Does Success Lead to Happiness – OR Does Happiness Lead to Success? (Part 7 in Positive Psychology Deep Dive)

We are 7 episodes into this series and I have a confession: I expected to feel "happier" by now, but the reality of positive psychology is a lot more nuanced. While I’ve definitely picked up some great habits around Grit and finding Flow in my work, I was surprised to find that the best parts of my day weren't the big achievements—they were the simple things, like a cup of tea and a good book before bed. In this episode, we’re finally tackling the "P" in PERMA+ (Positive Feeling States).In this conversation, we’re breaking down:Flourishing vs. Happy: Why positive psychology is actually about well-being as a whole, rather than just chasing a mood.The "Magic Pill": What actually gets us closest to a sustainable sense of happiness?The Success Paradox: We always hear that success leads to happiness, but does it actually work the other way around?The 10 Positive Emotions: A look at the ten most cited emotions in the field Achievement vs. Feeling: How things like Mastery and Grit connect back to our day-to-day emotional states.We also dive into Dr. Barbara Fredrickson’s "Broaden and Build" theory. It’s a foundational concept that explains how these small, positive moments actually help us build the resources we need to handle the hard stuff. We’ll also continue our ongoing debate: Hedonic happiness (pleasure) vs. Eudaemonic happiness (meaning). If you’ve ever felt like you’re "doing the work" but still just want to enjoy the small stuff, this episode is for you.Timestamps: 00:00 Positive psychology is not about being happy all of the time: it is about flourishing 03:50 Broaden-and-Build Theory06:50 Perma+ as it relates to setting the stage for positive emotions 08:14 The most referenced positive emotions in positive psychology 10:41 Does success lead to happiness? Or does happiness lead to success?12:04 The Perma+ model and how the aspects are interconnected13:17 The Perma+ model and which to optimize for (9 is too much to keep in mind!) 15:35 Perma score vs happiness levels & an example17:58 On not trying to force happiness – the savoring paradox 21:07 A more tangible tip – and the 2 routes to happiness 24:10 Hedonic and eudaimonic happiness debate continued: On simple pleasures  28:14 Closing reflections Resources and researchers mentioned in this episode Cited throughout this series - Oxford Handbook of Positive Psychology 2nd Edition - by  C. R. Snyder  Shane J. Lopez  (Editor)Dr. Iris Mauss -  on seeking happiness leading to less happiness Dr. Ryan Duffy - Positive psychology professor at UF - referenced in the part on gratitude (What I said after that is my own thoughts though and I cannot speak for his views on that) Dr. Barbara Fredrickson for Broaden and Build theory - https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rstb/article-abstract/359/1449/1367/20449/The-broaden-and-build-theory-of-positive-emotions?redirectedFrom=fulltext Ask Polly - on savoring paradox Character strengths mentioned in the episode: https://www.viacharacter.orgLeave a voice message hereNewsletter sign upYouTube - channel Instagram - we will be posting here soon