For you, which comes first: happiness or success? My guess is that you have already answered that question several times today. You answer it every time your brain says, “I’ll be happy when I find a job.” “I’ll be happy when I get a promotion.” “I’ll be happy when my dissertation is finished.” The formula is clear: Work harder,…
“I will be happy when…” This innocent comment is the very reason that happiness is so elusive for us in the modern world. We think: I will be happy when I have a successful relationship. I will be happy when I find a job. I will be happy when I’m out of this relationship. I’ll…
If someone were to say to you: “You are not a good friend,” you would instantly list off a number of reasons why that person is wrong. How could they be right if, just this week, you surprised your co-worker with a get-well card, called your mom for her birthday, and talked with your best…
After giving a lecture at a large tech company, I got into a cab bound for the airport along with one of the attendees. As I searched for my seatbelt in the bottomless crevice of the back seat, I noticed that my fellow passenger was not wearing his seatbelt. I said something clever like “Afraid…
A month after I visited my sister at her brand new home in Biloxi, Mississippi, hurricane Katrina hit. A month after my first lecture on Wall Street, the global economy collapsed. Shortly after I agreed to give a talk in Brisbane, Australia, they got hit with massive flooding…and then a cyclone. I may study optimism,…
I had gone to bed at midnight. It was now two in the morning. I was still awake, stressed thinking about my book, which — ironically — is about happiness. Trying to unwind, I opened my laptop and started watching clips from The Daily Show. An ad for a popular sleep aid came on that I…
Does this sound like your workday? The alarm goes off. You get up, shower, and head to the office. You say hi to the same people every morning, respond to emails, eat lunch with a couple of your colleagues in the cafeteria downstairs, and wait for the clock to tell you it is time to go home. During most…
If life were to present you with a challenge or if something were to go wrong unexpectedly, would you be able to handle it? Think about that for a minute. You might be thinking: If what were to go wrong? How can I answer that if I don’t know exactly what we are talking about? The key…
Do you want to loose 5 pounds this year? Find a new job? Carve out more quality time with your family? If you find that keeping New Year’s resolutions is tough, let’s first start with 3 strategies on how to set them. Be honest with yourself. Take time to listen to your heart to understand what you really want to accomplish. …