What is flourishing?

It sounds great, doesn’t it? But, what exactly is it? What do you think of when you think of yourself flourishing?

● The simple definition of flourishing comes from leading well-being researcher Dr. Martin Seligman. He says flourishing is to find fulfillment in our lives, accomplishing meaningful and worthwhile tasks, and connecting with others at a deeper level.

● Based on this definition, he created the PERMA model to explain what contributes to a sense of flourishing. The five factors in this model of well-being are:

It’s been said that “Flourishing is the product of the pursuit and engagement of an authentic life that brings inner joy and happiness through meeting goals, being connected with life passions, and relishing in accomplishments through the peaks and valleys of life.” So, what is flourishing? It’s not a trait or a characteristic; it’s not something that you “either have or don’t have.” Flourishing is a process that requires action. Anyone can flourish, but it will likely require some effort to get there.

So How does flourishing work?

Well, mindset matters. As Christians, we understand our personal flourishing has everything to do with our reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit to produce the motivation for any effort we give. Flourishing starts with the hope we have in our relationship with Christ. Now, this might surprise you, but recent research from the American Bible Society, with assistance from Harvard University’s Human Flourishing Program, found a strong correlation between Scripture reading and hope.

The results from this study were recently covered in the winter 2021 edition of Christianity Today magazine. In it, they reported that, quote, “Evidence shows that Americans who actively engage with the Bible and in corporate worship score higher on every measure of human flourishing, including better mental and physical health and a deeper sense of character and virtue. They even have a greater sense of financial and material stability compared to those who don’t attend church or engage with the Bible”, end quote. Fascinating!

So what does it look like to flourish?

Flourishing is an inside-out process that works best in a positive environment with a positive mindset where we allow Holy Spirit to minister to us, encourage us, and motivate us to live according to who we are in Christ.

Tyler VanderWeele, director of the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health is quoted as saying: “Bible reading—along with other forms of community and discipleship, such as going to church or participating in a small group— appear to contribute to people’s sense of well-being and happiness” That is the flourishing, abundant life. So, how are you flourishing today? Are you defining your pursuit of meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in light of your spiritual reality or are you attempting to create joy through a deep connection with self and others? That pursuit of joy through self-guided inner peace is misplaced for those who are in Christ Jesus… because joy is a fruit of the spirit. Flourishing is a result of an active, lived-out faith that practices spiritual disciplines as an act of worship to our heavenly Father. May you flourish today as you find yourself faithful, fruitful, and fulfilled in Christ.

www.reclaimleadership.org

www.re-plenish.org

www.liferecovered.org

Hello and welcome to The Positive Soul-ution Podcast with Eric Willis, the show that emphasizes soul-care for the Christ-follower and puts the well in well-being. I'm your host, Eric Willis and today we're going to examine what makes up our soul. We'll discuss the 6-3-1 concept to help see how we engage the soul. Glad you are with us today! Let’s dive in. The 6 Manifestations of the soul Two of my favorite words are defined and clarify, so let’s begin with a definition of the soul. The soul is the internal processing piece of the human experience. Simply put, it’s where our thoughts, feelings, and choices are nurtured, processed, and engaged. We are most familiar with how the soul manifests itself in our daily lives. We are told in Scripture that “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). The heart is the biblical language for the soul. It speaks to attitudes that are a culmination of thoughts and feelings that produce what others experience from us. Our soul manifests in several different areas of our lives. My friend Rawd Jones notes 6 manifestations of the soul and has put them in the acrostic MFRESH. Mental, Financial, Relational, Emotional, Spiritual, and Health. The choices we make in these areas are directly linked to the processes of the soul. How would you rate yourself in those areas? Are you thriving? Just surviving? Or are you withering in need of perspective? Scripture calls our behavior, fruit. How MFRESH is your fruit?  Do people experience you as a safe, kind, positive person or do you leave a wake of pain and hurt in others? Do you look at yourself in the mirror and see shame and guilt for the way your mental, financial, relational, emotional, spiritual, and physical health is reflected? If you see the need for change or growth, there’s a place to start. The 3 Core Components of the soul Imagine standing in front of a mirror. You see your physical body and notice the things that need attention. Your hair to be brushed, a blemish to be covered, etc. But now look into the mirror and suppose it morphs. You are now able to see into your soul. There are three things you’ll notice. You will see your thoughts formulating, your feelings gathering, and your choices forming. Your mind, emotions, and will are the thoughts, feelings, and choices that make up the 3 components of your soul. Before you think of them as distinct entities, consider them as each being fluid that is combined to produce what is manifested in your life. According to researchers Frederick and White who studied mindfulness in Christian coping found: “…that surrender to God is a mediating variable for Christians in coping with worry. As part of this coping, mindfulness is also an important way Christians are able to experience distressing thoughts and experiences” (Frederick & White, 2015, p. 856). This makes sense in light of what Scripture teaches us about our minds and thoughts. Second Corinthians 10:5 “5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” First Corinthians 2:16 reminds us that “we have the mind of Christ” so we can discern spiritual things. The 6 areas of manifesting and 3 components of the soul have a driving force that cannot be overlooked. The 1 key to the soul..."if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11. The power of the Holy Spirit

