“FLOURISH!” is the last of our six doodles exploring principles found in nature which lead to flourishing.  If something is not flourishing then it is likely that something is missing or getting in the way.

This is about functionality: living things are meant to produce, to be fruitful.  Fruitfulness ensures that a species is not condemned to death.

What we take from this is, whatever we are curious and interested in begins to grow into something.  This something is identified by skill, ability, knowledge and experience.  There is an outcome to this, as many different outcomes as there are human beings – our fruitful diversity is very great.  Some make things happen, others build relationships, there are those who have ideas, and others who love to bring people on board to put idea into action.  All of these, and any combination of them, is fruitfulness.  Things in education are changing though still have a long way to go, but we understand there aren’t set ways for people to be fruitful, that the subjects taught at best are a means to an end and never the end per se.

SOMETHING TO DO: Create your dream house.  You’re able to design a house that doesn’t exist in real life and probably couldn’t.  For example, my dream house would have a main living area that is more like a library, and off from there would be a big kitchen where people prepare and enjoy food together and they hang out and plan and plot and imagine.

The front of the house would open onto a city square as a cafe with tables and chairs and umbrellas.  To the back would be a garden opening up into fields and woods and hills.  Anyone who has seen our tiny house knows none of this exists but the dream house is my life, what I want to produce in way of ideas and relationships and wandering.

RESOURCES YOU MAY ENJOY:
Flourish by Martin Seligman