Dear friend,

In seeking “happiness” I’ve discovered that happiness isn’t an emotion, owning a lot of stuff, or having wealth and honors. Instead, happiness is “eudaimonia”— human flourishing!

What does human flourishing mean?

To flourish comes from Latin (“flor”)— like floral.

I love this visual. Imagine: a verdant green field of flowers, vibrantly blooming, and flourishing with great delight. Sunshine, golden dew, and bright light. Hope, optimism, joy, and growth!

This is what I think we should seek — our own flourishing. Our own creative flourishing. For our soul to flourish, full of noble thoughts, valor, courage, and virtue.

To flourish means to grow brightly.

If you’re reading this, I consider you as an artist-philosopher. You’re both.

You’re an artist. You will flourish as an artist by continuing to develop and cultivate your skills. By constant practice and production of your own art, and learning from other master artists from the past.

Also to flourish is active — you can only flourish through action and doing stuff. For example, your physical health and strength will flourish by lifting heavy stuff at the gym, or doing intense workouts at the park. Your wisdom will flourish if you continue to study great philosophy from the past, and also spend a lot of time in contemplation, meditation, thinking, and writing down your own philosophical thoughts. Your relationships will flourish if you spend 100% of your attention with your loved ones, and to speak as frankly and openly with your friends, just as if you were conversing with yourself.

Let us not seek to be “happier”, but let us seek to flourish more!

Make more art, do more deadlifts, spend more intense dinner conversations with close friends and family, challenge and build your own ideas, and never stop seeking more wisdom, truth, and beauty in life.