This headline on Quartz.com resonated with me:
“The story you tell yourself can make you happier.”
What a concept!
In work and in life, it’s easy to focus on the negatives: the daily irritations or larger disappointments. But according to studies, we each have the power to control our happiness, simply by telling ourselves positive stories and recalling what we’re grateful for.
That doesn’t mean we ignore reality, put up with abuse, or fool ourselves into thinking what’s bad is good. But it does mean focusing on the good stuff rather than obsessing over the inevitable not-so-good things.
This strategy is particularly useful during challenging situations such as a job search or tough career transition. If you can remain relatively upbeat, you’ll find your positive vibe infecting all areas of your life. Your contacts will be more helpful, your spouse more supportive, your colleagues less stressed. And—even if you fake it till you make it—the science says you’ll end up feeling happier as well.
I chose “Tell Your Story” for my business tagline because I know how powerful your career stories are in marketing yourself for your next opportunity. In writing executive resumes and other career documents, my job is to pull out the positive and reframe the negative!
Fortunately I find lots of things to be happy about and grateful for, so I don’t have to work too hard at retelling my own stories. But it’s nice to know there’s a science behind the power of positive thinking.