7 Principles Of Happiness That Will Help You Succeed In Life
In today’s world, success and happiness don’t have to be mutually exclusive – you can have both with The Happiness Advantage book.
This guide covers the seven basic principles to help you better understand how your level of happiness is connected to your success in life.
You’ll learn why Michael Jordan and Walt Disney are more alike than they are different, how hanging out by the water cooler can actually boost performance, and that acting like a 20-year-old can make you feel young again.
With this knowledge, you’ll be able to tap into the true potential of your productivity as well as be happier overall in life.
The Happiness Advantage isn’t just about being successful but living a meaningful and fulfilled life.
With its easy-to-understand techniques and real-life examples, it’ll show you how understanding the principles of happiness can help unlock greater achievements in all aspects of life!
Positive Psychology: Exploring What Makes People Excel To Raise The Average
Traditional psychology often overlooks the positives when looking at people’s emotional and mental state.
Instead, it tends to focus on what makes people fall below the average level of satisfaction, rather than looking at what lifts them above the average.
This is illustrated clearly when looking at the students of Harvard University: while four out of five students suffer from depression and see their studies as a source of stress, one stands out as an anomaly who is not depressed and most likely succeeds in their studies.
The problem with traditional psychology is that it disregards this student’s success habits, focusing only on bringing students back up to the same average level instead.
This ultimately results in people being unable to move beyond just meeting an average standard — preventing them from progressing further and reaching excellence.
That’s why positive psychology was established to research which behaviors enable people to become successful, something that traditional psychology does not do.
Once identified, these successful traits can then be implemented into practices which can raise the overall average by improving the attitude of individuals to one which sees challenges and opportunities instead of seeing stressors and obstacles.
The Seven Principles For Achieving Happiness And Success Through Positive Emotions
Happiness is the key to success – not the other way around.
Research has shown that when we experience positive emotions and have a good mindset, our bodies flood with dopamine and serotonin.
Not only does this make us feel better, but it also boosts the part of our brains that govern learning, retention and recall.
So when we are in a positive mood, it helps us to do better at tests and to think more creatively.
Big companies like Google and Yahoo know this too – which is why they offer benefits such as taking your dog to work or having access to massage salons.
These things help their employees to not only relax but also become more productive.
The bottom line is that happiness leads to success in almost all aspects of life – from relationships to health and creativity.
By following the seven principles laid out in The Happiness Advantage book you’ll be able increase your happiness levels, improve your performance and find success along the way.
Unlock Your Happiness Advantage: How Small Positivity Exercises Can Elevate Your Life
The “Happiness Advantage” is more than just a good feeling.
Indeed, studies have shown that it can provide a real performance edge in the workplace.
One study of over 270 employees at the same company found that those with the most positive emotion were later found to be getting higher evaluations and receiving higher wages over an 18-month period than their counterparts with less positive emotions.
It’s clear, then, that we are not successful simply because of all the hard work or our accomplishments.
Rather, it is our positive mindset that helps us make the most of our lives and gain a competitive edge.
This is why it’s so important to show appreciation for small moments throughout life where we experience positivity – things like pleasant conversations with friends or watching funny videos.
You should also take five minutes out of your day to practice meditation and focus on your breathing, which has been shown to increase happiness levels and lower stress!
Finally, actively thinking about something you look forward to can raise your endorphin levels by 27% – proof that anticipation can be just as enjoyable as the activity itself!
The Happiness Advantage will give you a performance edge if you make an effort to consistently bring yourself into a positive mood and focus on moments of positivity throughout life.
This simple attitude shift empowers us to make the most of our lives and gives us the ability to achieve success!
How Our Mindset Can Affect Our Reality And Happiness
The idea that the way we perceive our daily activities has a strong impact on our final outcome is fascinating.
This was proven by a 1979 experiment that showed how a group of 75-year-old men could enhance their physical strength, posture, perception, cognition and short-term memory just by believing it to be 1959 again.
