Principle #6: The 20-Second Rule
"Common sense is not common action" (145). I feel like this quote should be on the front of this book. Being happy should be easy, right? Wrong. Humans make very odd decisions when it comes to being truly happy. Achor boils it down to two concepts: knowledge and action. Knowledge is the easier of the two, but without action it has no power. Just think of the New Year's Resolutions that often go unanswered. It is funny to think that we are the most advanced animals on the planet but our decisions often do not always reflect our intellect. To make ourselves accomplish our goals, Achor suggests that willpower alone is not the way to address the situation. We will sometimes find the negative energy creep in and that willpower is used on the wrong side of the fulcrum. If we wait 20 seconds, we can give our brains a chance to think of the consequences. Essentially, "Save time by adding time" (164). Principle #7: Social Investment Another concept I learned from my chronic diagnosis: I am only as strong as the team I surround myself with. Success is not a path paved by one individual. Strength of social relationships is something that distinguishes happy people. Socialness is a natural instinct and a necessary one if you are following the happiness advantage. As an extrovert, I find this one very easy to abide by. However, I know that this is more challenging for others and therefore something that needs to be worked towards. "The Happiness Advantage" I loved this concept. I have already found myself trying to implement these principles in my daily life (especially when it comes to closing the ice cream lid for 20 seconds- and trust me, it works!). As they say, happiness is contagious. Hopefully by reading and reviewing this book, I have done my part in helping the ripple effect of happiness spread around the world. Principle #3: The Tetris Effect
We are all plugged into The Matrix and our choices our predetermined and stuck in non-changing patterns. We are maladaptive and very easily become fixed in that the way we see the world is the only possible way. Or at least that's how I interpreted Achor's view of people who are not yet aware of the happiness advantage. It is true that often society as a whole can become stuck in a way of thinking and change is not easy to come by. We are programmed to think negatively and a change from this method isn't always natural. However, this mindset can be very detrimental in seeking true happiness. "Constantly scanning the negative comes with a great cost. It undercuts our creativity, raises our stress levels, and lowers our motivation and ability to accomplish goals" (90). If we were to instead search for the positive we instead find happiness, gratitude, and optimism. Consequences of positive and negative are the biggest differences between the two mindsets and often are the biggest determiners between success and failure. If we practice hard we can overcome this tetris effect, even though it may not be easy. I agree with Achor's metaphor in viewing the world with rose-tinted glasses: make sure you are paying attention to the negative, but your true focus should be on the positive. Be realistic and the good things will fall in line. Principle #4: Falling Up Falling up is essentially the "getting back in the saddle again" idea mixed with "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger". "By scanning our mental map for positive opportunities, and by rejecting the belief that every down in life leads us only further downward, we give ourselves the greatest power possible: the ability to move up not despite our setbacks, but because of them" (109). Of all the principles I related to this on a very personal level. Achor likens this concept to "Post-traumatic Growth". After the unimaginable happens, you get stronger and better for it. In 2010, I was diagnosed with a chronic condition that would one day lead to a kidney transplant or dialysis. At 22, I thought the world was over. I would have loved to have had a copy of this book. He notes that by falling upwards we use adversity to push us forward (110). With any tragedy or traumatic incident, it is natural to want to give up. By using having the happiness advantage, it becomes natural to make the best of the situation. Principle #5: The Zorro Circle I love Shawn Achor for referencing one of my favorite movies: "The Mask of Zorro". He is comparing tackling goals to that of Antonio Banderas' character of Zorro. Before he can learn, he has to master a very small goal- his teacher draws a small circle in the sand and the Zorro is not allowed to leave this circle until he is told he can. While it is frustrating, he is learning mastery and success through dedication and time. By using this idea of control over the smaller goals, happiness becomes more attainable. Achor talks about the use of The Thinker, our evolved innate ability to think and then react. It is not a conscious decision rather a biological one. However, when something stressful or out of our control happens, The Jerk comes in irrationally and responds with fight or flight. By using the Zorro Circle, happy people become self-aware of the problems, and then learn what they can and cannot control. Then, they make a small, accomplishable goal, and move forward from there. "The point: Small successes can add up to major achievements. All it takes is drawing that first circle in the sand" (144). I have finally finished reading "The Happiness Advantage" by Shawn Achor. For my book reviews I have decided to talk about his work the same way he did, by talking about the Seven Principles of the Happiness Advantage at work
