Are We Creating the Conditions for People to Thrive?

Research Insights | The Soma Lotus Brief | October 2026

What does it really mean to thrive, and how much of our ability to do so is influenced by the environments and systems around us?

A newly released report from Gallup and The Rippel Foundation, Thriving Together in America (October 2026), offers some concerning findings about the state of well-being in the United States.

According to the report, only 48.1% of American adults were classified as thriving through the third quarter of 2026, a significant decline from 59.2% in June 2021.

Perhaps even more concerning is the decline among young adults ages 18 to 29. In 2010, 64% of this population was thriving. Today, that number has fallen to 44%.

The report also highlights declining optimism about the future, with anticipated life evaluations reaching a record low in 2025.

These findings raise an important question: Are we placing too much responsibility on individuals to improve their well-being without adequately examining the conditions surrounding them?

Thriving Is More Than Feeling Good

One of the important distinctions in the research is that thriving is not simply about experiencing happiness or having a good day.

Gallup measures how individuals evaluate their lives today and how they anticipate their lives will look five years from now.

The research identifies several factors associated with higher life evaluations, including financial security, physical health, meaningful relationships, opportunities to use one's natural strengths, a sense of purpose, and optimism about the future.

This is particularly important because we often approach well-being as an individual pursuit, emphasizing stress management, self-care, and personal resilience.

While these practices have value, they do not exist independently of the environments in which people live and work.

What Does This Mean for Organizations?

The report also discusses research connecting life evaluation with career satisfaction, organizational commitment, job performance, and turnover intentions.

Although these relationships do not establish causation, they provide an important opportunity for organizational reflection.

We often measure organizational success through productivity, financial performance, employee retention, and other operational indicators. However, how frequently are we assessing the human experiences contributing to those outcomes?

Are employees experiencing meaningful opportunities to contribute?

Do they believe their strengths are being recognized and utilized?

Are organizational decisions creating greater stability and confidence in the future, or contributing to uncertainty?

Are we creating environments where people can communicate their needs and perspectives without fear of negative consequences?

These are not simply questions about employee satisfaction. They are questions about leadership practices, organizational culture, and the systems that influence how people experience their work.

Moving Beyond Individual Responsibility

One of the strongest messages I took from this research is the importance of examining well-being through both an individual and systems perspective.

Organizations cannot control every circumstance influencing an individual's life. Financial pressures, family responsibilities, health challenges, and broader community conditions all matter.

However, organizations can examine the conditions within their influence.

This includes leadership behaviors, opportunities for professional development, communication practices, workload expectations, access to resources, and the extent to which employees feel respected and supported.

At Soma Lotus, our work is grounded in the belief that strengthening individuals and leaders, cultivating psychologically safer teams, and improving organizational systems are interconnected efforts.

The goal is not simply to help people function within unhealthy environments, but to examine how those environments can become healthier.

A Question Worth Considering

As organizations begin reflecting on their priorities for 2027, I would encourage leaders to consider a question that extends beyond traditional performance indicators:

Are the people within our organizations merely managing to get through their responsibilities, or are we intentionally creating conditions that support their ability to thrive?

The distinction matters.

And perhaps the next step is not another initiative, but an opportunity to listen, examine the data, engage the people most affected, and identify where meaningful change can begin.

Healthy People → Stronger Leaders → Safer Teams → Healthier Systems → Sustainable Organizations

Source: Gallup & The Rippel Foundation (2026). Thriving Together in America: Trends, Discoveries, Community Action and Advice for Leaders.