Finding Meaning: Why Life's Deepest Satisfaction Isn't About the Next Thrill

Have you ever noticed how the thrill of a new purchase or experience fades so quickly? That's what I explore in this episode about the profound difference between pleasure and purpose in our lives.

I share how Martin Seligman's PERMA model identifies meaning—serving something bigger than ourselves—as the most powerful driver of lasting satisfaction. Studies show that people who report lives filled with meaning often endure more stress and challenges, yet feel more fulfilled overall than those simply chasing pleasurable experiences.

Purpose doesn't require grand gestures or Instagram-worthy moments. It's found in raising children with intention, showing up to work with integrity, or creating something that outlives us. As Viktor Frankl wisely noted, "Those who have a why to live can bear almost any how." 

If you're feeling stuck or unsatisfied, try asking yourself: "What do I want my life to stand for?" Then take one small action today—have a deeper conversation, help someone in need, or take a step toward a shelved dream. Notice how it feels afterward. While pleasure is fleeting, purpose leaves a lasting footprint. 

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Website: www.themikemuldoonpodcast.com
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey y'all You're probably thinking, wow, this is
a really weird intro becausenormally it's like hey, mike
Muldoon podcast.
Well, the thing is, it justdawned on me, I put the wrong
podcast release date.
I only just found out today.
I was just looking at did I doany social media?
And the thing is because onFriday I think I talked about

(00:23):
this last week, but the weekbefore I'd actually pulled my
back out and I was down for afew days.
It started getting a little bitbetter.
But, knowing me, I don't knowhow to rest.
I don't sit still.
And Friday night I'm at myson's cricket practice.
We're there, it's a beautifulday, it's beautiful out, it's
lovely.
My wife is there, ourdaughter's there with her friend
, and it, I mean down barely gotback to the car, barely got

(00:44):
into the house, couldn't doanything, nothing, couldn't move
, couldn't get up.
I mean it was.
It was so painful, so painful.
I was on the couch for two days.
Uh, by the time I could justkind of lift myself up to, you
know, get anywhere in the house.
It was like holding on thethings and pushing.
I told my wife, give me awalker, get me something.
It wasn't until yesterday Istarted feeling a little bit

(01:04):
better.
And then today I'm doing better.
I had to go see somebody butI'm not there, like I'm not
fixed, it's not healed.
And it was just a little whileago that I realized did I even
do any social media while I wassitting around the couch for the
podcast which usually theanswer is probably no, because
I'm not very good at doingsocial media the podcast didn't
even publish.
It didn't even publish.
So, anyway, I'm giving you thisintro and then, well, here is

(01:27):
the podcast that you should havesat on, you should have heard
on Friday.
And, yep, I'm going to weekagain.
I'm really getting our shoptogether right now.
Just a lot of things learning.
It's exciting, but it's nervewracking.
And again, you know we'll talkabout it often.

(01:53):
I'm going to keep talking aboutit.
Fear likes to creep in and fearmakes you want to get worried.
But you know what Fear alwayscreeps in when you're onto
something that could be greatfor you.
Could be great for you, becausethat's what fear does, right?
Fear wants to bring us back.
No, no, no, we don't knowwhat's out there, but you got to
trust what's out there, justput in the work.
So I'm excited about it.
Anyway, I wanted to just talkabout life's happiness.

(02:14):
I want to talk about that andwhy sometimes we just got it
wrong, why purpose in lifereally matters more than
pleasure.
So the thing is, we live inthis world that's constantly
selling us pleasure, right Fromthe next holiday to the newest
gadget, from the perfect coffeeto the perfect body, we're told
things will make us happy.
And sure, pleasure feels good,it's immediate, it's exciting

(02:45):
and often, for many people, it'sInstagrammable.
Right, but there's one problemwith chasing, and it doesn't
fulfill us.
See, true happiness, the kindthat leaves you feeling grounded
, at peace with yourself andfully alive, comes when you have
a purpose, and that's whatwe're going to talk about today.