It’s not too far of a stretch to say that this concept can apply to other areas of life as well.
If you want to improve your performance, you should start by enhancing your mindset.
By having a positive outlook, you can open yourself up to real happiness and success in whatever endeavor you are pursuing.
In other words, the more faith you have in yourself and your ability to succeed, the better off you will be.
This concept applies even in situations where seemingly negative events occur.
For example, if you have children or siblings, then they may sometimes hit each other accidentally while trying to roughhouse without meaning any harm.
If one of them then tries cracking a joke or saying something nice afterwards – making light of such an uncomfortable situation – then this is what psychologists call cognitive dissonance.
In other words, the brain only has room for so much emotion at once, and must prioritize whether it wants to focus on feeling pain and sorrow or hope and optimism instead.
By understanding how this works for ourselves and for others around us we can enhance our performance in any area of life simply by choosing to prioritize positivity over negativity.
So next time someone accidentally hurts your feelings (or hurt themselves), take advantage of The Happiness Advantage – make light of the situation but still strive towards being your best self!
Unlock The Power Of A Positive Mindset With The ‘Tetris Effect’
We all have the power to choose how we view the world, and it is important to train our brains to look for the positive instead of the negative.
A great way to do this is by taking part in a Harvard study into the Tetris Effect, which showed that our brains adopt patterns of viewing the world.
For example, after a couple of days playing Tetris in the study, participants had started arranging cereal boxes on supermarket shelves into straight lines and imaging flipping buildings around for greater space efficiency!
This ‘Tetris effect’ has two distinct variations; one being a negative outlook where weaknesses are only noted, contrasted with the positive variation whereby opportunities that increase success are sought out.
The more positivity we experience, the more optimistic and focused on results we become – meaning more difficult goals can be set and kept.
To actively search out these positive experiences, it could be useful to make a ritual every day of writing down three things that happened which made you feel good or accomplished – whether it’s making someone laugh, getting something done quickly or a pleasant conversation you had.
By doing this consistently and continuously focusing on positives rather than negatives your life will improve exponentially!
The Power Of Counterfactual Thinking: Ignoring Defeat And Embracing The Third Path To Success
The Happiness Advantage teaches us that we can turn negative momentum into positive momentum.
This means that instead of being defeated by difficulty, you can use it as a catalyst for greater achievement.
As an example, Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper job due to his “lack of creativity” — yet he didn’t search for another job; instead he took that rejection and used it as motivation to pursue his dreams and become world-renowned.
That is an example of turning negative momentum into positive momentum.
When facing difficult moments in our lives — such as when we fail or experience loss — we must choose the counterfact that helps lead us down the path of positivity.
In other words, focus more on what you have been able to achieve than on what you haven’t been able to accomplish yet.
This way, we will be inspired to continue striving for success and achieving great things in life!
Michael Jordan is a perfect example of this — despite being cut from his high school basketball team, he never gave up on his dream and turned his negativity into positivity by pushing himself harder towards success.
The Happiness Advantage teaches us that if we fall down, we should strive to rise back up again and make the most out of our adjacencies!
We must learn how to accept failure in life and use it as a powerful tool for growth instead of letting it hinder our progress.
Instead of getting stuck in a rut because something bad happened, look at it as another opportunity for success — one which could take your achievements over the top!
Reclaiming Control Of Your Life Through Focus And Small Goals
When it comes to achieving greater levels of success, having control over the outcome of our endeavors is one of the most important drivers.
Those who believe they have the power to shape their future tend to perform better academically, achieve greater career fulfillment, and are naturally happier with their day-to-day life.
Yet this sense of control can easily disappear when we feel overwhelmed.
We become trapped in a negative loop where there is nothing but focus on what isn’t within our power to change; thereby losing motivation and hope for a successful outcome.
The key is to remember that regaining control is possible and all starts with verbalizing your emotions.
Evidence suggests that speaking out loud or writing down how we’re feeling has the power to weaken our negative feelings while concurrently increasing self-confidence and trust that we can make improvements despite our current circumstances.
