The Happy Secret

Everyone has their ups and downs... this week has been a major downer for me. But one shouldn't focus on the negative, so let's chat about the positive and how easy it is to get HAPPY!

A couple months ago, I came across a TED talk by Shawn Achor. Shawn is a positive psychologist (emphasis on positive ;-) and his TED talk was entitled "The happy secret to better work".

This particular talk was completely uplifting. Not only is he entertaining and easy to understand, he also gives some good pointers on how and why it is important to be happy/positive.

He encourages us to raise our positivity in the present so we will experience a HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE — our brains performs better when positive than when our brains are either neutral or stressed.

For my advantage and yours, change it from "The happy secret to better work" to "The happy secret to better LIFE".
Now the talk:

To prove his point, Shawn talks about:
Medical students

Harvard students
Boarding Schools
Parenting
Management styles
and UNICORNS
... I told you this will be entertaining (which makes his TED talk exponentially better to watch)

Shawn ends his talk with 5 things to do in a 21 day span that will train your brain to be more positive... essentially re-wiring your brain. (Wow! I just realized that I was on a first name basis with Mr. Achor... awesome!)

Do the following to find the more positive, radiant you:

• Find 3 new gratitudes each day (helps you scan the world for the positive before the negative)
• Journal about one positive experience you had within the last 24hrs
• Exercise (teaches your brain that behaviour matters)
• Meditation (helps your brain relax after the ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) that our society has created)
• 1 random act of kindness (a kind note or email — which will create a social support network)

Thought I would share a very happy photo of myself in the sea with a lei (even though I am in Barbados) and with a rum punch in a coconut in hand

So to lift my mood here are 3 gratitudes so far for today, 4 April 2012:

1. The snooze button - I used it multiple times this morning 
2. The Lindt chocolate egg that I received this morning from a work colleague 
3. Having a phone plan that allows me to converse with my friends that live in faraway lands (had a great catch up this morning with uni friends)

So if you take anything from this post take this:

Do not follow the scientifically broken and backward philosophy:

"If I work harder, I will be more successful.

If I am more successful, then I will be happier."

Reverse the formula for happiness and success because if happiness is always on the opposite side of success — your brain never gets there.

Not sure about you but I feel happier already!!!!

Back to sunshine, rainbows, lollipops, silver linings and long weekends :-)

xx

Helpful links:
Go check out all of the Talks you can listen to on TED: HERE
Go read more about positive psychologist Shawn Achor: HERE