What if our obsession with being “happy all the time” is actually what’s keeping us from true wellbeing? We’ve been chasing happiness as a fixed state, a finish line we’re supposed to reach and stay at. But that’s not how life works. Real flourishing isn’t about constant positivity, but learning to move with life’s rhythm through the highs and the lows. Because when the world gets hard, the question isn’t how to stay happy — it’s how to keep flourishing anyway.

In this episode of the Happiness Squad Podcast, Ashish Kothari sits down with Dr. Michelle McQuaid, to explore why flourishing isn’t about being happy all the time — it’s about learning how to rise with confidence, compassion, and courage when life knocks us down.

Dr. Michelle McQuaid, Ph.D. is an award-winning researcher, best-selling author, and workplace wellbeing teacher who translates positive psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies for leaders and teams.

She is an honorary fellow at Melbourne University’s Centre for Wellbeing Science, hosts the Making Positive Psychology Work podcast, and has helped organizations globally to build psychological safety, strengths-based cultures, and more resilient workplaces.

This episode teaches how leaders and individuals can cultivate true flourishing not by avoiding discomfort, but by embracing it as a path to deeper growth, purpose, and human connection.

Things you will learn in this episode:

• Why happiness alone isn’t the true measure of flourishing

• The power of confidence in navigating life’s highs and lows

• How embracing imperfection fuels learning and growth

• Why self-compassion is a leadership advantage

• The neuroscience behind psychological safety at work

• How to shift from chasing happiness to building inner strength

Listen to the full episode now and discover practical tools you can use to redefine what it means to flourish.

✅Resources:

• How to make flourishing your competitive edge by Ashish Kothari on TEDx Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRV-2C-fkNg&t=146s

• michellemcquaid.com (Company)

• thewellbeinglab.com (Company)

• permahsurvey.com (Free Wellbeing Survey)

• Dr. Michelle McQuaid on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/chellemcquaid

• Seligman’s PERMA+ model: https://positivepsychology.com/perma-model/

• Oxytocin shot tool: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6949379/

• Carole Dweck’s The Power of Yet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-swZaKN2Ic

✅Books:

• Your Wellbeing Blueprint by Dr. Michelle McQuaid: https://a.co/d/8mLoSHr

• Hardwired for Happiness by Ashish Kothari: https://a.co/d/ftKT8SZ