The Word I Didn’t Know I Was Living

There are moments when life quietly hands you a mirror—so gentle, so unexpected—that it takes your breath away. This week, one such mirror arrived in my inbox, wrapped in Italian sunlight and ancient Greek wisdom.

It began with a word: Eudaimonia.
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I had never heard it before. But the moment I read its meaning, something in me whispered, Of course.
It means more than happiness. It means flourishing. Living in alignment with your highest values. Feeling connected to your soul’s purpose. Allowing beauty, meaning, and joy to guide your path. It’s not fleeting pleasure—it’s enduring, radiant aliveness.

And then it hit me:

I had just written a blog post inspired by a dreamy, soul-soaked Italian day. I called it La Vita è Bella—and it was exactly that. Slow coffee, morning sunshine, market blooms, music drifting on the breeze, a moment of spontaneous dance…

That post wasn’t just a reflection of a perfect day.

It was my Eudaimonia.

Without knowing the word, I was living it.

I was creating it.

Breathing it into the vision of Morning Joy.

Pouring it into mugs, into images, into every tender sentence I write and share.

Italy has always stirred something in me—a remembering, a longing, a knowing. And now I understand: it speaks the language of my soul. It reminds me to savor, to soften, to trust beauty as a compass. It teaches me that fulfillment isn’t about how much you do—it’s about how much you feel alive in what you’re doing.

So here’s what I know now:

Sometimes, our souls live truths long before our minds catch up.

Sometimes, we’re already walking the path—we just haven’t learned its name yet.

And when the name finally arrives… it feels like a homecoming.

What word might you be living without even realizing it?

Let your days show you. Let your joy speak first.

I first discovered the beautiful concept of “Eudaimonia” through Jayme Barrett’s inspiring newsletter, which opened my heart to this timeless truth about flourishing and soulful living.