The concept of happiness has always been something that has fascinated me. So when the opportunity came up to contribute to The Happy Friday Series, I got really happy (true story)! And as always, I wanted to take an unconventional approach. So today I’m going to pull up my suspenders, tie on my favorite bowtie and talk to you about the science of happiness.
Positive Psychology
In a recent TED talk, Shawn Achor presents an interesting thought.
“It’s not necessarily the reality that shapes us, but the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality. If we can change the lens, not only can we change your happiness but we can change every single educational and business outcome at the same time.”
My Interpretation
What I gather from this thought is that happiness is defined by our own interpretations and beliefs. If we can change how we interpret situations and adopt new beliefs, we can essentially become happier.
Achor continues his talk on the science of happiness with a few exercises. When completed every day for 21 days, the following tasks will actually train your brain to scan the world for the positive and ultimately help you become happier.
- 3 Gratitudes – documenting 3 new gratitudes daily
- Journaling – reflecting on your positive experiences
- Exercise – training your body that behavior matters
- Meditation – allowing yourself to experience your thoughts
- Random Acts of Kindness – complete one random act of kindness daily
This fascinates me for many reasons. First, I’m in the middle of my own 21 day experiment and have noticed far more things going my way. People I regularly interact with have commented on my increased positive mood and I seem to be attracting much happier people!
Being a bit of a nerd, I researched these 5 tasks and found something we at Clarity for the Boss like to call the “do-over.”
The Do-Over
Remember when you were a kid and you made a mistake, your parents would often ask you “What could you have done differently?” or “What did you learn from this situation?” That’s exactly what a do-over is.
When you allow your brain to revisit a situation (through meditation), and you document (journaling) new and positive learning outcomes from the situation, your brain can’t differentiate between the past misinterpreted situation that you experienced and the do-over situation that you created.
The do-over allows your brain to create new interpretations of the situation and adopt new beliefs. Then when you find yourself in a similar situation where you may have previously misinterpreted a circumstance, your brain can recognize this as a new opportunity, interpret the situation as positive (or scan for the positive) and help you become happier.
And this ladies and gentlemen is why I think happiness is awesome! This means we can actually train our brain to identify positive experiences or reframe situations to be positive, and overall become happier!
So What?
As I said, I’m in the middle of a 21-day experiment and have noticed my happiness to be much greater. And I practice the concept of do-overs all the time.
Do-overs started with personal reflection and journaling for a few minutes before bed. Although I have continued with journaling, I am in a position now where I constantly reframe situations whenever I feel myself getting angry, or not scanning for the positive.
I urge you to incorporate these very simple tasks into your daily life. Seriously! That’s what The Happy Friday Series is all about!
And what do you have to lose?
About The Author
Geoff Reiner writes at Geoff Reiner.com loves helping entrepreneurs and business owners see their business through a different lens. By asking difficult questions and providing a new perspective, he promotes personal growth and allows others to realize and unlock their full potential.
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What a great piece, Geoff! Thanks for writing today and excellent tips to really take a different look at life from a happy perspective. Make it a great day!
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing
Thanks so much Jayme! Yes, I found Achor’s talk really helpful and the takeaways are awesome too. Happiness is such a simple thing. And to think that it’s all about how we see the world and how we chose to define happiness for ourselves… It just seems like it’s been far more complex for so long (for me).
Create a great day!
Yes. I guess it shows the inner-nerd in me, but I REALLY get this. It’s all in the brain. It’s like Stephen Covey re-purposed for happiness instead of effectiveness. Simple. Yet fascinatingly thought-provoking and brilliant. Thanks. And happy Friday 🙂
@HughAnderson Not sure if you’ve been hearing about all the research on happiness, Hugh? When I first launched this series about 9 weeks ago, happiness was bombarding me. People were studying it in academia for like 20 years; kinda blew me away. Then, I read about a guy at Harvard with a previous MI, stroke, cancer which caused his perspective to “slightly” alter about life. Today, he’s teaching happiness methods, theory, principles, etc. to his Ivy League students.
I just saw Justin Bieber go off on a paparazzi and drop the F bomb. He’s a kid under extreme duress of pressure, celebrity, and zany schedule. How can he even comprehend happiness?
@HughAnderson
Yes it really resonated with me too. It’s so simple and easy to implement. It just takes a little work and you can change your entire outlook on life! Happiness is a fish I can catch!!!!
Thanks for your comment 🙂
I’ll tell you what I find fascinating: nothing in my world changes, but without sufficient sleep it feels as though I’m emotionally under water AND as soon as I saw that (today) I realized it was all in my head. So, even though I feel like a bear, I really am still happy but nobody knows that by the way I’m acting. So…..I’m watching my interactions with other people more closely this afternoon. I think happiness can always be something we ARE, but very difficult to BE and express when we’re stressed. But when we consciously choose to overcome unhappy tendencies we actually feel better quicker.
In other words….SMILE! LOL!
@BetsyKCross I saw in the news today that some poor guy got ticketed by police for laughing too loud (his neighbor reported him). Maybe he lives in a cardboard apartment complex?
At any rate, Betsy, we get in our moods (I recognize mine and tell kidlet, Mommy needs a time out; I’ve hit my wall and I’m grumpy).
It takes a lot to admit that, but when we’re around others, it’s so respectful to them to recognize our negative vibe and distance ourselves already!
So, may I kindly invite your GP here, Betsy for The Happy Friday Series? I would relish that. Thanks for coming over here!
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing GP? I’m having fun figuring out what that stands for. You don’t get much out of tired brains like mine:
Golden Pickles?
Gastrointestinal Pain?
Gooseberry Pies?
