What If The Goal Is Not Happiness- But Simple Wholeness?

What if the goal of life isn’t happiness — but wholeness? In this episode of soulSHINE, we dismantle one of the most limiting myths of modern wellness culture — especially for high-achieving women — that pain, burnout, and emotional exhaustion mean something has gone wrong. Drawing from burnout research, existential psychology, and dialectical models of well-being, this episode reframes burnout not as a personal failure or singular diagnosis — but as a multidimensional human experience that carries information, values, and meaning. You’ll learn: • Why chasing happiness can actually shrink your capacity for impact, courage, and fulfillment • How burnout exists across multiple profiles — not a single spectrum — and why that matters for recovery • Why pain is not the opposite of wellness, but part of it • How holding both light and shadow builds resilience, alignment, and psychological freedom This is an invitation to stop erasing parts of yourself in the name of wellness — and to reclaim wholeness as your birthright. If you’ve ever felt broken for feeling tired, disillusioned, frustrated, or emotionally exhausted… this conversation will meet you with clarity, compassion, and truth. You are not failing. You are not behind. You are whole.   Science mentioned: Kaftanski W, Hanson J. Suffering, authenticity, and meaning in life: Toward an integrated conceptualization of well-being. Front Psychol. 2022 Dec 6;13:1079032. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1079032. PMID: 36562064; PMCID: PMC9763890. Rajkumar RP. Suffering and Salutogenesis: A Conceptual Analysis of Lessons for Psychiatry From Existential Positive Psychology (PP2.0) in the Setting of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front Psychol. 2021 Apr 9;12:646334. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.646334. PMID: 33897551; PMCID: PMC8064119. Haire G, Prihodova L, Kilcullen S, Hayes B. Latent burnout profile analysis in hospital doctors in Ireland. PLoS One. 2024 Aug 22;19(8):e0308972. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308972. PMID: 39172911; PMCID: PMC11340981. Joshanloo M, Weijers D. A two-dimensional conceptual framework for understanding mental well-being. PLoS One. 2019 Mar 27;14(3):e0214045. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214045. PMID: 30917191; PMCID: PMC6436799. Follow: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soulshine-the-art-of-becoming/id1831612144 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6KOkEyzGgMDLI2QifC3XH0 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SoulSHINE_global Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soulshine_global/ or @soulshine_global Website: https://soulshine.global/ Email: [email protected] Subscribe, rate and review the vodcast. Email a screenshot of your review for a free gift guided meditation and enter a drawing for a free coaching session. Drawings will occur every 50 review milestone.