When Success Isn’t Enough: Redefining Happiness, Purpose, and Burnout with Robin Singh
So many of us are taught that happiness is something we earn.
Work hard. Build a career. Achieve financial stability. Check all the boxes.
And yet, for so many women and leaders, there comes a moment when everything looks right on paper — but something still feels off.
In this week’s episode of the Her Resources Podcast, we explore that quiet dissatisfaction with Robin Singh, author of Happiness Happens: Happiness for Those Who Have Everything and founder of Peepal Farm, an animal rescue and community in rural India.
Robin’s story challenges one of the most deeply ingrained ideas we hold: that happiness is the purpose of life.
⚠️ Trigger Warning
This episode and blog include discussion of mental health struggles and references to suicidal thoughts and self-harm. Reader discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling, please consider reaching out to a trusted person or a mental health professional.
When You Get Everything You Wanted — and Still Feel Empty
Robin achieved financial independence at a young age. He had freedom, time, and security — everything many people are chasing. But instead of feeling fulfilled, he found himself deeply unhappy and disconnected from his life.
That disconnect led him to a pivotal realization:
Happiness didn’t arrive simply because suffering was absent.
Rather than asking “How do I be happy?”, Robin began asking a more uncomfortable but ultimately transformative question:
What am I living for?
That question became the foundation for everything that followed.
Happiness vs. Purpose: A Powerful Distinction
One of the most striking ideas Robin shares is his definition of happiness:
Happiness is the absence of suffering.
But if happiness is simply the absence of pain, then it can’t be the reason we live. Removing suffering alone doesn’t give life meaning — it only creates space.
Purpose, on the other hand, fills that space.
Purpose is what allows us to endure discomfort, regulate burnout, and keep going even when life is hard. Without it, even the most comfortable life can feel empty.
Burnout Isn’t Failure — It’s Information
This conversation is especially relevant for women in HR, leadership, and caregiving roles — people who give deeply and often at the expense of themselves.
Robin reframes burnout not as weakness or failure, but as information:
A signal that something in your life is out of alignment
A sign that your energy is being spent without connection to meaning
A reminder that empathy without agency leads to exhaustion
Purpose doesn’t eliminate burnout — but it makes rest, boundaries, and care feel intentional rather than indulgent.
Living Deliberately and Reducing Suffering
Robin’s journey ultimately led him to Peepal Farm, where his life is centered around reducing suffering — for animals, the environment, and people where possible.
He introduces the concept of a “suffering footprint,” reminding us that everything we consume has an impact. The goal isn’t perfection or guilt — it’s awareness.
Living deliberately might look like:
Consuming less, not none
Choosing alignment over convenience
Making small changes that reduce harm without burning yourself out
Purpose isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing something that matters to you.
The Question That Changes Everything
As the conversation comes to a close, Robin offers a question that cuts through noise, expectations, and external definitions of success:
What am I living for?
Not what you do for work.
Not what you’ve achieved.
Not what others expect from you.
But what gives your life meaning — even when it’s hard.
Listen to the Full Episode
🎧 Her Resources Podcast — Featuring Robin Singh
Website: https://herresourcespodcast.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/hrpodcast
📘 Learn more about Robin’s work:
Peepal Farm: https://peepalfarm.org/
Happiness Happens: Happiness For Those Who Have Everything
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FMQGRS79/
💛 Support Resources
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide:
United States: Call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline
Outside the U.S.: Please seek local mental health support resources in your area
You are not alone, and help is available.