01. How Humans Flourish

Hi friends,

New year, new energy, and a fresh perspective! 

Since ending THE IDEALISTS., my podcast launched in collaboration with the London School of Economics female founder accelerator, I’ve been digging deep into the research on human flourishing – the study of what it means to live “the” good life.

It’s professionally compelling work, but also deeply personal (what isn’t?).

 When starting THE IDEALISTS., I wanted to create an almost X-Men-like utopia showing we can actualize and forge a mighty path in the world by staying true to who and what we are. Maxims about code-switching and power-play only hold true if you’re good at them. If not, it’s probably better to cultivate and activate the unique talents and gifts endowed to you in ways that leapfrog your esteem and career.

 Something I intuitively knew, but had no language for prior to starting the podcast, was that cultivating these unique talents and gifts are not just nice to haves… they are quintessential to living a good life.

The answer to the question “what does it mean to live a good life?” can sometimes seem philosophical and abstract– but actually, there is a science to it. Harvard is currently conducting the largest survey on human flourishing (think $43.3M in funding with 240,000 participants across 22 countries) and it focuses on five pillars:

1. Happiness and Life Satisfaction

2. Physical and Mental Health

3. Meaning and Purpose (accomplishment and the cultivation of talents falls under this pillar)

4. Close Social Relationships

5. Character and Virtue

While recording THE IDEALISTS., I felt I was missing something. That the conversations were too focused, too specific…that more should be considered when analyzing self-actualization. And indeed, my feeling was correct.

 Instead of just focusing on accomplishment, all five pillars must be nurtured in order to live well… but oftentimes cultural, political, or economic limitations stop us from being able to flourish. 

 But that’s not to say we cannot flourish in the midst of hardship. Martin Seligman, the creator of Positive Psychology at University of Pennsylvania, a field of psychology that studies what is going right with people and how to use those insights and tools to help people not only cope, but thrive, writes, “You can be depressed and flourish… you can have cancer and flourish… you can be divorced and flourish. When we believed that happiness was only smiling and a good mood, that wasn’t very good for people…” 

 And this bodes well not just for us as individuals, but for those providing compassionate, value-based healthcare services to those of us who need it the most. 

These days I’m most excited by AI powered innovations that move us closer to a new model of holistic care for all. 

For example, the adoption of mobile health based platforms to promote physical and mental health (one of the pillars of human flourishing) cannot be overstated– members who leverage health focused platforms undertake higher levels of exercise, consume healthier food with lower calories, walk more steps, and sleep longer on a daily basis. Most impressive is the improvement in both short-term metrics like a reduction in an individual’s blood glucose to longer-term metrics like reduction in hospital visits and medical expenses. 

 However, in order for this data to hold true for us as both individuals and organizations, these pillars must be implemented well. 

And so as we dive into the vast potential of 2024, I’m thrilled to share with you all I’ve learned on how humans flourish. 

Here’s what I’ll offer with this weekly newsletter.

1. Synthesized learnings from one research focused book a month on how humans flourish, with each week focused on a key insight from the book.

2. Minimal opinion. We’re all busy and inundated with information (be it good or misinformed). Everything I share here is research informed within the fields of psychology, neuroscience, epigenetics, and psychoneuroimmunology. If the research changes, I’ll share that. If there are dramatic and compelling counter-arguments to the research I’m sharing, I’ll disclose that too.

3. Brief case studies on how these concepts impact us personally, professionally, and/or technologically. I will include examples for wellness and healthcare organizations to better understand how to leverage this data within your work.

4. I’ll try to stay within 1000 words. This one’s a tall order as I lean towards the verbose, but I do know (and appreciate) the beauty of self-discipline.

And so on that note, welcome to How Humans Flourish, a research-informed newsletter on how humans thrive.

 Are you ready to join the movement? Feel free to respond to this email with your thoughts, your questions, or a simple hello. I love hearing from you.

With gratitude,

P.s. if you see me out and about in the real world marveling at a hummingbird or a piece of poetry, don’t mind me… I’m just flourishing 😉 

7