One of the most important pieces of advice I give people is to have a positive attitude. This behavior choice affects every aspect of your life, from how you approach rush hour traffic when you are already running late for a meeting to how you introduce yourself to a potential client to the trust that your employer will place in you when an important project needs to be completed. So, do you see yourself as a “glass half full” type of person when it comes to viewing your life and the opportunities it holds?
Marci Alboher, who is a noted writer and speaker concerning career issues, recently had a post on her blog entitled. “Does thinking about happiness make you happier?” In the piece, Marci details a lecture she attended given by Harvard professor Shawn Achor on the subject of positive psychology. Achor argues that focusing on being happy can increase a person’s actual level of happiness. If you imagine yourself as a happy and positive person, you will allow that transformation to happen in reality. I suppose it could be considered the “If you built it, he will come” approach to living a happier life.
The concept certainly makes sense. If you make the conscious decision to see the happiness around you, how could this outlook not affect the attitude that you choose to present in return?
Achor suggested a few activities that people could do in order to boost their happiness–keeping a journal, exercising, sending a positive email to a friend before diving into all of the other messages that sit in your inbox. All wonderful ideas!
What do you think? Can people make themselves happier by simply thinking about being happy? If so, what do you focus on to increase your level of happiness? Please share your thoughts with us!
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Hi Joe,
Great post. I really have to agree. You can either be happy or not happy. We choose it for ourselves, no matter the circumstances.
Even though I know I am sort of a naturally happy person, there are times when I am not FEELING so happy. When that happens (and I am tired of sulking, LOL) I turn it around and think about my blessings (healthy family, job I love, etc.) and then I ‘snap out of it’. It may seem tiresome if you have to work at it, but isn’t it better than the alternative?
Nice thoughts, Joe!
Erin
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