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Summary of The Happiness Advantage 

4.7 . 6609 reviews

Short summary

Are you striving for success and fulfillment in this world of increasing workloads, stress, and negativity? Do you want to know how to make the most of your opportunities and live a happy life? If yes, then Shawn Achor's “The Happiness Advantage” is right for you. In this summary, Shawn Achor, who spent over a decade living, researching, and lecturing at Harvard University, draws on his own research to show us how we can change our mindset to become more positive in order to give ourselves an edge to be successful. By reading this tidbit, you will learn how to become happier at work, and most importantly, how to achieve the extraordinary in your life and work by adopting a more positive and happier mindset. “Happiness causes success and achievement, not the other way round.” ~ Shawn Achor

Table of content

  • Summary of The Happiness Advantage
  • About the author
  • What is The Happiness Advantage about?
  • Who should read The Happiness Advantage
  • Topics in The Happiness Advantage
first key point

Happiness gives your brain a competitive edge and sets you up for success

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One common misconception in our society today is that we see happiness as the end result of being successful. The prevailing creed at companies and schools at any level is that if you become as hardworking and productive as you can, you will eventually become more successful, and therefore happier.

However, thanks to strides in positive psychology, this myth has been turned on its head. Several studies have proven that happiness precedes important outcomes and indicators of success.

Before we take a closer look at how happiness leads to success, let's define happiness and understand exactly what it's all about. According to Shawn Achor, happiness is the joy we feel striving after our potential. Happiness is essentially the experience of positive emotions — pleasure combined with deeper feelings of meaning and purpose.
To be happy, you need to have a positive mood in the present and have a positive outlook for the future.
The pioneer of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, broke down happiness into three measurable components: pleasure, engagement, and meaning. Through his studies, he confirmed that people who pursue all three routes led the fullest lives. However, those who pursue only pleasure experience only a tiny fraction of the benefits of happiness.

So, instead of moping around waiting for a big break or a huge success that will change your situation and make you happy, start by being happy regardless of your current situation and success will automatically follow.

In the following chapters of this summary, you will gain a deeper understanding of happiness, and discover how you can set yourself up for success by having a positive outlook on life no matter the situation in which you find yourself.
Happiness functions as the cause, not just the result, of good health. ~ Shawn Achor
second key point

How to improve your mood and increase your happiness baseline

When you stay positive and happy, you are giving yourself a great edge at achieving success at whatever you do in life. So to enjoy the happy and fulfilled life you crave, you will have to train your brain to always dwell on positive emotions rather than neutral or negative ones.
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third key point

Changing your mindset: use your fulcrum and lever to get your desired outcome

fourth key point

The Tetris Effect: program your brain to capitalize on opportunities

fifth key point

Happiness, gratitude, and optimism are the three most important tools available to us

sixth key point

Falling upward — capitalizing on setbacks and adversities to become happier and more successful

seventh key point

Use the Zorro circle to regain control of situations and take charge of your own fate

eighth key point

Conclusion

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What is The Happiness Advantage about?

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Do you find yourself staring at your computer for long minutes, unaware of time slipping by? Do you enter a room and suddenly cannot remember why you stepped in the first place? Is it a herculean task for you to sit through ten pages of a book without reaching for your phone? If yes, your focus needs some work and fast.

Actually, yours is not a unique situation. Many adults like you have issues concentrating on a given task. However, in this fast-paced world of ours, you can’t afford to be not focused at all times. Thankfully, this article comes to your rescue! With the tips and tricks from Hyperfocus by Chris Bailey, you will get in the top percent of folks who have mastered the art of concentration.