
Five lenses on one day.
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Key concepts: Positive psychology, flourishing vs. languishing, wellbeing theory, character strengths.