[ THE HAPPINESS ADVANTAGE: THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY THAT FUEL SUCCESS AND PERFORMANCE AT WORK ] By Achor, Shawn ( Author) 2010 [ Compact Disc ] Multimedia CD – September 21, 2010

I saw Shawn Anchor's presentation on PBS where he explained a simple 5 minute technique called 'The 3 Gratitudes'. I was brought up in a culture of pessimism and had 50 years of experience that was so deeply entrenched that I decided that I would be the perfect candidate for experimentation with such a simple exercise. I've never had much luck trying to change my 'default mode' of negative self-concept (no matter how much therapy I've had or how many self-help books I've read) so I was really on a mission to prove this man and his ideas wrong! I listened to the whole book on tape to make sure I was doing it as explained in the television presentation and this is what I did: It takes exactly 21 days to create a new neural pathway so you have to do the exercise everyday for 3 weeks. If you skip or forget to do it, you just keep going until you've done the exercise 21 times. If you find you're missing a lot it's just your old self trying to maintain the status quo. Tell yourself that it's less than 5 minutes a day and that you're out to prove the experiment wrong! (if you really find that you're resistant). You want to find the part of your routine in the morning where you have a moment (well, 5 minutes) (when you're having a cup of tea or coffee for instance). Keep a notebook in that spot (at your desk or kitchen table). You must write out the experiment.1). THE THREE GRATITUDES: Write down 3 things you are grateful for (no matter how simple or small). At first I could only write about the cup of tea I was drinking! It can be any three things big or small...As you get into this you'll get more creative and become strangely exuberant about what you feel grateful for.2). THE DOUBLER: Next you want to take one of those three things and elaborate on it a bit (just a few sentences) OR pick a new gratitude to elaborate on. If you have more than a little time, write as much as you like. 3). THREE SMILES: Smile at 3 living creatures today (guys have to be a little careful about this one...ladies, it's easier for you but just be genuine and really smile!). Smile at your doggie, smile at your kitty, co-workers, toll-booth workers, babies, kids, old folks...4). THE FUN-15: This one is the optional one but will speed up the process: You want to get 15 minutes of fresh air and exercise...a lovely walk with some sunshine if possible (if you're NOT up to this yet, you can add it in after 21 days when you feel better). This can be done at any time of the day, afternoon, evening (separate from the notebook work). If you already work out, you're all set.5). CONNECT: Connect with one person today. It can even be an electronic connection...so, if you email your Mom or text a friend or your Sister, it still works! That's all you have to do for 21 days. I started doing this about a year ago last February and after 21 days (I did not skip because I was out to prove the author wrong) I felt better. I felt a lot better. I decided that It had to be the placebo effect so I kept doing this exercise for 3 months! After 3 months I figured there was something to this neural construction thing (or whatever it's called) and I kept doing 'The 3 Gratitudes' straight through till August. I kept waiting for the music to stop but it didn't. In September I decided to experiment and I stopped doing the exercise just to see whether I would go back to default (after 7 months of being a happy, optimistic, creative and grateful person). It has now been 7 more months of NOT doing The 3 Gratitudes and I've maintained 70-80% of the gain. This month I have started doing the exercise again just because I WANT that 20% back! The only time I've slipped back into feelings of real pessimism was one week when I had the flu but it lifted as soon as I started recovering. It is interesting to note that the old neural networks still exist and don't go away but if you REPLACE them with better ones you can override the old belief system. I've told my son, family members and a few friends about this marvelous phenomenon but no one is interested. I'm sharing this because it would be wonderful for me if someone could benefit from trying this too. I think people are reluctant because it sounds so corny! almost unbelievable and possibly outside some imagined comfort zone. All I know is I have a studio full of paintings and I feel kind of like that exuberant art-making kid before anyone told her that her world-view was wrong. If anyone has luck with this please leave me a message...I want to hear! P.S. Thank you Shawn Anchor.

I very rarely take time to post reviews. I don't, usually because I don't have time to go into an in depth analysis to back up why I did or didn't find a book was valuable.I read approximately 10-15 new books per year. This is the best book I've read in the past year. I am still working to implement many different aspects, but it's truly changing my life for the better.One example is expressing 3 things I'm grateful for each day, along with one specific direct gratitude directed toward an individual. This one area has changed not only my life in a very positive way, but has also greatly improved happiness in the lives of those around me.Given the time, I'd go on and on...but I'll leave it at this: well worth the time and money.Oh, if you're on the fence still...go look up the TED talk on YouTube. It's only 12 minutes, and it perfectly captures the tone of the book. The book just goes into far far more depth.

This is probably one of the most impactful books I've ever read. It's not a book that just 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. Worth the time and effort to read, even if you don't want to try out any of the ideas on your own.

Happiness is not a result of success, but a precursor, even a prerequisite to it. Happiness indeed begets influence, wealth, intellectual and social growth, and nearly every desirable thing in life. And—here’s the secret--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 (drum roll) actively looking for the positive.What makes Happiness Advantage compelling is the scientific research, hard statistics, and rigorous studies in which it is anchored, illustrated delightfully with entertaining anecdotes, surprising outcomes of psychological experiments. Doctors reaching diagnoses twice as fast when they are made happier (with candy!) before tackling the problem. Students showing measurable improvement in grades because they socialize more. 75-year-old men showing measurable improvements in health and sharpness after spending a week pretending it’s 20 years earlier.The health, wealth, success, influence, progress and general outstandingness promised by adhering to the prescriptions for happiness seem exhausting; but the advice is simple and specific, the results—speaking from experience now—undeniable. The eternal search for the Secret of Life just may be over, not with an explosion but in these pages that prove, detail, and teach us to apply what we’ve known all along. A leisurely, insightful and very possibly life-changing read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had to read it for a graduate course I'm taking on administration and 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.