ReferencesFrederick, T., & White, K. M. (2015). Mindfulness, Christian Devotion Meditation, surrender, and worry. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 18(10), 850–858. CINAHL Complete. https://doi.org/10.1080/13674676.2015.1107892

www.Reclaimleadership.org

www.Re-plenish.org

www.liferecovered.org

"Hello and welcome to The Positive Soul-ution Podcast with Eric Willis, the show that emphasizes soul-care for the Christ-follower and puts the well in well-being. I'm your host, Eric Willis and today we're going to talk about the origins of the Positive Soul-ution Podcast. We'll discuss the who, why, and the what. Glad you are with us today! Let’s dive in.”

Who is Eric Willis?

I’m just a guy who wants to see Christians thrive and flourish as they live out what Jesus gave us according to John 10:10 where he said: “I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.” Out of that, I took on a personal mission statement several years ago that simply says: “I live for the redemptive moments of others.” I believe the abundant Christian life is a life built on a journey of redemptive moments. So, I’m just a guy with a bit of life experience of redemptive moments and a small dose of God’s wisdom on loan to pass along. To get personal…

● I’m a husband to my wife Jennifer. We’ve been married since 1991 and have five amazing sons. Our daughters-in-law and grandchildren are wonderful additions to our family! I enjoy being outdoors, hiking, fishing, sitting, and thinking. Professionally, I was a pastor for over 25 years and now I’m the Executive Director of Reclaim Leadership, a nonprofit focused on encouraging Christian ministry leaders as I come alongside to consult, care for, and coach them.

● For those into personality assessments, I’m an Enneagram 9, my Clifton’s Strenghsfinder top 5 are: Learner, Belief, Relator, Individualization, and Intellection. For those who need to know my academic credentials, I have a bachelor’s degree in History, a Master of Arts in Christian Education, a Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Counseling, and am working on my Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership with a concentration in Positive Leadership.

Why a podcast on positive soul-utions?

Many of us want to make it through life in the most comfortable way possible. We buy products to make our life easier. We spend hours grooming our physical appearance in hope that we will be acceptable to others. We shy away from difficult conversations that make us uncomfortable or irritated. If anything is negative, we do what we can to remove it. All of this is our pursuit of a meaningful life. There is a realm of psychology devoted to understanding the intricacies and nuances of this pursuit. It’s called Positive Psychology. Don’t recoil or run away too quickly.

● The Positive Soul-ution Podcast is my attempt to guide Christians on a path toward a meaningful and abundant life that aligns with the teachings of Jesus while discussing the science behind the research of positive psychology.

● Dr. Barbara Frederickson is a leading researcher on positive emotions and notes what she calls two core truths to positive emotions: First, positive emotions open us up and we become more aware of what is around us. Secondly, positive emotions expand creativity and healthier relational engagement. (Barbara Fredrickson, n.d.).

● This podcast seeks to take the science of positive psychology and filter it through the truths of a Christian worldview to enhance our journey. Therefore, we focus on elements of the soul as a solution to the pursuit of a meaningful and abundant life. Understanding that emotions are God-given and intended to build up others, an awareness is needed for us to engage fully. After all, Christ’s mission on earth was to provide relationship for us and God and for our relationships on earth to reflect the “healthiest relational engagement” as we express the love of God.