Getting together to make the most of getting older.
Growing older can be a great time to re-evaluate your priorities, to explore and learn new things and to continue to grow and develop.
Flourishing Groups are free groups of friends (or soon to become friends).
Flourishing groups bring people together regularly for guided conversations about topics that are relevant to growing older. Topics such as:
Cultivating a positive ageing Mindset
Building your Resilience
Making Friends as an Adult
Living your Meaningful Life
Creating Healthy Habits
Living with Vitality
We’re all about Flourishing, not Languishing.
Flourishing is a state of well-being. To flourish is to find fulfillment in our lives, accomplishing meaningful and worthwhile tasks, and connecting with others at a deeper level. Languishing is to feel empty or hollow, drifting through our days without a real sense of purpose. Only surviving.
Our flourishing conversations are based on the six domains of positive psychology as developed by Martin Seligman from the University of Pennsylvania , and other researchers. I focuses on understanding and cultivating positive emotions, strengths and well-being. It’s about building a life of meaning and purpose, moving beyond surviving to flourishing.
We represent the six domains in our Flourishing Protocol.
Click here for a lot more on Positive Psychology
Our research tells us we’re making a difference.
We have a participant-voluntary, ethics-approved research project at Victoria University measuring the impact of Flourishing Groups for those people participating in these groups. The research team at Victoria is:
Professor Paul Jose - one of our Trustees
Senior Lecturer Agnes Szabo - on of our Trustees
Research Assistant Katie Knowles
There are a growing number of Flourishing Group members (currently 90+) participating in this confidential research.
To date the research is showing significant improvements in Life Satisfaction, Meaning and Hope
Click here for our research presentation to the August 2024 New Zealand Association of Gerontology
And here’s what some of our group members have said ….
“I love my Flourishing Group sessions. Initially, I was anxious about putting my hand up to join a group of people I didn't know but now I am glad that I was brave enough to do so. Not only do I value the content we cover and the rich discussions that we enter into but more importantly it is the ever-deepening connection that we have with each other. We engage with some quite profound topics and issues and this is very timely as a 66 year old. I find that I am reflecting a lot about life, its meaning and how I can live it more fully in the coming years. Our Flourishing Group gives me the platform and support to do this in a meaningful way. I would encourage people who are considering joining or starting a new group to do so.” (Male, 65-75, Auckland)
“The most enjoyable aspect of being part of the Flourishing Group is the group discussion and interacting with like minded people. The links to videos and Ted Talks are very interesting and enable us to structure our discussions around the topics” (Female, Hamilton)
“Meeting new people has been the best thing about being part of the group for me. The format of sharing ideas on the set topic of the month is producing some interesting and diverse ideas from the group members and that is enriching for me.” (Female,, Cromwell)
“It’s great for me to be part of a group of older men, kiwi blokes, who all look forward to getting together for a bit of a laugh and also to share what’s really going on for each other. The topics really create the opportunity for much deeper conversations” (Male, Wellington)
Contact us here if you’re interested in being a part of our community