At our core we don’t simply want to be successful. We don’t even want to be happy. Sure, we’ll settle for success and happiness, but when we’re really honest with ourselves, we know there’s an even deeper state of being. We, all of us, want to flourish.
I’ve long felt that my professional life, working at The Davis Academy, has allowed me to flourish. I can’t explain how grateful I am to be able to say that. Recently I spoke to someone I really care about. During our conversation it was clear that he too is flourishing in his professional life. I felt profoundly happy for him. I could see it in his eyes and his smile. I could hear it in his voice.
There are many ways to flourish. Just as plants can thrive in a variety of environments, the same is true for people. I’m sure that there’s literature out there that can hone in on some of the conditions, personal, professional, societal, and economic that set the stage for flourishing, but that’s a topic for another day.
For now I simply want to name the fact that I believe that human beings want to flourish and that the human spirit is all about finding ways for each of us to do so.