Happiness Advantage
Posted by Kitty Bucsko
We believe that we should work to be happy, but could that be backwards? In this fast-moving and entertaining talk, psychologist Shawn Achor argues that actually happiness inspires productivity.
THE HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE – RESEARCH LINKING HAPPINESS AND SUCCESS
Have a look at this video to enjoy this week’s meeting shared through the Weekly Bulletin.
The topic is Positive Psychology! The speaker is funny and very interesting and very thought-provoking. His talk is on the Science of Happiness – and the “lens” through which we might view our lives. I hope you’ll love this video! Listen all the way through!
90 per cent of your happiness is not dependent on the external world but how your brain processes the external world. If we can change our formula for happiness and success, what we can do is change the way we can affect reality.
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Only 25 per cent of job successes are predicted by IQ.
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75 per cent of job successes are predicted by your optimism levels, your social support, and your ability to see stress as a challenge instead of as a threat.
A particular school mentioned knows the above, so has a Wellness Week built into every year. However, the speaker’s contention – because of the list of topics and speakers – is that the week is not a “wellness” week, but a “sickness” week because the topics are all negatives – and the positives are totally avoided.
“The absence of disease is not health.”
How to get to health? Reverse the formula for happiness and success.
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The common formula is “If I work harder, I’ll be more successful.”
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And if I’m more successful, then I’ll be happier.
That is scientifically broken and backwards for two reasons:
Every time your brain has a success, you just change the goalpost of what success looks like.
You got your grades. Now you have to get better grades. You hit your sales target, now we have to change your sales target. …and so on…
If happiness is on the opposite side of success, your brain never gets there.
Our brains work in the opposite order.
If you can raise somebody’s level of positivity in the present, then their brain experiences what we call a “happiness advantage.” Your positive brain performs significantly better than at negative, neutral, or stress. Your intelligence rises; your creativity rise; your energy levels rise.
