“I, [your name], promise to make a daily effort to improve my mood and cultivate a positive attitude toward my life and the lives of others.” Boom! Step one is accomplished, but only if you actually wrote the previous sentence down. If you only read the sentence in your head and said, “Okay, I will,” then you really haven’t done anything. There is immense psychological power in writing things down. If you want to know the science behind it, read chapter three in Cialdini’s Influence , which goes into brilliant details regarding the principles of commitment and consistency . I’ll state it again: If you don’t write it down, you’re not ready/willing to change. Sign and date it. Put it somewhere where you are sure to see it at least once a day. I didn’t do this for the longest time because I was afraid others would judge me if they saw it. That damn ego again! Put your ego aside. If others judge you, i...
Dr. Robert Cialdini (pronounced: chahl-DEE-nee) is one of the world’s leading persuasion experts and author of one the best psychology books of all-time, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion . If you’re wondering why I’m referencing a persuasion expert while discussing happiness, it’s because, according to him, you can persuade yourself into being happy. In his new book, PRE-SUASION: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade , Cialdini cites one study explaining why senior citizens — despite being weaker, unhealthier, and less energetic than their youthful counterparts — are, on average, much happier. The answer lies in their attention management skills. Statistically speaking, that man is happier than that baby There’s no need to sugarcoat it — senior citizens have less time to be alive than most of us. They’re very aware of this fact, which is why they choose to not waste their remaining ye...