Psychological Richness

Today let’s talk about something called psychological richness. It feels like a big term but the idea of it is easy to understand. In psychology, there’s been agreement that a good life consists of primarily two things: happiness and meaning. A happy life is full of things like pleasure, enjoyment, stability, and comfort, whereas a meaningful life is full of purpose, service, significance, and often sacrifice. If you have one without the other (i.e. happiness without meaning, and vice versa), it can feel like something is missing. After all, both happy and meaningful lives can become monotonous and repetitive. 

There is a newer idea that a good life might also be described as psychologically rich. This kind of life is full of complex mental engagement; a wide range of intense and deep emotions; and diverse, novel, surprising and interesting experiences. Sometimes the experiences are pleasant, sometimes they are meaningful, and sometimes they are neither pleasant nor meaningful. But they are rarely boring or monotonous. So, a psychologically rich life is best characterized by a variety of interesting and perspective-changing experiences that captures the full range of human motivation.

This theory recognizes that what we really want to feel is more alive. 

More activated. 

More human. 

The goal here is to deepen, broaden, enrich. 

To make your life more interesting. 

Seeking out experiences that are psychologically rich, you may find yourself experiencing a wider range of emotions, having more stimulating conversations, going on more adventures, and seeing the world from a new perspective.

Here is Shigehiro Oishi, speaking about his research for the book Life in Three Dimensions, in an article from Psychology Today:

“Sometimes, people can be so obsessed with happiness, that they actively strive to stir their lives in one direction—that of positive emotions and comfort. But life is unpredictable, and unfortunately, not always pleasant. Psychological richness entails accepting life as it happens, in its entirety. If we consider stories that we accumulate and share with others as the currency of psychological richness, many of our experiences can lend new insights and propel us towards growth, thus adding up to wealth.

To me, this research diversifies the ways in which people could lead a good life. A happy life is a great life. A meaningful life is a great life. But at times, when happiness and meaning are hard to come by, or if you are not predisposed to them, you can still experience well-being and have a good, admirable life by leading a psychologically rich life.”

When it comes to living a more psychologically rich life, the good thing is that it doesn’t require you to get or achieve anything. Whereas happiness can sometimes feel contingent on whether we buy this thing, get this job, or go on this vacation, and meaning can feel more elusive, experiencing psychological richness can happen anytime, anywhere; it just requires that you have some curiosity and openness to novel experiences and ideas that might shift your world view. You just have to train your mind to recognize the possibilities. To question the status quo.

An abundance mindset is an extremely useful way to cultivate this richness. Abundance allows you to see more in your life: more options, more choices, and more resources. 

It’s about saying yes to life, embracing change, and being willing to step out of our comfort zones to learn and grow. This openness ensures that we don't shut the door on potential avenues for personal development and happiness and embodies the understanding that there's always another chance, another option, or another path to explore. 

Having an abundance mindset means believing in your ability to achieve your dreams and goals. Set clear, achievable goals and take consistent action toward them. This proactive approach reinforces your belief in possibilities and your ability to create abundance in your life.

If you’re ready to step into that kind of life, my upcoming Reimagine Workshop Series is the perfect place to start. Each week, we will be diving into a new area of life—career, relationships, time, confidence, and more. This isn’t about following someone else’s blueprint. It’s about expanding your own.

You already have everything you need - the potential to improve, the capacity to change, the power to make decisions.

You just need to be willing to show up for the work.

The first step is right in front of you. Say yes to it.