What is “Eudemonia“? Definition:
1. Happiness, well-being.
2. (philosophy) A person’s state of excellence characterized by objective flourishing across a lifetime, and brought about through the exercise of moral virtue, practical wisdom, and rationality.
I’ll forgo the philosophical meaning. The first definition is enough for me. It is happiness and well-being.
Portfolio
I’m not a “check every stock price every day” kind of person. I do usually look at the numbers of the three major indexes daily to get a feel for what is going on, just like I check the weather. But I check my net worth quarterly. That’s enough for me.
But I do think I need to be as aware of my overall well-being frequently. I have a daily and weekly exercise routine, try to eat healthily, attend to my spiritual side, and maintain contact with friends. These are all important aspects of sustaining a good life.
If I was too obsessive, it would be possible to be more attentive to my financial condition than to my personal well-being. That would be a bad thing.
In my working years, I spent much energy working, commuting, trying to socialize and trying to keep up with technological advances in my field. Sometimes I overdid it. I would work long hours. I ate and drank to excess. Sometimes I was not on my best behavior.
But I wised up. At least I am better now. As I got older, I realized than even if I was working and getting paid, nothing can replace my health. I needed to make my health the most important priority. So I did.
Money
Yes, money has importance in our culture. So we need to learn how to obtain it, manage it, save and invest, all for our present and future benefit. But it need not be the entire focus of our lives. Having some purpose and accomplishments outside of the financial are important too.
A life well-lived
It also means a well-rounded life. Learning and improving towards betterment. Goals and objectives. All of these mean that I am more than one-dimensional.
What is your plan to attain and maintain your well-being? Send me a comment here.
The illustration of the jellyfish Discomedusae was by German biologist Ernst Haeckel (1834-1919). He became associate professor of zoology at the University of Jena, Germany in 1862. Courtesy Library of Congress.
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