It is not necessarily the reality that shapes us but the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality – Shawn Achor
I recently watched a TED talk by Shawn Achor titled ‘The Happy Secret to Better Work’ and there were a number of things which stuck with me, none more so than the quote above.
As a positivity psychologist Shawn has undertaken studies regarding the link between positivity and business performance. Underlying that, he moves that the logic which states that we must first be successful to be happy is flawed, and in fact, the reality that is a happy person is likely to be more productive which will then lead to the success that we desire.
Whilst the key theme of his talk was the link between happiness, positivity and success in the business world, the same learning can be applied to our daily lives – and if we can program ourselves to see the world in a more positive light then we will be able to live happier lives. That leads to the question, how can we change the lens through which we see the world?
There are a number of ways in which we are able to train our brain to think in a more positive light. The best part is they generally only take a few minutes each and after twenty one days you should be seeing a change in your perception of the world.
Three Gratitudes
Exercise
Journalling
Throughout each day, write down something which has happened in the past 24 hours that has made you happy. What this does is cause your brain to relive that experience and by reflecting on it you bring that moment of happiness back to the forefront of your mind.
Meditation
Random acts of kindness
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