For nearly 90 years, researchers tracked one question: what actually makes people happy, healthy, and fulfilled as they grow older?

In this episode, Chip sits down with psychiatrist, Zen teacher, and Harvard study director Robert Waldinger to explore what 88 years of research can teach us about relationships, aging, purpose, and emotional well-being.

Together, they unpack:

Why strong relationships predict happiness and longevity better than success or money
The hidden loneliness behind social media and “curated lives”
What Zen practice teaches about anxiety, suffering, and being fully present
Why nobody is happy all the time and why that’s normal
How paying attention to what energizes you can change your life

Warm, wise, and deeply human, this episode is full of insights that stay with you long after the conversation ends. Listen now and join the conversation.

Timestamps:

(03:03) How Life Changed After 50

(06:13) The Harvard Study on Happiness

(08:36) Why Relationships Matter Most

(10:00) Friendship as a Daily Practice

(12:31) Making New Friends as You Age

(13:52) Social Media and Modern Loneliness

(16:53) Why He Started Zen Practice

(19:35) Nothing to Fix and Living Well

(21:16) What Zen Meditation Really Is

(23:11) Presence vs Dissociation

(25:52) Why Happiness Is Not Constant

(27:32) Attention as the Deepest Form of Love

(30:21) Why Pain Always Passes

(33:16) Robert Waldinger on Retirement

(36:34) Learning to Trust Your Inner Signals

Learn more about MEA at ⁠https://www.meawisdom.com/

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What 88 Years of Research Revealed About Happiness | Robert Waldinger

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What 88 Years of Research Revealed About Happiness | Robert Waldinger