I was recently listening the one of Shawn Achor's talks. Teacher at Harvard and CEO of Good Think Inc. (a Cambridge based consulting firm) Shawn has put a lot of effort in the research of the true nature of "positive outliers" or people who are well above average and most scientist refuse to put attention to as they don't fit in any model of reality.
The root of these ideas are drawn from the fact that most of the research scientist today (and since always) have tried to create models that conform to the majority of individuals, where the ideas are most likely to apply for the greatest amount of people. Basically, to the average. And have followed the rules and tried to find ways to eliminate the outliers of every dataset they work on. The logic is simple, they have to be measurement errors as they are messing up the data.
The path is then clear for this guy, he wants not to eliminate these commonly unwanted and ugly outliers but to study them and learn to know exactly what is it that make them be the way the are in the hope of be able to detect the ways in which every one can become as that outlier or better yet, move the whole average up.
The important thing here is to pass trough the idea that this outlier position is nothing to get away from, because trying to conform to the average (or paying attention only to the negative, as most people do) would only lead to the medical school syndrome, as Shawn calls it, were students being exposed to the details of every sickness and syndrome suddenly believe they have all of them. This may sound silly to you, but being exposed to or interpret a lot more of the negative side of things in the world undoubtedly lead to the unconscious thinking that we are seeing the correct average of positive-negative that should be in the world.
Change the lens from where you see reality and you have the ability to change the reality itself. This author found in helping recently admitted Harvard students, contrary to his expectations of seeing them very happy for attaining such a privilege and success, they were burden with the competition, the workload, the hassles, the stress, the complains, etcetera. This proves the point.
Popular statistics state that only 25% of business success is predicted by IQ and that the other 75% is predicted by the ability for optimism level, social support and the ability to see stress as a challenge instead as a threat.
The formula for happiness and success needs to be reversed. Most companies and schools follow and advocate for the classical formula of happiness that says "if I work harder, I'll be more successful. And if I'm more successful, then I'll be happier", and this one compound infinitely always trying to reach a greater accomplishment or a higher success, because that's were happiness is going to be found but then you brain never gets there.
But our brains work in the opposite order, if we can attain a high level of positivity in the present then our brain gains what they call the happiness advantage which means that you brain in that state performs significantly better than being about negativity and stress. More creativity, more intelligence and more happiness (31% more productive to be precise). Then the formula becomes "becoming happier, you can be more successful".
How to create a lasting positive attitude?
- 3 gratitudes. Write 3 new things every day that you are grateful of for 21 days in a row (the time scientifically demonstrated to be the minimum necessary to acquire a habit).
- Journalling. Taking the time to write about your thoughts and feelings, your goals and emotions, your story. Writing about a positive experience you've had in the past 24 hours allows you brain to re-live it.
- Exercise. I think I don't have to prove to you what this does for you. More health, more dopamine in your brain, better metabolism, a better outlook of life and the feeling of being lean is the single most basic thing that should be part of your life.
- Meditation. Don't necessarily transcendental. Being abort in ONE TASK AT A TIME like breathing, can get your mind away from the business of the outside world and your compulsive need to be busy.
- Random acts of kindness. Or what other people call spiritualism or religion. Knowing that you are primarily GOOD inside, kind and good partner of your fellow humans is an important and profound thought that could bring happiness to even the more troubled of us.
