Disrupting Innovation

The thing about being optimistic is that it takes a lot of hard work. It's an active process, say psychologists, through which you force yourself to see your life a certain way. Indeed, the leading optimism and happiness experts consider themselves born pessimists. But if they have learned over time and with lots of practice to become more hopeful, so can you.

Tal Ben-Shahar is a Harvard professor who taught the university's most popular course, Positive Psychology, from 2002 to 2008.

In his own life, Ben-Shahar uses three exercises, which he calls PRP. When he feels down--say, after giving a bad lecture--he grants himself permission (P) to be human. He reminds himself that not every lecture can be a Nobel winner; some will be less effective than others. Next is reconstruction (R). He parses the weak lecture, learning lessons for the future about what works and what doesn't. Finally, there's perspective (P), which involves acknowledging that in the grand scheme of life, one lecture really doesn't matter.
I think it is a great way to cope with reality and it will definitely make us happier in life.


Read full "Time" article here