65. Happiness vs Fulfillment

65. Happiness vs Fulfillment

In our last episode, we talked about chasing happiness. This week, I want to answer the question that naturally follows... If happiness isn't the goal, what is? As high-achievers, we often worry that if we become content, we'll stop growing. That appreciating what we have somehow means settling for less. But what if contentment and complacency aren't the same thing? What if accepting where you are isn't about giving up...but about gaining the clarity to intentionally create what comes next? In this episode, I explore the difference between happiness and fulfillment, why so many of us postpone gratitude until the next milestone, and how acceptance, contentment, and congruence work together to create a life that actually fits. What We Explore * Happiness vs fulfillment...Why happiness is a feeling that comes and goes, while fulfillment has more staying power because it's rooted in meaning and alignment. * Contentment isn't complacency...Why appreciating where you are doesn't mean you've stopped growing…and why "this is enough right now" is very different from "this is enough forever." * Acceptance creates clarity...How acknowledging reality isn't settling. It's the starting point for intentional growth. * Congruence...Why fulfillment comes from creating a life that fits…one that's aligned with your values, priorities, strengths, and definition of success. Questions to Consider Are you chasing happiness...or creating fulfillment? Where have you been postponing appreciation until the next milestone? And perhaps the biggest question of all... Does this fit? Does this relationship fit? Does this role fit? Does this goal fit? Does this version of success fit? And here’s where you can find me… * Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset [https://www.thedashmindset.com/]. * Connect with me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheri-zevenbergen/]. * Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it! [https://www.thedashmindset.com/contact-sheri] If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.  On iTunes [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dash-mindset-podcast/id1689097248], scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”  On Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0AKj1JZ2x2enLFKjMDm5x8], just select “Rate Show.”  Your support helps more people better understand themselves and one another so they can create more meaningful, fulfilling lives and work together more effectively.

64. Chasing Happiness

It's mid-June, and I've already declared it a long summer. Our boys have been out of school for three weeks, and at this point, my parenting goal is for them to maintain literacy until school starts again in August. I genuinely love having them home, and it's been a long summer. Both can be true…And one of the biggest traps we fall into as humans is thinking they can’t be. We're told to pursue happiness. We think we need to find it, choose it, and protect it...as if happiness is a destination to be reached. But what if the expectation of being happy all the time is actually what keeps us unhappy? In this episode, I explore why we struggle to hold two seemingly opposite truths at the same time. That if we're grateful, we shouldn't feel annoyed. If we're happy, we shouldn't feel sad. If we love our kids, we shouldn't be frustrated by them. But what if the problem isn't that we experience both? What if the problem is that we expect ourselves not to? What We Explore * The myth of permanent happiness…Why happiness isn't a destination and why expecting it to be can create unnecessary suffering. * The second layer of suffering…How we turn normal human emotions into problems by judging ourselves for experiencing them. * Package deals…Why the things we value most often come bundled with both rewards and challenges. * The power of "and"...How it can shift the way we think about gratitude, frustration, joy, sadness, and everything in between. * Being human…Why experiencing opposite emotions doesn't mean something is wrong. It means you're alive. Questions to Consider Where are you making yourself wrong for being human? What emotion have you been resisting, judging, or trying to eliminate? And what if it's not evidence that something is wrong? What if it's simply part of the package? Here’s where you can find me… * Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset [https://www.thedashmindset.com/]. * Connect with me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheri-zevenbergen/]. * Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it! [https://www.thedashmindset.com/contact-sheri] If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.  On iTunes [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dash-mindset-podcast/id1689097248], scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”  On Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0AKj1JZ2x2enLFKjMDm5x8], just select “Rate Show.”  Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a meaningful way.

63. How Fascinating: Rethinking Failure, Resilience, & Growth with Tom Hicks

Failure tends to feel personal. A missed opportunity. A mistake at work. A relationship ending. A plan falling apart. For a lot of us, failure doesn’t just feel like something that happened. It feels like evidence about who we are. In this episode, I’m with keynote and workshop speaker Tom Hicks to talk about what happened when a really difficult season of life unexpectedly led him to a set of juggling balls…and ultimately to a completely different relationship with failure. Tom now teaches people and organizations how to juggle while helping them rethink perfectionism, growth, resilience, and what it actually means to fail. We talked about: * Why so many high-achievers struggle with failure * The difference between understanding growth mindset intellectually vs. actually experiencing it * Why play matters more than we realize as adults * How curiosity changes our relationship with mistakes * The phrase “how fascinating” and why it’s more powerful than it sounds * Why many “failures” are actually redirections * The importance of kindness toward ourselves  One of my favorite parts of the conversation was this reminder…You already have the ability to navigate failure. You’ve been doing it your entire life. You may just need to reconnect with it. Also… it feels important to mention that we had multiple technology issues and recording glitches during this episode…which made the entire “how fascinating” conversation even more fitting. 😂  About Tom Tom Hicks is the founder and CJO (Chief Juggling Officer) of Throw & Catch Consulting based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He provides practical and fun leadership development experiences that blend storytelling, reflection, and active learning to create deeper connections while playing with a purpose for individuals, teams, and organizations.  Tom has worked at all levels in higher education for the past 20+ years and has coached thousands of students, staff, and executives on failure, growth, and resilience. When he’s not on campus or conducting workshops, Tom enjoys cycling and traveling with his wife Megan and cheering on their daughter Emily in all of her activities. Here’s where you can find Tom… * Website: tom-hicks.com [http://tom-hicks.com/] * LinkedIn: Tom Hicks [https://www.linkedin.com/in/hickstr/] And here’s where you can find me… * Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset [https://www.thedashmindset.com/]. * Connect with me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheri-zevenbergen/]. * Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it! [https://www.thedashmindset.com/contact-sheri] If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review. On iTunes [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dash-mindset-podcast/id1689097248], scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.” On Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0AKj1JZ2x2enLFKjMDm5x8], just select “Rate Show.”  Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a meaningful way.

