Flip the Script: Happiness First
Why joy leads to results—not the other way around
Christian Ray Flores here —
Here are today’s Strategies for Success and Significance.
In Today’s Issue
The counterintuitive reason success doesn’t make you happy—and what actually does
A conversation that flips your view of midlife and unlocks deeper joy
A live, small-group intensive to reset your emotional health and build lasting momentum
A free webinar on why happiness isn’t the reward—it’s the strategy
Let’s dive in.
In My Headspace
Curated insights worth your attention.
Midlife Victory with Chip Conley – NYT bestselling author and Airbnb’s former Head of Hospitality, Chip Conley is reshaping how we see aging. In this conversation, he shares how midlife can become your most meaningful chapter yet.
Watch here →Tal Ben-Shahar on the Practice of Happiness – One of the world’s leading happiness experts joined me to share how joy is a learnable skill—and why it matters more than ever.
Watch here →What Makes Nations Happy – Insights from my conversation with Nic Marks, a global happiness researcher, on what makes entire countries thrive.
Read here →Guest Pod on Liberty Sentinel – I joined to talk Little Book of Big Reasons to Love America—and how to embrace its advantages without ignoring the lessons.
Watch here →
Opportunities to Explore
🔥 Xponential Intensive — May 4
3 hours. 6 people. Real breakthroughs.
Apply →
🎯 Free Webinar — June 18
Happiness First: The Real Key to Success
Discover why joy leads to results—and how to build it.
Save Your Seat →
Today’s Deep Dive
Why Happiness Eludes Smart People (and How to Change That)
I’ve noticed something fascinating:
The smartest, most accomplished people I coach are often not the happiest.
In fact, intelligence, ambition, and success—qualities we assume would naturally lead to joy—sometimes do the opposite.
Why?
Here’s my story:
I’ve always had a fire in my belly to build, create, and achieve. But even with forward motion, I often found unhappiness shadowing that drive.
One night during college, I was visiting my dad in Mozambique. He let me use his motorcycle, and I spent nearly every evening out with friends, chasing fun, late nights, and loud clubs.
But one night, I came home around 3 AM, frustrated and in a bad mood. As I pulled up, I saw two guards from neighboring houses—men with almost nothing—dancing to a little radio on the sidewalk.
Their joy was effortless. Mine felt out of reach.
That moment cut through the noise. I had more, but they had joy. And it made me question everything I thought I knew about happiness.
It turns out, many of us chase happiness through goals, believing the next milestone will finally deliver satisfaction.
But happiness isn’t waiting at the finish line. It lives in how we run the race.
The truth is, we’ve been sold a myth: that success leads to happiness. But research shows the opposite—happiness drives success. It fuels energy, clarity, creativity, and resilience.
So how do you build it?
It starts with changing what you measure.
Ask less: “Have I done enough?”
Ask more: “Am I living with joy, meaning, and purpose—right now?”
In this week’s podcast, I had a powerful conversation with a leading happiness researcher and personal friend, Raj Raghunathan, Ph.D., on exactly this topic. Raj teaches at the University of Texas McCombs School of Business and authored the bestselling book If You're So Smart, Why Aren't You Happy?
We unpacked why driven people struggle with fulfillment—and how to break that cycle in a way that’s practical, science-backed, and deeply human.
Know someone who needs this? Forward it to them.
Quick Pulse Check
Win of the Week
One of my coaching clients just landed a dream role—then got a call from a senior exec at a major global tech firm who said, “I want you on my team.”
The clarity, confidence, and skills he built inside Xponential made the difference.
Once you’re part of the tribe, you don’t just grow—you keep rising.
How I Can Help
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