Is it possible to thrive?

I remember the first time I was introduced to the idea of positive psychology in my undergraduate psychology class. Until then, I have never heard of positive psychology. I thought psychology was about the study of mental illnesses and how to treat them (a.k.a, the deficit model). It blew my mind that mental health can be about happiness and thriving, instead of just about the absence of problems. Is thriving possible? Can I live a life that is more than get up, go to work/school, come home, got to bed, rinse and repeat? After 10 years of higher education, clinical training, traveling, and learning from people around me, I think the answer is yes.

Below is a TEDx Talk by psychologist Shawn Achor about human potential and happiness. Although it is titled "The Happy Secret to Better Work," I think his advice can be applied to any area of life. This is one of my favorite TED Talks because it is entertaining, informative, and inspirational (if only all lectures can bring me to tears of laughter!). Here are the main points of his talk: 

• How we see the world shapes our reality. If we see the world from a negative lens, then we behave in ways that confirm our negative bias. 
• If we change how we see the world, we can change our education, career, and life outcomes. We can change our lens by intentionally re-focusing our brain on the privileges and opportunities that we have. In other words, by practicing gratitude. 
• Our context predicts only 10% of our happiness. 90% of our happiness is determined by how we see the world. 
• 75% of happiness at work is predicted by our optimism, social support, and ability to see stress as a challenge instead of a threat. 
• We should focus on achieving happiness first before we achieve our goals for success, because the happy brain is more productive, resilient, and efficient - this is the happiness advantage.
• Ways to train our brain to be more happy: 
  • Journal 3 things you are thankful for everyday 
  • Exercise regularly
  • Meditate
  • Practice random acts of kindness such as writing a thank you email