When people exercise, we talk about endorphins, but endorphins are just short-term. The reason why exercise is valuable is it trains your brain to believe, 'My behavior matters,' which is optimism.
Shawn AchorRead
Waiting to be happy limits our brain's potential for success, whereas cultivating positive brains makes us more motivated, efficient, resilient, creative, and productive, which drives performance upward.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Happiness should not be delayed; cultivating a positive mindset enhances our abilities and success.
This quote emphasizes the importance of adopting a positive mindset rather than postponing happiness for future achievements. Shawn Achor argues that by actively cultivating positivity, we unlock our brain's potential, leading to increased motivation, creativity, and productivity, which ultimately enhances our performance in various aspects of life.
Themes
HappinessPositivitySuccessMotivationProductivity
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about workplace culture, one can use this quote to inspire a positive work environment.
More from Shawn Achor
All quotes βPositive and engaged brains are a company's greatest assets. More than time and even more than productivity, people must be happy.
Shawn AchorRead
Success does not mean happiness. Check out any celebrity magazine to look for examples to disabuse you of thinking that being beautiful, successful or rich will make you happy.
Shawn AchorRead
Too many people limit their happiness and success by assuming that taking time off from work will send a negative message to their manager and slow their career advancement.
Shawn AchorRead
The research says that being successful doesn't automatically make you happier, but being happier - being more positive - makes you more successful.
Shawn AchorRead
Constantly scanning the world for the negative comes with a great cost. It undercuts our creativity, raises our stress levels, and lowers our motivation and ability to accomplish goals.
Shawn AchorRead
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