Friday Feature: The Happiness Advantage

When I started writing these Friday Features, they had a subtitle: What I'm reading in ten minutes or less. Consequently, each post has featured an article, blog or other quick read that I've found interesting and/or worthwhile.

With the introduction of online teaching, all I've been reading lately is student work and instructional pieces on how to make online instruction work, none of which seemed a good fit for this blog.

But, a few weeks ago, when I was having a particularly grumpy day, I pulled a particularly good book off my shelf and have found it to be a perfect antidote to these times. So today, instead of focusing on a quick read, I'm recommending a book.

I first heard of Shawn Achor when I watched his TED Talk, which I've written about here before. His talk remains one of my favorites, due in no small part to his lively personality, rapid-fire delivery and passion for his subject matter. I assign it to my freshmen every year when we kick off our study of happiness.

I bought his book, The Happiness Advantage, ages ago but only got serious about reading it a few weeks ago. Every night, I read a little bit more about happiness, why it matters and how I can make it happen, even when all I can eke out is a few small gratitudes at the end of a long day in confinement. The book is a spark of hope wrapped in a cloak of practicality sheer enough to protect the light and keep it shining.

If you're looking for a similar spark, but not ready to commit to a whole book, check out the Live Happy website or UC Berkeley's Greater Good magazine. Both sites promise plenty of positivity and a respite from the one topic that's consuming the news today. I can't promise you won't find it there at all, but I can promise plenty of other choices.

And, given the choices, why not choose happiness?