Sublime

Thus the key to happiness lies not in changing our genetic makeup (which is impossible) and not in changing our circumstances (i.e., seeking wealth or attractiveness or better colleagues, which is usually impractical), but in our daily intentional activities.

Studies that have assigned people to perform a random act of kindness every week, or to count their blessings regularly for several weeks, find small but sustained increases in happiness.54

We’re often told that if we want to develop our skills, we need to push ourselves through long hours of monotonous practice. But the best way to unlock hidden potential isn’t to suffer through the daily grind. It’s to transform the daily grind into a source of daily joy.

With his books Now, Discover Your Strengths and The Truth About You, Marcus Buckingham is a true-strengths zealot.

Avoiding negative things goes a long way towards improving our lives, but the positive side of the ledger also holds plenty of promise. The key is to look for what adaptation researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky calls “intentional activities”.