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Flourishing In Ministry: Clergy, Ministry Life and Wellbeing Research Insights from the Flourishing in Ministry Project Matt Bloom, Ph.D. July 2017 Flourishing in Ministry: An Introduction to the Science of Wellbeing We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that all men are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. Declaration of Independence There is something ridiculous and even quite indecent in an individual’s claim to be happy. Malcolm Muggeridge The science of wellbeing is young. we scientists also wanted to offer It has been around for about insights about the positive sides three decades--only a short time of living. Wellbeing is about life at in science-years. But the goal its best. It includes experiences of this research is profound: to like happiness, meaning, joy and understand the best, most positive inspiration. When I first began dimension of life. Scientists have my studies of wellbeing nearly learned a lot about how to help 20 years ago I joined a rapidly people who are suffering, which growing group of researchers is good and important work. But interested in understanding the p. 2 Flourishing happens when ministry is a life- enriching rather than life- depleting experience. p. 3 positive dimensions of human life. wrote Bright-sided: How the My interest arose from my core Relentless Promotion of Positive life values: I believe in the intrinsic Thinking Has Undermined America value of all people and I believe to convey her concerns about the that human wellbeing is an intrinsic pursuit of happiness. good. I believe human wellbeing is Some of this disagreement about good in and of itself, not for what it happiness might derive from can lead to (although it can lead to different understandings of what many good things), but because I happiness actually is. Socrates believe all people should be able to admonished that “the beginning of flourish. I was familiar with Thomas wisdom is the definition of terms.” Jefferson’s claim that happiness is As scientists, my team and I agree. a fundamental human right and I We want precision in our terms so agreed with Mr. Jefferson. I still do. we pinpoint what we are studying. Once I started giving presentations Precision helps to ensure that on my research, however, I soon our research produces verifiable became familiar with people like knowledge and useful insights. A Malcolm Muggeridge who have more precise definition will, I think, sometimes grave concerns with help non-researchers understand happiness. Muggeridge was a their own wellbeing better and also famous satirist and curmudgeon help explain why researchers think so it is hard to know if he really that happiness and other forms of considered happiness to be wellbeing are so important. ridiculous or indecent. His The Four Building Blocks sentiments, however, seem to of Wellbeing strike a chord with some people. Almost every audience has at least I want to begin with a quick one person who has apprehensions comparison of wellness and about research on wellbeing. Top- wellbeing. Wellness is typically selling author Barbara Ehrenreich used for our physical health p. 4 while wellbeing is used for our example comprises a number of psychological, social, and spiritual different dimensions including health. Wellness is about a healthy cardiovascular health, respiratory body and mind; wellbeing is about health, musculoskeletal health, a flourishing life. Wellness and and digestive health. Each of these physical health provide a nice wellness dimensions has particular starting place for understanding health-related capacities. wellbeing. Our wellness, for Cardiovascular health, for example, p. 5 comprises our capacity to rapidly dimensions or health systems. move oxygen, carbon dioxide, Wellbeing is similarly made up of nutrients, hormones and other major dimensions. There are four: important materials efficiently • Happiness--the emotional throughout our body. Our dynamics and the subjective respiratory health is our capacity quality of our daily lives. to bring sufficient oxygen into and remove carbon dioxide from our • Resilience--our capacity to body. Our musculoskeletal health adapt, change, and respond to is our body’s capacity to move life’s challenges, and also our and its ability to provide physical capacity to grow, learn, and to space and protection for all of the develop new capabilities and other health systems. Our overall capacities. wellness, then, is composed of the healthiness of these major • Self-integrity--our identity or p. 6 self concept which includes the wellness we know there are complex beliefs we hold about who we connections among the major are as physical, psychological, health systems. For example, when intellectual, social, and moral/ we engage in physical exercise, we spiritual beings; our self-image, not only strengthen our muscles self-esteem and self-worth; and and bones, we also strengthen our sense of respect and dignity. our cardiovascular and respiratory systems. In turn, healthier • Thriving--the meaning and cardiovascular and respiratory significance we experience in systems increase the health of our lives; our sense of having our muscles and bones, as well as values and beliefs that inspire the health of our brains and other us, create purpose, and provide organs. These are just a few of the moral guidance to our lives; many important interconnections experiencing deep and positive that work together to create connections with others. our overall physical health. The These dimensions are also same is true of wellbeing: There referred to as the “building blocks are important interconnections of wellbeing” to emphasize that among the building blocks. In fact, our wellbeing is an aggregate of all they build on each other so when four dimensions. My team and I one dimension goes up it tends use the term flourishing to describe to boost or build up the others. when someone is experiencing Unfortunately, the reverse is also high levels of all four dimensions. true: weakening in one building We flourish when we experience block tends to cause declines in happiness, resilience, self-integrity the others. I will describe how and thriving. In the pages ahead these interconnections among I provide a richer description of dimensions are important for each of these building blocks. restoring and sustaining wellbeing. When we think about maintaining One final introductory note. The p. 7 term “self-care” is used often in but there are also important caregiving professions as a catch- responsibilities each of us has for all for actions necessary to sustain each other’s wellbeing. My team wellness and wellbeing. I find this and I use the phrase “ecosystems word troubling because it is often of wellbeing” to capture the social used in ways that seem to overlook interdependencies that shape or ignore the profound ways our our wellbeing. The people we live health and wellbeing are impacted and work with are part of our by the people and groups we are ecosystem, but so too are the surrounded by. There are certainly groups and organizations that important responsibilities each create and shape the environments of us has for our own wellbeing, in which we live and work. p. 8 As I describe each building block interested in the topic of happiness. of wellbeing, I will highlight both Historian Darrin McMahon notes the individual and social aspects that one of the first books ever of each dimension. It will be written discusses happiness.1 But important to keep ecosystems of as the epigraphs to this chapter wellbeing in mind. I will begin with illustrate, and Professor McMahon the dimension of wellbeing that confirms, happiness has always has been the focus of the most been a contested idea. Throughout research--happiness. I think a history some people have viewed happy start to our journey through the pursuit of happiness as the wellbeing will be a good start. “highest human calling, the most perfect human state,” while others, Everyday Happiness like Muggeridge, have argued it People have probably always been is frivolous. Some pundits have p. 9 maintained pursuing happiness is subjective wellbeing or happiness a sure road to ruin and despair.2 arises from the real experiences we Scientific understandings of have in our daily lives and also from happiness show that it is more the way we judge or evaluate our than an ephemeral state. In fact, daily lives. Happiness=experience science says that happiness is + evaluation. essential for our long-term health Our feelings, moods, and emotions and growth. Researchers prefer are the experience part of the the term subjective wellbeing happiness equation.3 There are over happiness because it many kinds of feelings. Positive draws attention to the fact that feelings range from peacefulness happiness is based upon our to cheerfulness to inspiration to personal, subjective experiences awe. Researchers use the term and evaluations of our lives. Our “happy” as a short-hand for p. 10 any positive mood or emotion. our daily lives, often without Feeling calm? For researchers, realizing we are doing it. When you are happy. Feeling cheerful? we say, “This is a good day” or You are happy. Feeling excited? “This is a bad day,” we are rapidly You are happy. Similarly, there is assessing the quality of our lives a wide range of negative feelings on that particular day. If you meet including boredom, frustration, someone in the hallway at work or irritation, sadness, anxiety, grief, in the aisle at the grocery store, you despair, and anger. Researchers might ask “How are you?” If they sometimes use the term “unhappy” give you a real answer, something to describe any negative mood or more than a polite “fine,” they will emotion. likely be describing their most recent life evaluations.

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