Stay Positive! 3 Ways to Staying Happy That Lead to Success
Written by Brittany Kinsey
Do you ever feel like happiness is on the other side of all the work you’re putting in? We are programmed to believe success equals happiness. Shawn Anchor, CEO of Good Think Inc., researches positive psychology and explains why we have it all wrong. Evidently, the external world which includes, your job, family, and money only predict about 10% of your happiness. 90% of your happiness comes directly from what you feel at the moment. If success equals happiness, what happens when we are constantly achieving and setting new goals? The brain reaches success and then it looks for the next goal. According to Anchor, the brain is 31% more productive when a person is positive. When you are positive in the present moment, dopamine is released, making you happier and turning on learning centers in your brain. This means you are more likely to be successful if you are already happy. This makes perfect sense in theory, but how do we implement this in our everyday lives? Here are 3 ways to stay positive, after all your success depends on it.
1. Gratitude –Showing gratitude puts you in a position to feel good about your life and it can make someone else feel good in the process. Let someone know you appreciate them. Happiness is contagious, spread it when you can. Develop a weekly habit of reaching out to a person from your social media network. Engage and compliment them. If you see a post that caught your attention, thank them for sharing. More importantly, take time out to appreciate YOU! Life is not easy and you are still standing and pushing forward. Enjoy your accomplishments. Although you have your mind set on a future goal, take time to appreciate where you are right now. Remind yourself you deserve to be happy. There is no shame in appreciating who you are and what you have accomplished. This type of internal gratitude is a powerful tool to keep your mind on the right track.
2. Take control of your Thoughts- Make a conscious decision to control your thoughts. There is a constant dialogue going on in our heads. You are not giving yourself a fair chance if you are allowing your thoughts to torment you. We can’t stop the rain, but we can search for the silver lining. Don’t have a pity party when things are less desirable. Start conditioning your mind to search for positive thoughts. This type of mental discipline builds resilience. Dilemmas are opportunities to exercise your conscious thinking skills. Yes it takes a hell of a lot of effort to keep the negative out, but applaud yourself for trying. Keeping track of where you allow your mind to go and it can quickly become a habit.
3. Positive Influences- The easiest component to being happy is surrounding yourself with happy people. Stray away from negative people. We have all heard the phrase “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Be careful of who you give your time to. Energy is ever flowing whether it’s good or bad. Check out this clip of Shawn Anchor giving a inspiring message on happiness.
