I was watching a webinar recently where the psychologist was saying that, in a recent study in the U.S. where people were asked about how they felt in their lives, 70% said that they were languishing, 20% said they were floundering, and only 10% said they were flourishing.
Languishing is characterized as dissatisfaction, lack of engagement, and/or apathy.
With the current state of the world, it’s understandable that so many people are unhappy. But what about the 10% who are flourishing?
I suspect that they’ve found something to do that brings joy into their life on a regular basis. This need not be a major thing. It could be something as easy as going for a daily walk or working in their garden. It could be something more time-consuming such as volunteering or participating in sports or working part-time. Or it could be something that to many of us would look like ‘work’, such as starting a new business or creating a new charity or working ‘full-time’ for someone else.
The thing is, whatever they do, they derive joy from it and probably look forward to their days.
There is a say attributed to Abraham Lincoln – “Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.” The 10% who are flourishing are actively working on being happy and that bodes well for those who aren’t flourishing. You can go from languishing to flourishing if you make the choice to do so. But I acknowledge that it can sometimes be difficult.
What I have found that works best is to find someone to help you along; be it your spouse, a friend, or a coach. They are sufficiently close to you to understand your challenges, yet far enough removed not to be caught up in your drama. They can also be your greatest support.