The Road to Success

     Parents teach their children early on that they need to work hard and become something in life so that they can be happy. My parents have always pushed me to take hard classes and join sports or other activities that could help me get into college so that I could get a job and be happy. After watching the video on positive psychology in class, I felt compelled to read The Happiness Advantage for book club. In the video, Shawn Achor mentioned that work and success doesn't make someone happy; happiness makes a person successful. I didn't really understand what he meant so I chose the book to find out. The concept wasn't clear at first, but as I continued to read, I realized I wasn't really happy and that Achor was right. 
      All I do is stress out about school and homework. With Showtime and cross-country, I feel like I'm always rushing to get my work done. I don't sleep and whenever I finish one thing there is always something else. Always some essay or lab or worksheet or test. I put myself through all the stress in hopes of a brighter and happier future, but none of my success and progress at this time make me happy right now. No matter what i always tell myself I can do better and am never satisfied.  If success can't make me happy now, what will be the difference ten years from now? 
      Achor addresses this in the book. It is human nature to always want more; we are never truly satisfied with anything. So how can I be happy and successful?
      The answer is in the title of the book: The Happiness Advantage. Shawn Achor explains in the book that success is an advantage of being happy. Happiness precedes success and he provides seven steps to help achieve happiness. He says that we must surround ourselves with positives meaning positive people and positive energy. Happiness isn't about lying to ourselves like most of us do, but it's training our brains to find a way to rise above obstacles. Scan the world for opportunities and acknowledge the good in your life. Turn bad habits into good ones and invest in social relationships. My favorite principle was The Zorro Circle because it's all about control. According to Achor, thinking you are in control is a big motivator. he says you should focus on small manageable tasks so that eventually you can face the bigger problems without being overwhelmed. 
     Basically, you need to be willing to invest time in your happiness. Shawn Achor's method can work if you the right amount of effort into it. I strongly recommend this book, especially since this year has proved to be stressful with all the AP classes and pressures of college.