Principle #1: The Happiness Advatnage This is the introductory section on what exactly the happiness advantage is. Traditionally, Achor argues that society has believed success brings about happiness when in reality this is not true. "When we are happy- we are smarter, more motivated, and thus more successful. Happiness is the center, and success revolves around it" (37). This happiness can be defined as feelings of positvie emotions for the present and towards the future. Achor believes that it is the, "...joy we feel striving after our potential" (40). He likens this idea of happiness and success to the Chicken and the Egg conundrum- which came first? He clearly believes it is happiness that breeds room for success. I agree and feel that it is possible to see many who are successful and still not truly happy. While not all find happiness and positivity to be natural to come by, Achor reminds the readers that, "...happiness is not just a mood- it's a work ethic" (50). Here are a list of ways to levitate ones mood to find positivity: 1. Meditate 2. Find Something to Look Forward To 3. Commit Conscious Acts of Kindness 4. Infuse Positivy Into Your Surroundings 5. Exercise 6. Spend Money (But Not on Stuff) 7. Exercise a Signature Strength I believe that these are great ways to both feel better and help develop an instrinsic motivation to find success. I find myself looking at this list and wondering how much more successful I could be if I followed this list! Principle #2: The Fulcrum I boiled this section down to two sides: processing the world from a negative or positive perspective. Just like a seesaw, positive and negative energy sit on two sides of the spectrum. By placing the fulcrum in a chosen position, Achor argues that we inherently have the ability to change the way we see the world. I liked this way of looking at our choices and how they effect our outlooks. Instead of looking at our world as "objective and fixed" we can choose to see it as relative and subjective. We have the power over our own happiness. "The mental construction of our daily activites, more than the activity itself, defines our reality" (71). If we view our mindset as influx and capable of change, we own the potential to find a path in life that suits us to our fullest potential. "...When we believe we can do more and achieve more... that is often the precise reason we do achieve more" (86). I loved this point of view and can see its appolication in real life. My question is: how do we fully put this mindset into practice? {\rtf1\ansi\ansicpg1252 {\fonttbl\f0\fnil\fcharset0 HelveticaNeue;} {\colortbl;\red255\green255\blue255;\red147\green147\blue147;\red255\green255\blue255;} \deftab720 \pard\pardeftab720\sl480\qc\partightenfactor0 \f0\fs28 \cf2 \cb3 \expnd0\expndtw0\kerning0 \outl0\strokewidth0 \strokec2 This week has been all about defining myself on my favorite curating site: Pinterest. I spent a lot of time curating pins, organizing my ideas, and finding different types of articles that I might want to share for later. I thought this was an important step in creating an online presence for myself as a teacher because Pinterest is such a useful tool to share lesson plans and other school related topics.
I decided to organize my Pinterest board by subjects, technology, 20%project, and different creative activity ideas. One of themost valuable pin board I have started using is the one on websites to visit. This board is filled with lists of resources and their uses. I have already found many of the websites valuable and useful for my teaching practice. I especially like that I can use my Pinterest for my 20% project on creating baked goods. I have not been able to get back into the kitchen lately. On Pinterest I have found that I am able to pin ideas of things that I would like to make when I can find the time. So, feel free to check my Pinterest out! Feel free to follow me on one or more of my boards. I feel like I am creating a strong definition of who I am as a teacher, and that when you visit my Pinterest you can get a sense of my teaching style. I have been hard at work this week creating a Personal Learning Network base. I have gone into each of my different social media accounts and brought a breath of fresh air into each of them. I now have a functioning twitter, pinterest, facebook, linkedin, google+, youtube, goodreads accounts, among some others that I cannot think of right now. /i feel comfortable that if I were to be searched in a profressional manner on the internet, I have no fears or qualms what the person might find. Phew! I began reading "Th Happiness Advantage" by Shawn Achor. It is such a great read so far! I love the idea of focusing on the positive versus the negative as a means of redirecting our platform in life. I am excited to learn more about his seven principles for creating a better self. I am just about through the first chapter and look forward to getting elbow deep into how to lead a happier existence.
I liked the honest viewpoint that Will Richardson presented in "Why School?: How Education Must Change When Learning and Information are Everywhere". One of the parts that resonated with me the most was when he began to talk about the push from the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) to have students to become proficient in 21st century learning skills. I strongly believe that these values are some (not all) of the very important lessons that we as educators should be learning. I agree that, "What doesn't work any longer is our education system's stubborn focus on delivering a curriculum that's growing increasingly irrelevant to today's kids." We need to become successful in values such as developing proficiency in technology, problem solving, sharing information globally, etc., in order to create a future generation of people who are able to navigate our 21st century society.
I believe that the idea if unlearning is a great outlook on how we need to perform as educators. In my past three semesters of student teaching, I found that it is so easy to fall into learned patterns of successful teaching and not feel the need to look towards better or newer ways of thinking. I am inspired by reading about educators such as Shelley Wright and Brian Crosby who are examples of successful testimonies of teachers who can learn to unlearn. This concept is truly an individual thing process that needs to take place, as it is only something that a person can do by themselves. In summary, I agree that there is a strong need for teachers in the 21st century to realize that, “What’s needed for reading and writing literacy is evolving far beyond traditional definitions.” While I think that it would be great if these principles and thoughts were immediately able to put into practice, it is rather something that takes a lot of effort to make a reality. |