What differentiates a thriving life from one spent suffering?

I wake up thinking deep thoughts... it's like God downloads files into my subconscious that flash open and appear on the monitor when I open my eyes.

At any rate, I woke up thinking about what Jesus meant by the "abundant life" and what that means for individual Christians and for the church. (I know, I know. I'm a strange duck. And this before coffee. You oughta hear what goes on in my head when Holy Spirit inspiration meets caffeine-induced mania.)

Lo and Behold, if an email didn't appear in my junk folder from an leadership management organization with an article:

What differentiates a thriving life from one spent suffering?
based upon a review of this book:
The Five Essential Elements of Wellbeing
by Tom Rath and James K. Harter, Ph.D.
AND, since I've been thinking about my blog and what "Wellness" really means (i.e. it's about more than having a fit body!), I was compelled to read the article (and am similarly compelled to purchase the book).

In a nutshell, the authors maintain that wellness is about MUCH MORE than our limited view that it's about health and wealth. Amen Brothers, Preach IT!

Their list (and incidentally very similar to my early morning musings):

• Career Wellbeing: how you occupy your time -- or simply liking what you do every day
• Social Wellbeing: having strong relationships and love in your life
• Financial Wellbeing: effectively managing your economic life
• Physical Wellbeing: having good health and enough energy to get things done on a daily basis
• Community Wellbeing: the sense of engagement you have with the area where you live

I've learned so much during my past two months in the "wilderness". With the loss of my job, loss of former friends, loss of my church family, loss of many meaningful engagements with my community, and loss of paycheck, is it any wonder that my wellbeing was in crisis?

Two months ago, I endured significant losses in ALL FIVE areas they attribute to wellbeing AT THE SAME TIME!

I think I have some important observations to make about the ensuing two months, and how I survived (maybe there is another ELEMENT of wellbeing they don't mention!), and how I am experiencing a sense of wellbeing and hope that I haven't known in years.

Stay tuned...
Talk to you tomorrow after coffee...

(And when we finish this topic, we're gonna talk about: What differentiates a thriving life from one spent going throught the motions? which is where most of us live)

And you thought this was a blog about diet and exercise. Bleh.