On my way to the UPS Store Tuesday morning, I found myself hopeful that Tamarra would be behind the counter. Even though shipping a package may be considered a mundane task, interactions with Tamarra are always a joy. No matter what time of day or how many customers are waiting in line, her cheerfulness and positive attitude can ignite a smile on even the sourest face.

So on this visit I told Tamarra what a pleasure it was doing business with her. How her happiness and enthusiasm always made my day brighter. She thanked me, and told me how nice I was to say that. And then, with a smile, she said, “It takes less energy.” We agreed: it does take less energy to feel good and go with the flow than it does to exert any type of resistance.

Online the next day, a Harvard Business Review blog headline “Are Happy People Dumb?” caught my attention. It’s a provocative and seriously worthwhile post by Shawn Achor, founder of Good Think Inc. and author of “The Happiness Advantage.” While I haven’t read the book yet, I think Mr. Achor, Tamarra and I share a common perspective.

Here’s an excerpt, links and all, from Achor’s hbr.org post:

“…happiness is the single greatest competitive advantage in the modern economy. Only 25% of your job successes are predicted based upon intelligence and technical skills, though we spend most of our education and most companies hire based upon this category. The “silent 75%” of long-term job success is based upon your ability to positively adapt to the world: optimism, social support creation, and viewing stress as a challenge instead of as a threat.”

So I wonder: How ready for success are you? How happy are you?

If you believe you’ll be happy only when you’re successful, here’s an idea for you. Shift your thinking to turn that around: I’ll be successful when I’m happy. And if that’s something you just can’t bring yourself to believe, then tell me this: Why you would argue for your limitations?

Tags: happiness, human energy, managing yourself, personal effectiveness, positive energy, success

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