Sublime

“a person is said to have high [well-being or happiness] if she or he experiences life satisfaction and frequent joy, and only infrequently experiences unpleasant emotions such as

these detailed measures can be grouped into five broad clusters: project meaning, manageability, connection, positive feelings, and negative feelings.

everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any

That’s not to say that when something upsetting happens, you immediately try to force yourself to “be happy.” First, says Fredrickson, you examine “the seed of emotion,” or how you honestly feel about what occurred. Then you direct your attention to some element of the situation that frames things in a more helpful light.

the fixed mindset

Positive emotions—such as love, compassion, friendship, and loyalty—strengthen the mind, build our confidence, and enhance our ability to assist those in need of help.

We also tend to focus less on what is wrong or missing in people and situations around us and move our attention instead to what is there, to the beauty and the potential.

creativity, courage, curiosity, a sense of connection, compassion, clarity, calm, confidence.

A positive and optimistic brain is a productive, energized brain ready to explore new ideas and to grapple with hard problems.