Shawn Achor is a psychologist, bestselling author, and leading expert on the undeniable connection between happiness and success. Recently, I watched Achor’s captivating TED Talk called The Secret to Better Work. In this talk, Achor delves into what he calls the “happiness advantage” and delivers a fascinating message connecting a positive state of mind to increased brain performance.
When you experience a positive emotional state, Achor maintains that, “Your intelligence rises, your creativity rises, your energy levels rise. In fact, we’ve found that every single business outcome improves. Your brain at positive is 31% more productive than your brain at negative, neutral, or stressed.”
According to Achor’s research, your goal should be to find a way to bring positivity into the present moment, on a daily basis. Once you master this skill he says, “...our brains work even more productively as we’re able to work harder, faster, and more intelligently.”
Simply put, happiness fuels a more expansive and success-oriented state of mind. Watch the talk in its entirety to learn simple tips on how to train your brain to move into the positive zone. Until then, here are 33 quotes that may inspire you to adopt a more positive emotional state—the benefits of which translate into better social bonds, business success, and other capacities that endure into the future.
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“One of the best ways to make yourself happy in the present is to recall happy times from the past. Photos are a great memory-prompt, and because we tend to take photos of happy occasions, they weigh our memories to the good.”—Gretchen Rubin
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“The most successful people see adversity not as a stumbling block, but a stepping-stone to greatness.”—Shawn Achor
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“Embrace the glorious mess that you are.”–Elizabeth Gilbert
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“I, not events, have the power to make me happy or unhappy today. I can choose which it shall be. Yesterday is dead, tomorrow hasn’t arrived yet. I have just one day, today, and I’m going to be happy in it.”—Groucho Marx
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“Trust life a little bit.”—Maya Angelou
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“A business is successful to the extent that it provides a product or service that contributes to happiness in all of its forms.”—Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
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“Your self-worth has nothing to do with your craft or calling, and everything to do with how you treat yourself.”—Kris Carr
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“Fear is the cheapest room in the house. I’d like to see you living in better conditions.”—Hafiz
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“Want to be happy? Stop trying to be perfect.”—Brené Brown
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“Here is my secret, a very simple secret. It is only with heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince
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“You cannot stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”—Jon Kabat-Zinn
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“Throw kindness around like confetti.”—Unknown
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“Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.”–Unknown
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“Happiness is not what makes us grateful; it is gratefulness that makes us happy.”—Marci Shimoff
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“I think everyone should be told they’re beautiful until they believe it.”—Unknown
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“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.”—Dalai Lama
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“The greatest stock market you can invest in is yourself. Finding this truth is better than finding a gold mine.”—Byron Katie
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“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”—Mahatma Gandhi
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“Fast takes longer when you hurry. Keep calm and saunter on.”—Mike Dooley
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“Your willingness to look at your darkness is what empowers you to change.”—Iyanla Vanzant
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“The reason we struggle with insecurity is because we compare our behind the scenes with everyone else’s highlight reel.”—Steven Furtick
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“The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just have to find the ones that are worth hurting for.”—Bob Marley
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“Life is really very simple. What we give out, we get back. Every thought we think is creating our future.”—Louise Hay
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“If your happiness depends on what somebody else does, I guess you do have a problem.”—Richard Bach
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“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.”—Thich Nhat Hanh
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“Happiness is acceptance.”—Unknown
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“Each time I meet someone I will silently wish them happiness, joy, and laughter.”—Deepak Chopra
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“Be happy. It’s one way of being wise.”—Sidonie Gabrielle Colette
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“It’s cool to go places where working people are happy.”—Neil Young
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“Meditation can reintroduce you to the part that has been missing.”—Russell Simmons
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“Just as a seed grows with the warmth of the sun, so our positive qualities grow when we put our attention on them.”—Arielle Ford
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“Don’t use all-or-nothing thinking. Take each day as its own day, and don’t worry about it if you mess up one day. The most important thing you can do is just get back up on the horse.”—Dr. Henry Cloud
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“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return.”—David Bowie