"There's a Science of Happiness?" is a question I always from people who have thought of happiness as something based on luck or life circumstance or even Prozac.
For the last century, psychological science has been focused primarily on fixing what was broken - helping depressed or anxious people get to a functional place.
But in 1998, the American Psychological Association expanded the mission of psychological science to also include what makes life worth living.
As a result top psychologists and neuroscientists started rigorous studies in people who are happy, well-balanced and making a positive difference in the world.
They uncovered what habits and ways of looking at life were core to these people's emotional success then systematically tested them in more typical populations.
These scientists have discovered how each of us can increase our level of happiness in an enduring way.
More importantly, the studies have shown that increasing our happiness isn't just a "frivolous" pursuit that is about "feeling better," but that living our lives in a more positive emotional state makes us more creative, more resilient, healthier and more successful at everything we do.
Increasing our positive emotions can transform us from a languishing state of "getting by" to truly thriving in our health, careers and relationships.
I share powerful conclusions backed by controlled studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
My goal is to make these fully accessible to those with little scientific training and succinct enough that a two-minute read will get you something thought-provoking or useful in YOUR life.
I started reading the research on positive psychology because I wanted to feel happier, to feel good more of the time.
But as I got deeper into the research, I found that "feeling good" is just the first of many exciting benefits that come from being happier.
Hundreds of controlled studies have shown that feeling happier - defined as having more positive emotions in your life - has a number of other powerful benefits: More success - At the workplace, happier people and happier teams show improvement on every measurable business outcome - from productivity and profitability, to sales, customer satisfaction and 360º evaluations.
Health - Happier people live longer, get sick less and recover more quickly.
Broadened mind - Being happier widens the span of possibility making happier people more creative, receptive to new ideas and more able to see the big picture.
Positivity brings curiosity and draws you out to explore and try new things, which leads to more learning and growth.
Better relationships - Happier people have more and deeper connections with other people.
More charitable - Happier people give more of their resources to help others.
Resilience - Bad things happen to all of us.
Happier people are able to bounce back more quickly and are more likely to find benefit through the challenges that they face.
Infectiousness - Positive emotions are infectious.
Happier people make their family and friends happier.
They leave a wake of smiles and better outlooks wherever they go.
The science shows that positive emotions are a central component of a life worth living.
It is worth investing your time and effort to increase your share of positive emotions and tap into this rich source of benefits.