Barnes & NobleThe Happiness Advantage- How a Positive Brain Fuels Success in Work and Life by Shawn Achor

The happiness Advantage- Leah S

‘”If we work hard, we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, then we will be happy”. It is shown that that this statement is backwards. Happiness fuels success in our lives. Shawn Achor the author lectured at Harvard University. He conducted one of the largest research studies on happiness. He found that we can reprogram our brains to become more positive. He believes that happiness is achieved by small, consistent, conscious acts taught by nearly every religion and school of self-improvement: kindness, gratitude, smiling, social interaction, compliments, and actively looking for the positive. This book tells you to think positive thoughts and your world changes. It's a description of why mindset is so important in dictating your future rather than a byproduct of other outcomes. It gives you practical tactical tools to begin to develop your own happiness and additional resources to help you in your journey. It's worth the time and effort to read, even if you don't want to try out any of the ideas on your own. I enjoyed this book. it really opened my eyes to some things I could do in my management role that would help me be a more effective leader. Not only that, but it helped me realize ways to increase my happiness and productivity in my personal life. I really recommend this to anyone who is looking to increase their positive perspective on work and life in general. Easy and fun to read. Shawn likes to have a lot of research in his book. He spends the first few chapters citing research and experiences. For those who do not find that helpful or interesting, you can easily skip those sections and move towards the basic skills. I highly recommend this book to those who are wanting to be happy regardless of their “success.”