(03:27):
See, with psychologist martinseligman uh, pioneering the
field of positive psychology,really identified five elements
of well-being in his what hecalled the PERMER model, right,
positive emotions, engagement,relationships, meaning and
accomplishment.
And of those five, meaning,which was really defined as
belonging to and servingsomething bigger than ourselves,
consistently ranks as the mostpowerful driver of long-term

(03:51):
satisfaction.
There was actually a study thatwas published in the Journey of
Positive Psychology.
I think I read it like 12 yearsago.
I think it was somewherebetween Los Angeles and New York
or something at the time when Iread it.
But anyway, it basically askedpeople whether they saw their
lives as happy or meaningful,right?
So the research has reallyfound that, while pleasure is

(04:11):
linked to short-term happiness,right, buying that new outfit,
buying that new phone, buyingthat new, whatever it is meaning
correlates with lastingwell-being.
So, in fact, people whoreported lives filled with
meaning often endured morestress and challenge, but they
felt more satisfied overall.
Viktor Frankl, who was aHolocaust survivor and author he

(04:32):
basically wrote the book Man'sSearch for Meaning.
He one time wrote those whohave a why to live can bear
almost any how.
See and purpose doesn't have tomean saving the world.
Sometimes we talk about purpose.
We always think it's got to besomething huge, right.
But purpose could simply bejust raising your children with
some sort of love, some sort ofintention, some sort of goal,

(04:54):
some sort of desire, showing upto work each day with integrity,
volunteering for a cause thatlights you up, creating,
building or teaching somethingthat lives sort of beyond you
See, the thing about purpose isit's often quiet, it's not
Instagrammable, it's the earlymornings, it's the effort no one
sees, it's the commitment toyour values, even when no one is
watching.
See, pleasure might excite you,but purpose expands you.
You know, somebody's actuallydone some coaching with people

(05:16):
in the past.
I often meet people chasing thenext thrill right, thinking
it'll fix the restlessnessinside them.
What they often are missingisn't more fun, it's meaning.
It's the clarity, knowing whatthey stand for and the courage
to live by it.
So if you're somebody who feelsstuck or unsatisfied, just ask
yourself to live by it.
So if you're somebody who feelsstuck or unsatisfied, just ask
yourself what do I want my lifeto stand for?

(05:41):
You know what benefits me whenI'm fully alive and I'm engaged
in something.
What's one I don't knowpurposeful act you can take
today I mean every day, you know.
Is it an opportunity to turnaround and change it all over
again?
Right, I mean purpose.
Again, it's not about beingperfect, it's just about being
aligned.
You often hear that phrase.
It's thrown around a lot.
Right, I'm aligned, I'm in flow, but I think at some point
we've all touched it right.
We just we're in the middle ofdoing something.

(06:03):
We feel like, yeah, this isright.
And again, if you look at thosemoments in your life, it was
probably where you is servingsome sort of purpose.
So for this week I would justtrade one moment of comfort for
just a moment of contribution.
You know that might mean havinga deeper conversation with
somebody, helping somebody inneed, I don't know, taking a
small step towards a dreamyou've shelved.

(06:24):
Notice how it feels, not justin a moment, but afterwards See
again.
Pleasure is fleeting, purposeleaves a footprint and the truth
is, happiness doesn't come fromavoiding struggle.
It comes from knowing thestruggle is for something that
matters, and it's something I'mgoing through right now myself.
You know this business that mywife and I are doing.
I think I've talked about itright.
We're opening up a bagel coffeeshop.

(06:45):
By the way, we're nothospitality people.
My wife is a lawyer.
I've spent most of my wife ofmy life either in sales or
writing Um and working withpeople.
I mean, this is the furthestthing from anything that either
one of us have done.
But you know what we're excitedabout it.
We're putting in the work,we're putting in the effort and
obviously we're educatingourselves and we're learning.
But you know what it's exciting, because to me it kind of is.

(07:08):
There is a purpose there tobuild something you know.
So if this is something thatresonates with you not so much
about opening a coffee or bagelshop, but about, you know, just
feeling stuck in life andfeeling like you're always
chasing that next thrill.
Just try to find that one thing.
Find that one thing just makesyou feel like you're
contributing to something,something bigger than you are.

(07:29):
And if you know somebody whomight be struggling right now,
maybe this is something thatthey might want to look at doing
.
Okay, because, again, pleasureis fleeting, but purpose is
forever, and I think we've allbeen there, you know it.
When you're in the middle ofsomething and it could have been
something small, maybe you'rein charge of something at one
point, or maybe it's somethingin little leagues or school,
whatever it is.
When you have a purpose, youknow how you feel.

(07:56):
All right, and that's what Igot for you today.
Right, as always, you know thisis for people.
It's uh, you know, everyone'sgot a little room to improve.
I just I'm glad you're with me,I'm glad you're here.
I wish you the best, have asafe and happy weekend and, as
always, I got nothing but lovefor you.