New research suggests that teenagers who practice kindness toward themselves are more likely to experience a life filled with variety and perspective-changing events. The findings indicate that specific positive mental habits can predict whether an adolescent develops a sense of psychological richness over time. These results were published in the journal Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being. To understand this study, one must first understand that happiness is not a single concept. Traditional psychology often divides a good life into two categories. The first is hedonic well-being, which focuses on feeling pleasure and being satisfied. The second is eudaimonic well-being, which centers on having a sense of purpose and meaning. However, researchers have recently identified a third type of good life known as psychological richness. A psychologically rich life is characterized by complex mental experiences and a variety of novel events. It is not always comfortable or happy in the traditional sense. Instead, it is defined by experiences that shift a person’s perspective and deepen their understanding of the world. Adolescence is a specific time when …