I Thought Flourishing Was Only for the Most Successful People

This is the first article for our August theme of ‘Flourishing’.I never thought I would flourish.When I first heard the word flourishing, I imagined someone living an extraordinary life.Someone who was always happy, hugely successful, endlessly confident, and completely at peace.That didn’t sound like me.However, this year, as I have reflected on confidence and written about self-trust and alignment, I have realised something that surprised me.I believe I have been quietly flourishing without even noticing it.What is flourishing?Society often tells us that flourishing means constantly striving for more.We should strive to become better versions of ourselves, pursue success, and achieve more ambitious goals.I tried all of that in my career. Yes, I was successful, but it didn’t feel like flourishing; it felt exhausting.So, I started thinking about the small moments where I feel joy and at peace.Everyday moments like:* Watching my plants growing in the garden.* Sitting quietly with a cup of tea or coffee.* When I am quietly writing and letting time slip by.* Noticing the moments when my mind feels like a calm lake.* Understanding myself and knowing that I have nothing to prove.* Walking down a country lane and feeling a cool summer breeze.* Spending time with family and good friends.* Putting my heart into creating beautiful food.I wondered, “Could this be what flourishing actually looks like?”Because maybe flourishing is more about how we feel than what we have achieved.You can be very successful in life, but never notice those small moments of joy. That’s why I have come to realise that flourishing is much more than being successful or becoming someone else. It is what naturally happens when you start living in alignment with your true self. The person you have always been deep down.Flourishing begins when you stop abandoning yourself. It happens in the small moments of joy when you are fully present.I realise these moments have always been part of my life, but I haven’t always appreciated how important they are to my well-being. I haven’t taken enough time to stop and see, listen and feel. I was too busy trying to find happiness to realise I was already living parts of it.Maybe flourishing has been quietly growing in your life too.Where you will find itYou don’t have to look far to find your own moments of flourishing. They are in those ordinary, small moments of joy. It might be as simple as noticing a bird in your garden, enjoying your morning coffee and watching a beautiful sunrise.* You will find it when you are doing something you love and completely lose track of time.* When you find yourself laughing at a silly mistake rather than berating yourself.* When you recover from a setback more quickly than before.* When you find yourself leaving an awkward conversation without replaying it in your head for hours afterwards.When you look for these moments of flourishing in your life, you will find them.Because flourishing is waking up and feeling at home in your own life.It doesn’t need to be perfect, and there will still be days when life is hard. But now your life is becoming a reflection of who you really are.Flourishing doesn’t have to be dramatic. It can happen quietly in your everyday choices.The first step is to notice those moments and how you feel in them.You might realise that you are already flourishing, and it is not something reserved only for the few.Perhaps it’s what happens when you finally arrive home to yourself.Questions to reflect on* When do you feel those small moments of joy?* Which small changes in your life seemed impossible a few years ago?* Where are you beginning to trust yourself more?* What does the word flourishing mean to you now?I have started writing a book on living in alignment and flourishing in your life. If you find this interesting, stay with me on my journey.Much loveSue xx This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit suereid.substack.com/subscribe