The Past, Present, & Future of Human Flourishing

The pathways to human flourishing may seem complicated, but in reality, it couldn't be more straightforward.

A study done at Harvard University said that the Six Dimensions of Human Flourishing are happiness and life satisfaction, physical and mental health, meaning and purpose, character and virtue, close and social relationships, and financial and material stability. These key domains show that flourishing is all about success in all areas, reflecting the well-being of an individual and their ability to thrive.

During the Restore Hope Annual Conference, Director of Community Success Heather Edwards highlighted the current state of human flourishing and what it truly means to flourish in today's world, stressing that one cannot do it alone.

"Having someone, and hopefully multiple people, walking alongside you checks one of the boxes for flourishing."

Edwards also stressed that too often, nonprofit work focuses on outputs rather than outcomes, questioning how we can reframe community impact and define hoped-for outcomes and goals that differ from the typical measurement methods.

"This type of work is the thing that makes it make sense. Working with individuals, walking alongside them, scaffolding services so they get the right service at the right time, not just a blanket."

Kristi Putnam, senior fellow of the Cicero Initiative, echoed Edwards' thoughts on human flourishing, talking about how meaningful relationships, purpose, happiness, and health are key to living your best life.

"Flourishing is really living your best life, having those close social relationships, being able to have meaning and purpose, something that you're excited to get up and do every day. Having that happiness and life satisfaction also part of that."

Putnam also knows that human flourishing is not tied to income. It is a way of life that goes beyond income and possessions.

Williamson County coordinator for Restore Hope Will Acuff chimed in, highlighting a recent study statistic, saying that a recent study showed that 59% of Americans do not have enough savings to cover a $1,000 emergency expense (ACI Worldwide, 2026).

This led Acuff to discuss innovative ways to move beyond crisis to stability and ongoing flourishing, mentioning the Human Flourishing Initiative's presence in Tennessee and its collaboration with the University of Tennessee to strengthen the work.

"We're using Restore Hope, and we're combining it with a human flourishing survey so that we're doing kind of two data sets simultaneously."

Acuff also expressed that he is fully dedicated to moving people from crisis to flourishing, no matter what it takes.

The end goal for human flourishing is not to just get by with the bare minimum. People should be fully dedicated to going above and beyond for those who need it most, providing long-term stability for them.

"In those moments where we don't have an easy solution, we're gonna keep going, we're gonna keep working at creative solutions," Acuff said. "We're also gonna mourn with that person we're walking with. We're gonna be in that frustration with them. We're gonna share that sorrow with them."

With this in mind, people can reject the notion that “it is what it is” and end up taking meaningful steps toward human flourishing.