111: Happiness Advantage Roundtable Discussion Part 1

In this episode I am launching the first book in my new podcast project for this podcast called Coffee and Chapters with Coffeechug. Head to this page to learn more, listen to the podcast about the format, and get involved.

Today we are sharing the first part to our discussion on the book, The Happiness Advantage, by Shawn Achor. We have broke this book and discussion into several parts because the conversations are so rich that we just could not get through all the ideas we wanted to dive into.

The beauty of this is that it will allow you to read, catch up, and get involved between episodes. I hope you enjoy the show because the conversations with these incredible people were honest, vulnerable, and really helped me to realize I am not alone in my thoughts that swirl in my head.

If you want to join for part 2 or possibly part 3 please let me know. We are planning time to record the next shows covering the next set of principles.

Direct Link: https://coffeechug.simplecast.com/episodes/111

Episode can be found here:

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Listener Participation

Option 1: Head to the bottom of this post and leave a reply
Option 2: Email me at aarmau (at) gmail (dot) com
Option 3: Leave a video response(you can hide your face!) at this link using Flipgrid
- https://flipgrid.com/f4f05a9a

Roundtable Discussion Participants

All participants are from the Mississippi Bend AEA 9 who I am lucky to call both friends and colleagues.

Ann Craig
Lisa Hawker
Rachel Anderson

Topics We Explore

Basic foundation of the book and our perception of the book so far
- Rewire our brains
- Unhappy people cannot bring happiness to others
- How are we taking care of the adults in schools so they can take care of students?
- How can we take care of ourself?
14:30 How do we apply the ideas when our emotions are charged?
19:00 Principle 1: The Happiness Advantage
- Define: Positive brains have a biological advantage over brains that are neutral or negative, this principle teaches us how to retrain our brains to capitalize on positivity and improve our productivity and performance.
- Did you take anything away from this principle, push back, and/or application?
  - - Meditation
    - Exercise
    - Anticipation of something fun
    - Spend money on experiences (not things)
    - Commit acts of kindness
    - Use a signature strength
    - Infuse positivity into surrounding
- Is happiness when we are experiencing all three of pleasure, engagement, and meaning?
- The power of being primed for happiness.
28:00 How do we find the right people for teamwork to be successful when we don’t always have a choice in the groups?
34:30 Does happiness come before success or success before happiness?
42:30 Principle 2: Fulcrum and Lever
- How we experience the world, and our ability to succeed within it, constantly changes based on our mindset. This principle teaches us how we can adjust our mindset(fulcrum) in a way that gives us the power(lever) to be more fulfilled and successful.
- How do we learn to take a break from work to avoid burnout?
- How do we learn to say no?
- How do move knowledge into action?
- Why are we so afraid to ask?
50:00 It is easier to complain and be negative vs. taking action and embracing the ideas we know will work.
56:00 How do we say no to things that we love in order to have a balance to other aspects of life such as family, health, friends, and me time?
- Does your family life happiness mean less than your work happiness?
- Who cares if you have success if you are miserable?
1:02 Final Thoughts Roundtable Style