So you wanna be happy?
“90% of your happiness depends not on the external world, but on the way your brain processes it.”
“When we study the average, we become average.”
This talk is full of so many good thoughts, I just wanted to share it with you. Positive psychology is nothing new, but I like the practical, simple actions encouraged in this speech. I can get up and write down three things I’m thankful for in my journal every morning, for instance, in just a few minutes, and I feel happier and more grateful all day long. (I’ve been experimenting with his suggestions all week.) (And I’ve replaced the meditation suggestion with Bible reading and prayer.)
When I saw the introduction paragraph that said author Shawn Achor would share his research on how happiness increases productivity, I wanted to see what he had to say. I have big plans–I want to be really productive–but of course being happy at the same time would be awesome. I didn’t expect to actually laugh out loud watching this speech. Mr. Achor, in telling stories of his childhood antics with his little sister, reminds me quite a bit of my older brother Mark. (Although Mark never did try the “I think you’re a unicorn” distraction on me.)
Everybody wants to be happy, right? Mr. Achor gives some excellent suggestions about how you can increase the odds that you will be happy and positive and more productive.
Very interesting. What do you think?
2 thoughts on “So you wanna be happy?”
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Hi Amy,
I, too, thoroughly enjoyed this TED installment by
Shawn Achor. After all I much rather be happy and laugh than
not. Life is way too short to take so much too seriously.
I was going to wait until after vacation
to start my journal entries of three positive things
but what better time to start than while visiting the
granddaughters!
Bill, I’m with you! I agree that so much of our happiness depends on what we choose to focus on. Enjoy your bitty granddaughters!