Trilith Translates Global Flourishing Study Into Practical Guide

A new book from Trilith Foundation aims to translate one of the world’s largest studies on human flourishing into something readers can actually use—a five-week guide designed for individuals, families, and groups seeking to live well together.

Human Flourishing: A Field Guide — Be Well, Do Good, Together grows out of the Global Flourishing Study, a sweeping international project involving more than 200,000 people across 40 languages in countries ranging from Indonesia and Israel to Tanzania and the United States. Trilith Foundation, based in Fayetteville, developed the guide to bring that research out of academic journals and into everyday life.

“We’re getting calls from businesses around the world, governments, cities, states, NBA teams,” said Dr. Byron Johnson of Baylor University, one of the study’s leaders. “They all want a manual. They say, ‘We don’t have time for academic papers.’”

From global data to local application

The Global Flourishing Study began with a question: what does it actually mean to live a good life?

Johnson said the project was designed to go beyond traditional happiness measures by tracking people over time across six domains—physical health, mental health, close relationships, character and virtue, meaning and purpose, and financial security.

“What we’re finding is that income is not a good predictor of flourishing,” Johnson said. “It may be a measure of happiness, but not of flourishing.”

That distinction has produced surprising results. Some less affluent countries rank highly in areas like meaning, relationships, and character, while wealthier nations do not always perform as strongly when all six domains are considered together.

One of the most striking findings, Johnson said, is that young adults are struggling worldwide.

“Young people around the world are struggling with flourishing,” he said. “It’s not something that’s a problem in the West… it’s a problem everywhere.”

Why Trilith created the guide

For Trilith Foundation, the research aligned closely with themes already present in its work.

The opening page of the field guide sets the tone simply: “That all may flourish.”

“Our aha moment was, oh, this science gives language and credibility to what Trilith has always been becoming,” said Krissy Lewis, project lead for the guide.

Rather than produce another academic summary, the team focused on accessibility.

“So we took the 80-plus articles that came out…and translated it into a ‘here’s what the science says, here’s the invitation for you,’” Lewis said.

What readers will find inside

With its velvety green cover, the Human Flourishing field guide invites touch and perusal. Inside, full-color illustrations and professional photography carry readers on a visual journey around the world, reinforcing the global scope of the research behind it.

The format is intentionally interactive. There are places throughout the book for journaling, reflection, and personal response—designed to slow the reader down rather than rush them through.

For those familiar with Bible studies or college coursework, the structure will feel recognizable. The guide is broken into five weeks, each with five days of readings, reflection prompts, and space to engage.

“It’s kind of too much to read all at once, because it’s so much to think about,” Lewis said.

The goal is not passive reading, but participation.

“It’s going to be best if I do it individually. It’s going to be best if I share it with a group,” she said.

A guide built for real life

The book is paired with a video series featuring researchers, artists, athletes, and people who have walked through significant hardship, reinforcing the idea that flourishing is not reserved for ideal circumstances.

“I think other literature about living well is all about reducing stress…or listing habits,” Lewis said. “This is really more an invitation to look at what’s there and notice and see what needs some attention.”

The guide is designed for broad use—book clubs, churches, schools, workplaces, or informal groups of friends. A downloadable learning circle guide is also available to help groups walk through it together.

“We flourish better together,” Lewis said.

What the research says about thriving

Across cultures and circumstances, Johnson said certain patterns consistently appear among people who are flourishing.

“They tend to be quite religious and very involved in their faith,” he said. “They’re also involved in a lot of service activities.”

Those outward-facing habits matter, especially in a world increasingly marked by isolation.

“There’s that adage that people find their life as they give their life away,” Johnson said. “There’s a lot of evidence behind it.”

At the same time, the research challenges the idea that flourishing requires an easy life.

“Flourishing isn’t the absence of suffering,” Johnson said. “Sometimes it’s the suffering that actually allows us to flourish.”

A Fayette County connection

The work also has a local dimension.

Researchers looked at Trilith as a case study—an intentionally designed community built around walkability, shared spaces, and creative life. While residents did not score dramatically higher than others, they did show slightly elevated flourishing scores, offering a glimpse into how environment and community design can play a role.

For Johnson, that reinforces a core principle of the research.

“We’re built to be in community,” he said.

Where to find the book

Print copies of Human Flourishing: A Field Guide — Be Well, Do Good, Together are available through the Trilith Foundation website and at several locations within Trilith, including the Roam merch shop and Scholar & Scribe bookstore. An e-book version is also available through Amazon.