Grandma (from) Pike? (I’m her Sweet Betsy, also from Pike)
Grand Piano?
Grumpy Potatoes?
Gigantic Pots?
Thank you, Jaymie. I got myself laughing.
Now, what did you want?
Have a great weekend!
@BetsyKCross OMG…you’re killing me…Gigantic Potatos (Is there an e in Potato, Dan Quayle…where is that guy anyway?)
How about Guest Post? Eh, Mamasita?
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing @BetsyKCross Yup, there’s an “e” in potatoes, but not in potato. 🙂
GP? When do you want it? What if I’m not happy when I have to write it? Then what? Huh?
Yes. Send links…where to send the final draft. betsycross10@yahoo.com.
Mamasita! Love it! I used to be fluent in Spanish. I think you made that one up. LOL!
@BetsyKCross @Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing
WOWWWWW! I wish I would have been more engaged in this conversation 🙂 I like gigantic potatoes!!!
Betsy, I had a conversation with Jayme last week and spoke about a hypnosis experience I recently had. My aunt is learning the practice and asked if I could be her subject.
She was able to hypnotize me and actually left me with a “suggestion” (I can’t remember what she called it) so that every time I saw the color red, I would instantly become overwhelmed with happiness.
I questioned her ability but as I walked to my car, I noticed all things red and felt a huge happiness pass through me. It was that moment when I realized happiness is a choice and it’s something that’s all in our heads!
Geoff!
This is WONDERFUL!! I can’t say anything else, because it is by far, the easiest to understand explanation and interpretation I have read.
Love it, love it, love it.
I really needed this today. Thank you.
Smile and have a gloriously happy Friday!
~ Amber-Lee
p.s. Jayme!! Lucky you! (and thank you for this too. Without you, I wouldn’t have had this chance.)
@AlaskaChickBlog Thanks for being part of the fun, Amber-Lee! This has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done with this blog, thanks to an incredible community. I am so proud of all of us.
@AlaskaChickBlog @Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing
Yes I really appreciated the opportunity to contribute here. A sincere thank you to miss Jayme!
Also, thanks for your kind words Amber-Lee 🙂 I’m a firm believer in “raising the water level” and am thrilled I was able to contribute to your day!
Happiness doesn’t have to be difficult. And it is a choice!
Hey Jeff, the perception of ‘who you are’ and ‘what you’re here to contribute to the world’ is what shapes our attitudes and approach to our everyday life.
When you realize that you and you alone have complete control (if you see it and take it) over these things that determine the quality and productivity of your life, it gives you the power to overcome negative thoughts/ self-talk that steal days, months and years of living you can never get back.
The mind truly is a fragile thing; but it can be strengthened by the information and attitude you fill it with.
We’re all susceptible to being controlled by negative environments, experiences, and circumstances – but not everyone has the ability to overcome them. Once these latch on, they can slowly suck the life out of their victims.
You must first see and acknowledge that your thought life is under siege before you can take control of your life.
The bottom line is YOU are a direct reflection of what you’re spreading to others in life – and it’s attracting the same back to you. Misery and unhappiness loves company.
You can always track the problems you’re having in relationships and life back to yourself.
It’s easy to blame others for your position and problems in life; it’s not so easy for most to simply pick up a mirror and realize the source of all of their problems (and answer to fix them)
is staring back at them.
The bottom line is, you’re either spreading happiness, hope, strength and love through the life you live or sucking the life out of everyone you come in to contact with.
Ultimately, the decision is yours of which camp you reside in.
Nice piece here, Jeff!
Thanks for the mention, sir : )
@Mark_Harai You know what, Mistah? Just take these words already and gimme a GP for this series. Good grief; if you don’t, I’m gonna take what you wrote right up there and put it in the post and tack on your name. Then you can’t get away from me!
@Soulati | B2B Social Media Marketing @Mark_Harai
Yes Jayme, that was totally a post. Mark I printed off your comment and it’s on the wall beside my desk at work. Some very insightful and powerful stuff. Taking personal responsibility allows the individual to be in complete control of their emotions and their life. It’s been one of the foundational concepts I have learned in the past year at Clarity for the Boss and I will carry it with me through life.
Thanks again Mark!
Geoff, not only are you a Canadian, you are smart. Two things going for you right outta the gate. 😉
Did you read Sean’s book, The Happiness Advantage? I finished it in January and wrote a quick review here….https://theviewfromhere.ca/2013/01/is-there-really-any-advantage-to-being-mr-happy-pants/ just in case you haven’t read it.
The book outlines behaviours that we all share and ways to change certain behaviours for the better. The principles of the book are so simple and chock full of common sense that you end up laughing at the end of each chapter. There’s a lot of “duh!” or “doh!” going on. As I have often parroted, “common sense is not so common.”
Great read.
One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Mihaly Csikszenmihaly……When you change the way you look at things the things you look at change.
@rdopping
Hey Ralph! Thanks for the compliments. I have not yet read Sean’s book but you’ve got me excited to check it out!
I’ve always said that common sense isn’t so common. And I don’t think it’s something that can be taught. You’ve either got it or you don’t 🙂
And I love that quote! Thanks for sharing. Reframing how you view the world is so simple. Some people think, “easier said than done”, but if you can allow yourself to open your head and heart to a new perspective life becomes far more fulfilling!
Thanks again!!!
@rdopping You do know you’ve been invited to write for this series, right? No one is not invited; so, please think about what happy means to you and share with me!
Twitter won’t let me tweet yer post. I approved it through Triberr. Not sure I have seen it yet. Trying Facebook. This is such a good series.
@rdopping I am on that with relish and mustard. TU