We asked readers to respond to our "Question of the Week" and here is what one reader said...

What is a flourishing life?  

The central theme a person needs to define in this question is 'Life'.
 
 At a basic level, human life requires food, shelter, and community to thrive.  Sounds like a simple thing, but the subtleties of experience shape our individual needs and leave us with unique strengths and deficits all of which want and deserve to find the stimuli that create a sense of happiness.  Good food and a pretty home aren't enough.  Many have found them to be hollow trappings, reasons for a 'mid-life crisis' or deep introspection.  No matter how much we may look like the pictures on television or in fashion magazines, the reality can become a fragile parody of what we actually hope and dream for ourselves.   It is with community we find our answers.  The communities we choose allow us to explore and expand our potentials.  Work that has a strong sense of comradery seems like play.  Parties and gatherings of friends and neighbours allow us to gain perspective on the greater world around us.  The resources of self we acquire in life gain context, when we open ourselves to community.  In the end, I can only tell you what a flourishing life means to me.  Each of us must define the terms upon which we want to live our lives.  The individual must decide his or her own basic acceptable level of survival.  When you know what 'enough' means to you, you can learn how to flourish.  

Robin Carelse
Hamilton Ontario

"Question of the Week" is graciously hosted by Lil Blume, who is a trainer and workshop leader specializing in interpersonal communications.  To find out more about Lil, visit her website