@TuesdayPause | #TakeTime post by Kristin. Last week I received an email announcing that in May, Hudson Community First will launch a program called, “The Happiness Advantage Community Read.” In preparation for the event, the organization purchased 50 copies of Shawn Achor’s book, The Happiness Advantage, to hand out to local residents to read and pass along.
The idea seemed hokey to me, due in part to the book’s title—so basic, so oversimplified, so…turn-that-frown-upside-down-and-just-skip-on-down-the-road-ish. I guess I’ve always rejected “happiness” as a goal in life, finding it fleeting and somehow shallow, thus not worth actively pursuing. I’ve never said, “I just want to be happy.”
Oh, I enjoy happiness—that satisfying feeling of a successful endeavor, the warmth of snuggling a loved one, the excitement of a new treasure. But these feelings are momentary, not a destination to be reached, nor a permanent state of being. No, I see such feelings, pleasurable as they are, as a by-product of something else. I definitely don’t see “happiness” as a commodity to be artificially obtained and utilized as a competitive advantage. And this I deduced (erroneously) was the author’s intent, based solely on the book’s cover and title.
The smiley face cover added to my skepticism. But reading the book changed my opinion.
So I certainly wouldn’t have predicted, upon receiving this email and coming to all these unsubstantiated conclusions, that I would ultimately write a blog post about Hudson Community First’s The Happiness Advantage program. But, somehow this announcement of a community read stirred something in me…
How My Flawed First-Impression Morphed Into A Better Understanding
After reading the email, its content meandered around the fringes of my mind as I went on with my day, continuing to subconsciously scoff at the book, and even the HCF project. Suddenly, I recognized this ugly human trait at work in me, and decided I really shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Rather, I should take a copy and read it, to see if it really warranted my initial skepticism. If you’re going to have an opinion about something, it ought to be informed.
While waiting for my free copy to be delivered by Hudson Community First, I searched online for the title, and my skepticism increased. iBooks showed the book’s full title, The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology, and labeled it a self-help book. Ugh, just what I thought. I thought back to a recent assessment I’d heard, “If self-help books are so successful, why is there a need to keep coming out with new ones?” I found myself nodding in silent agreement.
Despite clear odds against it, The Happiness Advantage has surprised me. Though my bookmark has yet to make it to the last page, Shawn Achor has intrigued me by the ideas he posits; swayed me by the supporting research and studies presents; and left me appreciative of his good-natured tone, not to mention his effective use of humor.
What The Happiness Advantage Offers to Readers
The message of the book isn’t “don’t worry be happy, and ta-da you’ll reach the top.” It’s actually deeper than that.
Shawn Achor highlights the power of gratefulness and relationships. He lays out studies on the impact of repetition on our thought-processes, whether positive or negative. He offers simple ways to harness these tools—or cultivate them if you find yourself lacking—to begin navigating the world with eyes that can see the positives, and possibilities, that surround us.
As I read Achor’s book, it reminded me of this small plaque in my kitchen, a gift from a friend.
As I read, I kept thinking of a little plaque a friend gave me a few years ago; it now sits on a shelf in my kitchen. Achor’s book and this quote had melded together in my mind as both reminded me that we make choices every moment, conscious or not, about what will get our attention, what will drive our focus.
Yes, I’ve now decided that Hudson Community First may be on to something with The Happiness Advantage Community Read. Something worth Taking Time to consider. Something worth Discovering. Something worth Engaging over with others.
The Happiness Advantage Book Giveaway from TuesdayPause
As a result, I have decided to join Hudson Community First in their effort to share the book. I have the copy I received from HCF and I have purchased five additional copies. If I have triggered your interest, let me know—request a copy by leaving a comment on my TuesdayPause Facebook page. I hope to pass along five copies locally and one copy to anyone residing anywhere in the United States. Who knows, perhaps that will light a spark in your city or town.
The teaser, “As Taught in Harvard’s Famed Happiness Course and to Companies Worldwide,” captured my attention.
For those who need a bit more convincing, I leave you with two things—a link to a TedTalk by Shawn Achor and the book’s opening paragraph. It was this introduction that cracked my shell of skepticism:
If you observe the people around you, you’ll find most individuals follow a formula that has been subtly or not so subtly taught to them by their schools, their company, their parents, or society. That is: If you work hard, you will become successful, and once you become successful, then you’ll be happy. This pattern of belief explains what most often motivates us in life. We think: If I just get that raise, or hit that next sales target, I’ll be happy. If I can just get that next good grade, I’ll be happy. If I lose that five pounds, I’ll be happy. And so on. Success first, happiness second.
The only problem is that this formula is broken.
If success causes happiness, then every employee who gets a promotion, every student who receives an acceptance letter, everyone who has ever accomplished a goal of any kind should be happy. But with each victory, our goalposts of success keep getting pushed further and further out, so that happiness gets pushed over the horizon (Achor, 2010, p. 3).
After reading this intro, I had to admit the guy makes some sense. And with that, I had ears to hear what else he had to say.
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Learn More About TuesdayPause
This post varies from the typical TuesdayPause article, focusing on a book rather than a destination or activity. If this is your first time visiting TuesdayPause.com and wonder about its name, I hope you’ll take a minute to explore more about the impetus behind this project or
What to Know Before You Go…Read
- If you live in Hudson, I presume you’ve heard of Hudson Community First—particularly if you have kids. Perhaps “Ready, Set, Relax; Hidden in Plain Sight; or Take a Second–Make a Difference” come to mind, as they should. Hudson Community First strives to offer youth-centered programs. The community organization mission statement characterizes it best, “We believe that the health and wellness of our community is directly dependent on developing opportunities, skills, relationships and values that young people need to be healthy, caring, and responsible.”
- The Happiness Advantage was written Shawn Achor, published in 2010 by Crown Business, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
- The body of the book is 210 pages in length; 227 pages in length, including the end notes; 236 pages in length including the end notes and index.