The nonfiction book, The Happiness Advantage, has and continues to have a positive impact on people's lives in their perpetual pursuit of happiness. Prior to writing this book, author Shawn Achor worked with many college students at Harvard for twelve years. At the time, he noticed many of these high-achievers suffered from depression or constant feelings of unhappiness and sought to change this. Achor spent much time researching happiness and giving advice to these young college students, driven by the desire to help improve their lives and fulfill their aspirations. He recorded many of his findings, such as common behavioral patterns and reflexive human reactions or mindsets, and was able to learn ways to overcome many of the troubling provocations and obstacles that exist in most of our lives. Pursuing his work eventually led him to collaborate with others who had similar goals to help people maximize their happiness as a major key to success. Achor eventually set out to writing this book and speaking as an advocate for positive psychology to share the seven principles of the happiness advantage to employers, employees, businesses, companies, and many other individuals all over the world. His main purpose, one important way of fulfilling his own personal happiness, is to help make others feel happier in the lives they live daily. One of the main goals in The Happiness Advantage and Achor's discussions is to illustrate to audiences the idea of gradually forming little habits centered around seven principles that, if continuous in practice, will eventually have many payoffs and improve one's general outlook and happiness. The other goal is to reverse the old idea that success and achievement are the keys that lead to happiness. Achor seeks to explain that although having goals and aspirations is healthy, having them as the all-or-nothing basis of one's happiness can be harmful; it is one of the big reasons why many, especially high-achievers, find themselves feeling less happy and more drained as they continue to chase after happiness in their success. In truth, Achor explains that happiness should come first and be the force that aids in the journey to success, which will result in a longer-lasting and truer sense of happiness as it is maximized in every aspect of your life.
- Tabby Verayo
The information you explained from this book is very important for young over achievers trying to plan out the pathway to their career which in many of their minds is the ultimate success. Many over achieving students forget the importance of happiness and feel unfulfilled every time they make an achievement in their academic career. The ultimate goal is not achieving one's dream career, it is finding a place and a way to live that keeps one happy and looking forward to the next day. If one is happy on a day to day basis, they successfully established the best Life to live.
ReplyDeleteI agree with how you say Achor's purpose was on helping make others feel happier in the lives the live daily. His main reasoning for writing this book is for that reason. He wants to help people find their happiness and he discusses in his text how people have done it. He gives advice to those who need it and he discusses that and more in his book.
ReplyDeleteIt’s good that the author care about everyone’s happiness. Today, we see over achieving students stressed and depressed to the point that they forget a out happiness. Anchor writes this book to spread his message of trying to find happiness.
DeleteI believe that a healthy mindset is essential for success. It is only happiness that can bring you feelings of true fulfillment, so by achieving happiness with yourself you will be able to motivate yourself to work hard and feel accomplished. This book sounds interesting because I feel like it can make you realize a lot about yourself and how your mental state is affecting the way you live your life. This book seems like it could change a lot of people’s perspectives on the future.
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