62. Finding Your Way Through the Unexpected with Laura Bratton

What if the thing you never saw coming…became the very thing that shaped how you move forward? Laura Bratton was diagnosed with a rare eye disease as a child and lost her sight as a teenager…several years earlier than anyone expected. We talk about what it looked like to navigate that kind of change in real time…without a roadmap, without certainty, and without the option to pause life while she figured it out. But this conversation isn’t about blindness. It’s about what happens when life doesn’t go the way you thought it would…and how you keep going anyway. We explore what actually helped her move forward, how she learned to stop fighting reality, and why “enough” might be the most powerful shift of all. What We Explore * Grit and gratitude…together Not as buzzwords…but as real, usable resources. Why it’s not one or the other, and how the balance of both is what actually helps you move forward. * Living in the moment (when everything feels overwhelming) When the future feels too big, too uncertain, too much…what it looks like to narrow your focus to today, and why that’s not giving up. It’s survival. * Why “enough” matters more than you think How redefining what counts as “enough” can shift everything, especially in seasons of change, grief, or uncertainty. * The stories we believe about strength Why pushing through, ignoring emotions, and being “fine” can actually make things harder…and what happens when you stop fighting what you feel. * What real support actually looks like Not pity. Not fixing. Not making things easier. But people who believe in you…even when you don’t believe in yourself. * The pressure of uncertainty (and how to navigate it) Why the uncertainty doesn’t go away…and what you can control instead. * Letting yourself feel what’s real From anxiety to grief to anger…why turning toward your emotions (instead of pushing them down) changes everything. About Laura At the age of nine, Laura was diagnosed with an eye disease and faced the difficult reality that she would become blind. Over the next ten years she experienced the traumatic transition of adjusting to life without sight.  Laura adjusted to her new normal and was able to move forward in life as she graduated from Arizona State University with a BA in psychology. She then was the first blind student to receive her Masters of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.   She is the author of the book, Harnessing Courage. Laura founded Ubi Global, which is an organization that provides speaking and coaching to empower all people to overcome challenges and obstacles with grit and gratitude. Here’s where you can find Laura… * Website: https: laurabratton.com [http://www.laurabratton.com/] * Video Highlight Reel: Speaker Reel [https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/lau/FMfcgzQfBstJhBbzZHkhmStJTKFFgFMT?projector=1] And here’s where you can find me… * Learn more about working with me at The DASH Mindset [https://www.thedashmindset.com/]. * Connect with me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheri-zevenbergen/]. * Have an idea for a future episode? I’d love to hear it! [https://www.thedashmindset.com/contact-sheri] If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.  On iTunes [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dash-mindset-podcast/id1689097248], scroll down, tap to give five stars, and hit “Write a Review.”  On Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0AKj1JZ2x2enLFKjMDm5x8], just select “Rate Show.”  Your support helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a meaningful way.

61. Same Dandelion. Different Story.

Do you love dandelions…or hate them? Because people tend to have very strong opinions about this. In this episode, I share why I still love them…even knowing everything that comes with them… a really simple example of something we do all the time. Two people can look at the exact same thing…and see something completely different. Same situation. Same conversation. Same moment. Completely different reactions. And when that happens, we often assume the other person just doesn’t get it. But what if it’s not that they don’t understand… What if they’re just seeing something different? We explore what’s actually driving those reactions, why it creates so much unnecessary friction, and how expanding your capacity for difference can make things feel a whole lot easier. Because it’s usually not about the dandelion. 😉 What We Explore Same thing, different experience Why two people can look at the exact same situation and walk away with completely different interpretations…and why that’s more normal than we think. It’s not just the moment How past experiences, beliefs, preferences, and expectations shape how we see and respond to things (often without us even realizing it). “They just don’t get it…” Why we assume others are wrong or missing something…and what’s actually happening instead. Capacity for difference What it is, why it matters, and how expanding it reduces tension in conversations, relationships, and everyday interactions. Letting go of the need to convince Why there isn’t always a clear right or wrong…and how much easier things feel when we stop trying to force it. A Question to Consider Where are the “dandelions” showing up in your life right now? What’s something you feel strongly about…that someone else sees completely differently? And what might they be seeing that you’re not? And here’s where you can find me… Learn more about working together at The DASH Mindset [https://www.thedashmindset.com/]. Connect with me on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheri-zevenbergen/]…I’m pretty active there and always love hearing from you. Have an idea for a future episode? I’d genuinely love to hear it…send it my way! If you love The DASH Mindset Podcast, I’d be so grateful if you’d leave a quick rating and review.  On Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dash-mindset-podcast/id1689097248], scroll down and tap the stars (and write a review if you’re up for it). On Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0AKj1JZ2x2enLFKjMDm5x8], just select “Rate Show.”  Your support helps more people find the podcast…and ultimately helps more people lead their lives…and lead others…in a way that actually feels meaningful.