Happiness comes after you’ve reached your goals. You’ll be happy once you’ve achieved success. Right? Apparently not!

Positive psychology – a relatively new field started in 1998 by psychologist Martin Seligman – has turned that common idea inside out. Happiness leads to success. Research has shown that optimism, makes us more motivated, efficient, resilient, creative, and productive, which fuels performance and achievement.

In The Happiness Advantage, author Shawn Achor shows us the many ways happiness leads to positive outcomes and gives us practical principles to actively cultivate optimism. He gives us hope that – with some effort – we can rewire our brains to change our outlook, and set ourselves up to reap the multiple benefits of happiness.

Just reading this book has given me a good dose of optimism. After growing up thinking that I had to struggle and grind away to reach happiness through (eventual but still uncertain) success, I now feel like there is a different path. Equipped with Achor’s principles and the research and lessons he shares, I can change my approach to life for a better outlook.

But there’s more. Achor goes on to show that by becoming happier and more optimistic myself, I could have a positive impact on the people around me. He calls this the “ripple effect.” As someone who is naturally more anxious worry wart, I now know to make a more conscious effort to be a “happier” person for the benefit of my friends, family, coworkers, and the greater community.

I don’t think these are just hippy-dippy words of advice. I am making a conscious effort to put Achor’s principles into action. I’ve started a daily gratitude practice and will try to foster deeper connections with people in my everyday interactions. I’m excited to see where these new habits may lead.

Click below to see my notes on the seven principles presented in The Happiness Advantage.

Continue reading →