Pour yourself a lovely cup of tea (or coffee or coa coa if that is more your style) and join the Tuesday tea party. I have been looking forward to this post all week. For my new friends joining us today, Tuesday Tea Time is where we get to enjoy a cup of tea, the quiet moment of a Tuesday morning, and share thoughts on simplicity, happiness, wellbeing, artful living, and positive psychology. Today is election day and I know that nerves are high at the moment so let’s take a deep breath, vote (Your vote matters!), and enjoy today. I encourage a positive discussion in the comments below.
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Today I wanted to keep it light and share with you a quote I read in a library book called “Do Less Get More,” by Shaa Wasmund. It was a fun read, as I do love positive psychology, but what I loved most is that it addressed the idea of success. The American dream has always been do more, get more. And when we achieve those goals they’re meaningless because now we have to achieve higher goals. How can you ever be happy if you can never get there? Perhaps success isn’t money or material objects, but rather intrinsic happiness. .jpg)
A book I read last year titled,“The Happiness Advantage,” is from Shawn Achor, a positive psychologist from Harvard best known for his TED Talk. The premise of Achor’s theory is that success does not create happiness, but rather happiness creates success. He presents that the old model of “I will be happy when [fill in the blank],” is wrong. When we make the choice to be happy now our brains work better and we actually become more productive. And that success isn’t just monetary, although happier people who are more productive tend to achieve more, the happiness he is talking about comes from within. It is finding a fulfilling life in all the ways that matter.
Although impacted by circumstances, often out of our control, happiness is still a choice. How we react to the world around us is up to ourselves. For example, I decided that this month is for thankfulness. I made the decision to be thankful for what I already have and to resist thinking about things that I want. It was a personal choice that I have to keep reminding myself to do from time to time, but it has had a profound effect on my happiness. When you make the decision to realize that life is actually really good under all the stress or the situations thrown our way, happiness takes over. In exchange I have more energy and time to do the things that make me happy, including this blog.
If you have some room on your reading list, I highly recommend his book “The Happiness Advantage: Seven Principles of Positive Psychology that Fuel Success and Performance at Work.” It is a book that I plan on checking out from the library for a second time.
No room for another book on your list? That’s alright because Shawn shares his ideas as an enjoyable TED Talk. Click on this link to watch. It is funny, short, and definitely worth your while.
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I know that today may be a difficult day for many many of us on election day, but there is still so much to be thankful for and to appreciate in our lives. Wishing you a happy day!
