Happiness Studies Academy - Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar

Am I a good parent? Am I a better parent than I was 10 years ago? Are mistakes an important part of parenting? Would you like to be the perfect parent or the good enough parent? If we had such a perfect parent would that be good for us? Would we prevent the child from the opportunity for growth and development? What are the three things that Positive Psychology and the Science of Happiness can teach us about becoming better parents?

What can organizations do to flourish? What can companies learn from positive psychology—the science of happiness—that can help them become better, more engaging, and more energizing? Today we are joined by a world-leading expert in the field of positive organizations, and she will help us focus on what we can do to bring more happiness to life—in our home, workplace, and in our community.

What is more important for you, to focus on your weaknesses or focus on your strengths? When this question was posed to over a million people around the world, the overwhelming majority said weaknesses. It turns out that the majority of people, in this case, were wrong. Those who primarily focus on and then exercise their strengths are happier, more successful, both at home and at work. But just deciding to focus on strengths is not always enough. Today we will discuss how to put our best side to work, so that we can fulfill our potential and flourish, as parents, partners, friends, and professionals.

What are your strengths? And why does it matter? It turns out that focusing on your own and others’ strengths is the way to fulfill your potential as a student and a teacher, as a parent, partner, and professional. But how do we identify our strengths, and how do we identify others’ strengths? It’s exactly what we’ll be discussing today on Happier Talk.

When leaders in an organization thrive, the organization as a whole is likely to thrive. So how can we help leaders realize their potential for personal growth? What is “proactive transparency”? What can an individual do to increase the likelihood of climbing the organizational ladder? What is unique about the Millennials? In this interview, author and lecturer Karissa Thacker addresses these and other questions.