One of the main themes in positive psychology is "flourishing". It is a seemingly simple but extremely complex concept, and it is a goal that humans have long been striving for. Flourishing comprises five measurable elements (PERMA), namely Positive Emotions, Positive Engagement, Positive Relationships, Positive Meaning and Positive Accomplishment. However, no sole elements can determine flourishing, but the holistic nurturing on all these aspects contributes to our flourishing life.
Positive Emotions:Positive emotion builds the foundation of the flourishing theory. In positive psychology, we try to incorporate the positive emotions like joyfulness, contentment, warmth, and comfort into daily life, of which we can call it a “Pleasant Life”.
Positive Engagement:Engagement depicts that when a person concentrates on a thing that he or she genuinely enjoys and values, the person would enter a state that is fully “absorbed” in the things he or she is doing; we call this state as “flow” in positive psychology.
Positive Relationships:Relationships include regular contact, communication and activities, mutual care and help, and mutual appreciation and gratitude. These positive relationships enable individuals to be listened to, comforted, encouraged and reminded so that they are able to face difficulties and adversities.
Positive Meaning:Meaning can be described as a personal commitment on a thing that provides a sense of transcendence to the person. A meaningful and valuable life is vital to the path of flourishing.
Positive Accomplishment:Accomplishment is another important thing that contributes to our ability to flourish. A person strives to better self in some ways, whether he or she is seeking to master a skill, achieve a valuable goal, or win in some competitive event.