Well-being is a multifaceted construct with implications for education, work, parenting, and even the prosperity of entire countries. Well-being is comprised of five building blocks, including positive emotions, engagement or flow, relationships, meaning making, and achievement (PERMA; Seligman, 2011). Interestingly, the longest study on well-being with now over 1,300 participants indicated the greatest predictor of happiness was having strong, positive, supportive relationships (Waldinger, 2023). Over the past 25 years, my research has focused on examining factors that contribute to wellbeing over time and across contexts. Building on this research, I examined how mindfulness and compassion impact relationships and well-being, exploring Eastern and Western conceptualizations of happiness. I share lessons learned from my mentors and travels through Japan, Peru, and the U.S. in search for the meaning of happiness.