Before Happiness

The 5 Hidden Keys to Achieving Success, Spreading Happiness, and Sustaining Positive Change

By: Shawn Achor

Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain

Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “This fresh, uplifting book is filled with ideas for improving our organizations and our lives.”—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the podcast WorkLife

“With his characteristic blend of academic rigor and twinkle in the eye, Shawn Achor will change your view of happiness, of reality—and of yourself.”—Susan Cain, New York Times bestselling author of Quiet and Bittersweet

Why are some people able to make positive change while others remain the same?

In his international bestseller, The Happiness Advantage, Harvard-trained researcher Shawn Achor described why happiness is the precursor to greater success. Before Happiness is about what comes before both. Because before we can be happy or successful, we need to first develop the ability to see that positive change is possible. Only once we learn to see the world through a more positive lens can we summon all our motivation, emotion, and intelligence to achieve our personal and professional goals.

In Before Happiness, Achor reveals five actionable, proven strategies for changing our lens to positive:

• The Most Valuable Reality: See a broader range of ideas and solutions by changing the details on which your brain chooses to focus
• Success Mapping: Set goals oriented around the things in life that matter to you most, whether career advancement or family or making a difference in the world
• The X-spot: Use success accelerants to propel you more quickly towards those goals, whether finishing a marathon, reaching a sales target, learning a language, or losing ten pounds
• Noise-Canceling: Boost the signal pointing you to opportunities and possibilities that others miss
• Positive Inception: Transfer these skills to your team, your employees, and everyone around you

By mastering these strategies, you’ll create a renewable source of positivity, motivation, and engagement that will allow you to reach your fullest potential in everything you do.

©2013 Shawn Achor (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

In this remarkable book, one of the leading thinkers in the field of positive psychology digs deep into the science to find practical techniques for unleashing your genius for happiness. So forget about cheap gimmicks and gooey affirmations. Instead, listen to Shawn Achor -- and prepare to take notes!" (Daniel H. Pink, author of DRIVE, TO SELL IS HUMAN, and A WHOLE NEW MIND)

Before Happiness is the book that positive psychology fans have been waiting to read. Shawn Achor, the leading light in bringing the science of happiness to work, offers his signature blend of eye-opening research insights, entertaining stories, and infectious enthusiasm. This fresh, uplifting book is filled with ideas for improving our organizations and our lives. (Adam Grant, Wharton professor and bestselling author of Give and Take)

Loved it.

It largely related to a workplace environment which wasn't on my scope but HEAPS of information completely usable in everyday life whatever setting you may find yourself in.

I'm very enthusiast of the concepts

you will need a notebook handy... is a lot of information could escape. pay attention isn't enough

Awesome book

There were some gems in this book. Definitely worth the read. Highly recommended. Get this book!

Packed with Practical Application

I read this book 3 times because I wanted to glean every ounce of wisdom I could learn, and will probably read it I handful of times more.I gained Immense value from this book. Sean Anchor gives 30 practical takeaways in this book that will help you w results to find and give yourself and those around you inspiration. This book may be used as a resource and if you’re so inclined it’s worth studying and taking notes on. If you like books with a lot of meat you will be very pleased with this book. I was. I have recommended to many of my friends and will continue to do so. I think this book should be required reading in all high schools across the nation. This book has ignited many interesting dinner conversation w my 2 teenaged!

Excelent book

I have learned a lot, I am using some of the strategies wrote on this book, it really work.

The reality that choose y what I will be.

Every young person should be given a free copy

This is an absolute gem of a book - and unlike so much of the self-help literature, contains enough conceptualisation, reflection and recommendation for readers to emerge from listening with some clear, sensible and valuable ideas on how to address the challenges they face. Like his college professor, Brian Little, Shawn Achor has written a book borne of a brimming love of the human condition and the opportunities it holds for each of us. Having explored a number of online resources about Shawn, I have recommended him warmly to friends and family. If you have a spare credit on your account and you haven't read this book already, make it your next purchase - it's a treat, and potentially a life-changing one for many! :-)

Life Changing Book

So many phenomenal concepts in this book. I want to own the audio, electronic and physical book so I can go over the material again and again.

For me, I thought it was a great companion to 'The Happiness Advantage'. It helped explain why if we can't change our perception of our reality and the possibility of our future reality we may have challenges getting to Happiness. It was the missing piece for me.

Positively perfect

This is the kind of book that I couldn't stop thinking about even when I wasn't reading it. I found myself quoting it to coworkers, friends and family
Thank you Shawn for the right amount of validating information, new thought-provoking ways of approaching any situation and for the incredible historical examples of what your book is saying. Positive Genius allows me to see solutions for seemingly the undoable. This is a must read for anyone in human resources, talent retention and learning and development!

Great insight for everyday success

Great tips for little changes the yeld big results. I took one simple lesson and added 3 more smiles to my day with amazing results.

The First Read

Shawn delivers an amazing work that should be the first on your reading list. Before Happiness provides the reader the practical tools to become a true Positive Genius - establishing the foundation a sustainable positive environment requires.

Before Happiness is a great listen/read that should not be missed.