From here, acknowledge what you can influence versus what you cannot and focus only on the former; setting small goals which pave the path towards larger ones.
From here, success will come through evolutionary process as gradual changes and small accomplishments accumulate into major achievements over time.
So don’t be discouraged!
Taking it slow and steady enables us to have full belief that we can reach our desired destination in due course.
How To Establish And Sustain Good Habits: Reduce Your Activation Energy
Willpower alone is not enough to affect change – in order to form good habits, we must aim to minimize barriers.
Studies have shown that willpower isn’t effective in maintaining lifestyle changes because it quickly runs dry.
Take this experiment for example: Subjects were presented with two plates – one filled with delicious cookies and the other with radishes – and instructed not to eat the cookies.
Those who had already used their willpower trying to resist eating the cookies subsequently gave up on the puzzle faster than the control group who did not have to face this dilemma.
We can also look at people who gain weight back after a month of dieting – as soon as their willpower is exhausted, they turn back to their old habits.
Therefore, rather than relying solely on willpower, we should instead focus on reducing our activation energy – which is essentially the physical and mental energy needed to start taking action.
For instance, if you want to practice writing more often, keep an open notebook and pen next to your bed so you don’t have any excuses!
If playing guitar is your aim, then buying a guitar stand would be beneficial in getting into it quickly without complaining too much about having taken it out of its case first.
Or if you’re looking to smoke less, hiding your cigarettes from yourself will definitely help create these healthy habits!
By making simple life changes that require minimal effort and commitment, we’re far likelier to stick with our goals in the long term.
Invest In Social Unity To Foster Happiness And Productivity
Social support is one of your greatest assets when it comes to achieving success and happiness.
Research has verified that social relationships have a direct correlation with our happiness baselines, meaning that keeping up our relationships and building them can fill us with positivity.
At work, teams will be more successful when all members invest in social unity.
Even the simplest conversations around the watercooler can make an impact on overall morale.
In addition, research at Harvard and MIT has proven that social bonds increase performance and profit.
Leaders should prioritize creating environments where team members are comfortable investing in their social interactions.
Showing gratitude regularly is one the best ways to start creating these positive bonds, especially in front of groups during monthly meetings or when introducing new team members to everyone.
In a nutshell, social support is essential for both personal and professional success, so make sure you’re prioritizing relationships along with your work tasks!
The Power Of The Ripple Effect: Using The Happiness Advantage To Positively Impact Ourselves And Those Around Us
We all have the power to share our happiness with the world.
Through the power of something called the ripple effect and mirror neurons, we can spread our positive energy to the people around us and even those who are farther away.
The Happiness Advantage from Natures Nutrition details how you can use your own happiness as fuel for positivity and resilience so that it spreads across communities and societies.
The idea is simple – when you realize that your own behavior has an impact on others, you can become conscious of how you show up in a room and affect others behaviorally.
For instance, if you’re feeling anxious or negative, this will likely cause other people around you to feel similar emotions.
On the flip side, if you’re feeling happy and content, then it’s likely that those same people may take on those same vibes and feel happier themselves – it’s like a transfer of energy!
The Happiness Advantage emphasizes the idea that our individual actions can spark an entire chain reaction of joy in others – sort of like a butterfly flapping its wings creating hurricane on the other side of the world!
All it takes is one person at a time utilizing this concept to create positive change not just in their life but in everyone they come into contact with as well.
Wrap Up
The Happiness Advantage is all about finding happiness in your life.
It emphasizes that true success comes from being happy and not vice versa.
To make this happen, you don’t have to do anything grand or drastic: just tweak your perspective and pay attention to the positive things already present in your life.
To sum it up one final time, The Happiness Advantage offers actionable advice such as buying a toy for your nephew or taking a friend out to lunch.
Research proves that when you invest in others rather than yourself, it leads to even more contentment and joy.
So go ahead – live happily ever after!
