What are we all searching for?
”When it comes to our dreams, each of us seems to be searching for something rather different. Some are chasing a long-held ambition – to become a famous author, or pianist, or bottle-cap collector. Others are searching for the perfect partner with whom they can raise a family. There are those who aspire to great wealth and luxury, while others who yearn for modest simplicity. Still more may be pursuing particular emotional states: to become calmer, less timid, or more present in the world.
Yet, though our dreams look different on the surface, at heart, all of us are searching for pretty much the same thing. The Greeks called this quality eudaimonia: variously translated as ‘fulfillment’ or ‘flourishing. It is the sense that we have achieved our purpose in life; that our particular combination of talents and drives have attained their most ideal end. It’s feeling like we have found our fitting place in the cosmos.
Achieving eudaimonia is no simple task: most of us will spend our lives embarked upon the search. Yet our search is more likely to bear fruit if we begin by investing in two key areas: self-knowledge and resilience. Namely, by gaining a deeper awareness of our personal sources of meaning, and building up the emotional strength required to achieve it.”
— School of Life (link)