Author and Psychology professor Shawn Achor uses concepts from positive psychology to explain how a positive brain fuels success and happiness in all aspects of life. His book entitled The Happiness Advantage has become an international bestseller and inspired one of his latest TED talks called The Happy Secret to Better Work. Anchor goes into detail by outlining seven principles that he created in which, if applied, they will help lead to a happier and more successful life. The seven principles include The Happiness Advantage, The Fulcrum and the Lever, The Tetris Effect, Falling Up, The Zorro Circle, The 20-Second Rule and Social Investment. All these principles can be applied in various situations such as home, school, work and relationship life to help fuel longevity in happiness and success.

“The Happiness Advantage – Because positive brains have a biological advantage over brains that are neutral or negative, this principle teaches us how to retrain our brains to capitalize on positivity and improve our productivity and performance.

The Fulcrum and the Lever – How we experience the world, and our ability to succeed within it, constantly changes bases on our mindset. This principle teaches us how we can adjust our mindset (our fulcrum) in a way that gives us the power (the lever) to be more fulfilled and successful.

The Tetris Effect – When our brains get stuck in a pattern that focuses on stress, negativity and failure, we set ourselves up to fail. This principle teaches us how to retain our brains to spot patterns of possibility, so we can see – and seize – opportunity wherever we look.

Falling Up – In the midst of defeat, stress, and crisis, our brains map different paths to help us cope. This principle is about finding the mental path that not only leads us out of failure or suffering, but teaches us to be happier and more successful because of it.

The Zorro Circle – When challenges loom and we get overwhelmed, our rational brains can get hijacked by emotions. This principle teaches us how to regain control by focusing first on small manageable goals, and then gradually expanding out circle to achieve bigger and bigger ones.

The 20-Second Rule – Sustaining lasting change often feels impossible because our willpower is limited, and when willpower fails, we fall back on our old habits and succumb to the path of least resistance. This principle shows how, by making small energy adjustments, we can reroute the path of least resistance and replace bad habits with good ones.

Social Investment – In the midst of challenges and stress, some people choose to hunker down and retreat within themselves. But the most successful people invest in their friends, peers and family members to propel themselves forward. This principle teaches us how to invest more in one of the greatest predictors of success and excellence – our social support network”.

Image Credit:
Feature: MI PHAM at Unsplash, Creative Commons