Why do people keep chasing more, even when it doesn’t seem to bring lasting fulfillment? Many discover that achievement alone does not deliver the satisfaction they expected.

In this episode, Todd Barney and Kevin Swanson speak with Fred Luskin, Director of the Stanford Forgiveness Projects at Stanford University, about the relationship between wealth, fear, and happiness. They explore why humans are wired to pursue security even after their needs are met, how status comparisons quietly shape dissatisfaction, and why meaningful relationships and contribution play a larger role in fulfillment than accumulating assets.

Fred shares:

• Why humans are biologically wired to scan for threats and scarcity even when their financial needs are met
• How status comparisons quietly fuel dissatisfaction even among highly accomplished individuals
• Why shifting focus from survival and safety toward relationships improves overall well-being
• How the “marshmallow effect” explains investor behavior when gains are followed by losses
• Why gratitude, relationships, and contribution help create deeper satisfaction than accumulating wealth
• And more!

Connect with Potentia Wealth:

• Potentia Wealth
• 408.288.7886
• ask@potentiawealth.com
• LinkedIn: Potentia Wealth
• LinkedIn: Kevin Swanson
• LinkedIn: Todd Barney, CEPA®, CIMA®, CPWA®, CFP®

Connect with Fred Luskin:

• LinkedIn: Fred Luskin
• Website: Fred Luskin

About our guest:

Dr. Frederic Luskin is a psychologist who has been teaching at Stanford University for the past 30 years. He has a Ph. D in Counseling and Health Psychology from Stanford University and holds clinical licenses as a Psychologist and a Marriage and Family Counselor. Currently, he is on the faculty for the GSB Executive Education program, where he teaches mindfulness, emotional intelligence, psychological safety, and positive psychology to executives from all over the world. When not at Stanford, Dr. Luskin often speaks to a variety of audiences, including investors, corporate leaders, medical and mental health professionals, educators and several other organizations and individuals.

He also serves as Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Projects. The forgiveness projects sponsor teaching and research that validate his nine steps to forgiveness. Dr. Luskin is one of the world’s recognized authorities on forgiveness, both of self and others and has taught forgiveness to tens of thousands of people.