This week, I had the privilege of being interviewed by positive psychologist Dr. Lindsay Foreman, who is embarking on an incredible journey from the UK to Australia by motorbike. Her mission? To meet positive people, explore what it means to live a good life, understand what makes a difference, and share messages of hope. It’s hard not to marvel at the bravery, sense of adventure, and creativity that drives someone to undertake such an extraordinary journey.

Lindsay Foreman may seem like an ordinary person, but the truth is, she’s anything but. Her story is a testament to the idea that every step in life leads us to our current moment. We both completed our master’s in positive psychology at the same university, but while I paused there, Lindsay pursued her doctorate, which has now brought her to the point of riding halfway around the world, asking profound questions such as “What does positive psychology mean to you?” and “How have positive psychology interventions shaped your life and impacted your community?”

Reflecting on my own journey, I recall being 15 years old when I first read Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People. It opened my eyes in ways I hadn’t imagined, introducing me to the world of communication, persuasion, and people management in terminology foreign to me. Later, in my late 20s, Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People was a true “Road to Damascus” moment for me. But it was only about ten years ago, during my master’s in Coaching Psychology, that I encountered the field of Positive Psychology. The university offered us the chance to switch to this newly designed programme, and though I didn’t fully understand what it was, I was drawn to its focus on happiness. After all, who doesn’t want to be happy or at least learn how to be?

Where Covey’s work was a sudden, life-altering revelation, being introduced to Positive Psychology was a more profound, all-encompassing transformation. It didn’t just change me as an individual; it significantly impacted my personal and professional life.

In the absence of religion, Positive Psychology has filled a similar role for me, providing a framework for meaning, purpose, and personal growth. Much like religious beliefs offer people a sense of direction, hope, and connection to something greater, Positive Psychology has given me tools and practices that foster well-being, resilience, and fulfillment.

Positive Psychology emphasizes the science of what makes life worth living, focusing on strengths, virtues, and the pursuit of a meaningful life. It encourages practices including gratitude, mindfulness, and the cultivation of positive relationships, which can lead to profound personal transformation—much like the experiences people often seek through religion.

For me, Positive Psychology has been a guiding force, helping me develop a deeper understanding of myself, find joy and purpose in everyday life, and build resilience in the face of challenges. It has connected me—not to a divine being, but to the broader human experience and the potential for growth and flourishing within each of us. So, in many ways, it has been my real “Road to Damascus” (with all due respect to Covey). But just as religion doesn’t make one pious without effort, Positive Psychology doesn’t make me perfect; it’s an ongoing journey.

It’s amusing that when people learn about my background in Positive Psychology, they sometimes ask if I’m always happy. Far from it! Positive Psychology doesn’t change the fact that we’re human. Just as doctors get sick, psychologists can be depressed, and finance managers can run up debt; knowing something isn’t a guarantee that you’ll master it. I used to think some people were just born happy, but according to esteemed psychologist and father of Positive Psychology, Martin Seligman, happiness isn’t the result of good genes or luck. Real, lasting happiness comes from focusing on personal strengths rather than weaknesses and using them to improve all aspects of life.

Yet, I do sometimes feel pressure from my peers to be the best version of myself. Positive Psychology is often described as focusing on the best of human beings because it emphasizes strengths, virtues, and the aspects of human experience that contribute to a flourishing life. It shifts the focus from what’s wrong with people to what’s right, highlighting qualities like kindness, resilience, courage, and wisdom. It encourages us to cultivate these qualities, reflecting the potential for goodness and greatness within everyone. But I am rarely great and often not nearly good enough!

Watching Dr. Lindsay Foreman, I can’t help but compare what she’s doing with my own life. It’s a bit disheartening to measure her sense of purpose and action against mine. It makes me want more, to do more, to be more. But then I’m reminded that one of the key Positive Psychology interventions is the practice of gratitude, which is best achieved by looking down rather than up.

The idea that we should “look down at the people below us to feel satisfied with what we have” is a concept that has appeared in various forms across cultures and throughout history. It suggests that by comparing ourselves to those less fortunate, we can cultivate gratitude and contentment with our circumstances. I’m reminded of the saying, “I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet.” Whilst upward comparisons can lead to feelings of inadequacy, downward comparisons can foster gratitude and satisfaction.

As the Paralympics unfold, I’m struck by the journeys that so many have taken to get there. Everyone has to find their path in life, and perhaps it’s time for me to rethink mine. While I may not be riding a motorbike across continents or competing on the world stage, I can find my own way to contribute, to grow, and to live a life that reflects the best of what Positive Psychology has taught me.