Three Dimensions of a Good Life
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Contributed by Stephanie Staples at Your Life Unlimited
I read with interest, this paper by Oishi & Westgate in the American Psychological Association on a psychologically rich life and they talked about the Three Dimensions of a Good Life being:
A Happy Life (comfort, joy, security), the outcome of which is life satisfaction.
A Meaningful Life (significance, purpose, coherence), the outcome of which is societal contribution.
A Psychologically Rich Life (variety, interest, perspective change), the outcome of which is wisdom.
It makes me happy just reading these. If we are fortunate enough to have our basic needs met (thank you Maslow), putting some time, thought, and energy into these three dimensions may go a long way.
Personally…
A happy life includes security by living within my means and being content with that, joy by experiencing awe and appreciation in little things and comfort in nurturing special relationships. These Littles (pictured above) are a BIG part of my #HappyLife!
A meaningful life includes contributions to community – locally and globally, being a good citizen of the world, picking up litter, being part of a service club (Rotary), participating in challenging events, donating time, money, and talent and feeling that my job as a keynote speaker makes a positive difference in the world.
A psychologically rich life includes: continuing my monthly challenges, participating in events that cause me to train and stretch myself, investing in ongoing learning and personal/professional development, traveling, reading, being curious, and opening my mind to new ideas and opinions.
Now…your life, your version, your plan…
If you have room for improvement in your life and you are willing to do something different to get it, one place to start would be noticing if one of these areas is lacking in your life.
Which one, given a bit more time and attention, might help you thrive?
Explore how each of the dimensions shows up in your world. Writing those short paragraphs about how the three dimensions show up in your life is a great exercise.
Sharing would be a cool topic around your dinner table, or on date night.
Explore how each of the dimensions shows up in your world. Getting ideas from other people may inspire you to do something a little different.
If all three areas are tickety-boo for you, now would be a great time to practice extreme gratitude!
Continued success as you enjoy your journey to a happy, meaningful, and psychologically rich life, Steph
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