Create Your Own Happiness with These Two Daily Activities
Have you heard of the work of Shawn Achor? He is a positive psychologist, known for his work on happiness. I am so grateful for his research, as it helps me to make the greatest impact with my work. (Read his “The Happiness Advantage” and “Big Potential”).
I had not heard of him in my earlier years as a psychologist, because I was doing different kind of work, mostly focusing on trauma and violence. Worthwhile work, but eventually it takes a toll.
When I hit that time in my private practice and needed a shift, I did a 180 and focused on positive psychology. Happiness, joy, gratitude. I even made a bracelet for this shift, The Peace, Gratitude, Love, and Joy Stack.
As I began my research for my talks, workshops, and retreats, I repeatedly came across Shawn’s work. This is great stuff. Life-changing stuff. Most of all, the message that it IS possible to choose happiness. It IS possible to change your outlook on life.
Here are two simple ideas that I took from his research and incorporate into my events that you can do every day to live your best life. It only takes a few minutes a day, but the impact is quite powerful.
- At dinner (or another time during the day), tell others three things you are grateful for. Encourage the people you are with to do the same.
- Write about a positive experience. What happened? Use your senses. What did you feel, see, hear?
That’s it. Simple as that! Really.
Added bonus! When you do these exercises with others, you CAN make a positive impact on those around you. The research supports that too!
I share these suggestions, and many, many more, during my women’s retreats (next one Tuesday, 9/17/19), and in A Course in Gratitude.
I love hearing back from participants in my events how incorporating these new ideas changed not just their lives, but their families’ lives.
I’ll end with one of Shawn’s quotes: “The truth that science is revealing is that small positive changes can change the trajectory of our life.”
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