Over the past nine years, Ashish Kothari has turned the pages of over 678 books, researching the secret to happiness. His findings? Happiness is a state of being rather than an emotion. Today, Kothari dedicates his life to guiding others on their journeys to find their personal, happy-inducing habits in Boulder, Colorado.

Kothari was born and raised in India, in a house where, according to him, “there was this notion that the only thing good is perfect.” Beginning when he was 6 years old, Kothari learned “to be happy and successful, you have to work hard,” he says.

Photo courtesy of Ashish Kothari.

The retired McKinsey & Company partner said after approximately 20 years in the corporate world, he found himself at a place where he was thriving on the outside, but miserable on the inside. “There are so many people living the same stories: popular on the outside, lonelier than ever inside.” he shares, “They have so much but think they do not have enough.”

People from all experiences, lifestyles and backgrounds are fearful, and often times have no clue as to why. Kothari lived this reality. He could not understand why he was afraid and what he was afraid of. So, he started reading.

“I read across all different domains, like spirituality,” Kothari passionately details. “I read the Bible, the Quran, the Yoga Sutras, the Upanishads, the Buddhist texts, stoicism, Taoism, philosophies. And then I was reading all the science stuff. All the positive psychology work, all the work around trauma. And then I was reading all the work around neurosciences, about how our brains work.”

Kothari began to experiment with practices that intersect a combination of these domains. He noted these words and added them to his toolbox, integrating them throughout his days.

“Accumulating knowledge is worthless unless you practice,” the happiness junky reveals.

He synthesized that gratitude, mindfulness and community show up everywhere. These became the backbone to his brand: Happiness Squad.

“I went looking in all of these places because I thought they would have different things,” Kothari shares. “They don’t — they all point to the same. It is almost as if science is proving what deep wisdom traditions have always known.”

These findings need only be translated into the right context. Kothari helps individuals find their happiness language: habits and practices that encompass one’s happy state of being. His work allows him “to cross boardrooms and yoga rooms in the same breath,” as he puts it.

Once this routine becomes second nature (habits you do not do consciously), Kothari says you are inching towards happiness as a state of being. This is derived from your own personal research, where you uncover what cultivates your happiness. With time, “if we stop long enough, and drop into spaces and experiences, we can truly drop into that state for ourselves,” he says.

A consistent state of happiness looks different for different people. Nonetheless, Kothari emphasizes that when a human being is happy, he or she will live longer, have more resilience and have prosperous relationships. Whether Kothari is working with a group of coworkers or a devoted meditation practitioner, he aims to not just to be effective, but induce a truly fulfilling, applicable life. Once this is achieved, Kothari says you intuitively understand the work. The jargon is dropped.

Each intervention Kothari leads is grounded in neuroscience, where something in the brain fundamentally changes. He ensures clients trust they will find what will serve them.

Tapping into these habits is not easy, but Kothari and his liberating optimism shine a light on your path towards true happiness. Kothari’s thriving abundance is contagious. Discovering your happiest state of being “has nothing to do with what you have out there,” Kothari says, motioning to the space around our bodies. But rather, “it’s all about our condition in here,” he shares, pointing to his heart.

happinesssquad.com

Chloe Wasserstrom
Community Engagement Coordinator
@chlowass

Originally published in Winter/Spring 2024-25 issue of Well.