Pursuing a Deeper Kind of Happiness: A New Year Invitation
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
I’ve always been intrigued by research on happiness. Maybe it’s my fascination with the Nordic countries — consistently ranking among the happiest nations despite their long, dark winters and unremarkable cuisine. Or maybe it’s the ideas surfaced by “happiness experts” like Arthur Brooks or Laurie Santos, who continue to probe what gives life depth and purpose.
In the United States, we value happiness so deeply that we enshrined its pursuit alongside freedom and life itself. Yet beneath that noble aspiration lies a nagging question — one that often goes unspoken:
How can we chase our own private happiness in the midst of so much public suffering?
That question sits at the root of what we wrestle with at Think Tank.
I can’t count how many times I’ve heard people dismiss the pain of poverty in America — whether by blaming individuals for their circumstances or minimizing U.S. poverty compared to global suffering. But with more of our neighbors living unhoused or going without basic needs, it’s impossible to ignore. Poverty in America runs deeper than material lack; it carries the weight of shame, isolation, and lost dignity.
So how do we pursue personal happiness while surrounded by struggle? Often, we do it through distance — unconsciously creating separation that shields us from discomfort. We do this by:
Embracing narratives that reduce poverty to poor personal choices.
Living, working, learning, and worshipping in spaces filled with people like ourselves.
Consuming media that reinforces what we already believe.
For many of us who aren’t worried about going hungry tonight, our lives have been arranged to sustain our private happiness while keeping us distant from those carrying heavier burdens. We don’t do this intentionally — it’s simply how our systems are designed.
I’ve been doing this work for over twenty years now, and the deep joy I’ve experienced has come from the privilege of watching so many people walk out of their corners of comfort, consumption, and self-preservation to listen, learn from, and invest in the well-being of those who feel invisible and forgotten. When I consider all of the collective stories of transformation, three themes consistently rise to the surface:
COMPASSION – The courage to really see others and respond with empathy and care in tangible ways.
CONNECTION – The willingness to be present, gain perspective, and embrace mutual transformation.
INFLUENCE – The decision to speak up, promote dignity and opportunity, and elevate new voices shaped by lived experience.
As we enter 2026, we’ll be invited to pursue countless versions of “happiness.” Marketing campaigns will tempt us to believe fulfillment lies in what we can buy, achieve, or escape from. If you’re seeking something more lasting than comfort or distraction, you’re invited to remember this: deeper happiness — true joy — grows when we commit to pursuing not just our own well-being, but the well-being of others, especially those experiencing poverty.
If you’re ready to take the next step to trade isolation for connection, comfort for courage, and grow more rooted in compassion, connection, and influence — reach out. Let’s build a deeper kind of community, together.