I recently watched a ted talk by Shawn Achor on the perception of happiness. Shawn has become one of the world’s leading experts on the connection between happiness and success.
Most companies and schools follow the following formula: if you work hard, you will be more successful, and then you will find ultimate happiness. Shawn argues that this formula is scientifically backward. By training your brain to be positive at work Shawn argues that this fuels greater success. In fact, 75% of our job success is predicted not by intelligence, but by your optimism, social support network and the ability to manage energy and stress in a positive way.
By researching top performers at Harvard, the world’s largest banks, and Fortune 500 companies, Shawn discovered patterns, which create a happiness advantage for positive outliers—the highest performers at the company. Based on his book, The Happiness Advantage (2010 Random House), Shawn explains what positive psychology is, how much we can change, and practical applications for reaping the Happiness Advantage in the midst of change and challenge.
We live in hard times and that for younger people, especially in this underperforming economy where the job market seems to have stagnated - happiness can be hard to achieve. I believe that happiness is not only the key to success, it is also a choice. When you choose to be happy and optimistic you will persevere no matter what the consequences.
People who decide to accept the world or take action to make it better are going to be happier, but if you put limits and convince yourself that there is NO WAY for things to get better you are sentencing yourself to a life of disappointments. For all those who are feeling overwhelmed by the world, remember you have a choice, you can choose to feel good. You determine how you will feel.
I feel thankful and blessed for my accomplishments. Despite the hurdles and the long hours, I am proud of having built my career step by step. Without having gone through all that hard work and experiences, I would not be the entrepreneur I am today.
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