It’s a new year…time for new year’s resolutions. I went to a seminar last week with Harvard psychology professor, Shawn Achor. (www.shawnachor.com) He has done a tremendous amount of research on the happiness advantage in the workplace. He’s being paid thousands of dollars by corporations to teach them the 7 core principles pf positive psychology. Shawn is a fabulous speaker and presenter….I highly recommend you listen to his YouTube video! As a result of his seminar, I have being thinking about happiness. It has reminded me of a seminar I did a few years ago for Kansas City Media Professionals. Words that spilled out of my mouth then are my mantra for this year. Ready? “Get rid of the “happy” suckers and surround yourself with “happy suckers.” Ah, this is where a video blog would be so much better. My challenge, one-percenters, is that you rid your life of people who suck the happiness right out of you. You know who they are. Make this the year you rid yourself of their negativity. And then replace those “happy” suckers, with truly “happy suckers.” These are the people who bring positivity to your life, energy to your sales spirit! Shawn has all the research to back up how you can be more productive, i.e. make more SALES, if you have happiness as a part of your daily decision. Business bad? Tough to be “happy” in first quarter? It’s a decision. So I challenge you….just do it! Shawn has a few suggestions to help you. Two I loved. Start each day just writing 3 things you are thankful for. They may be simple….like the blizzard we’re supposed to have tomorrow. Or meaningful, like the blessing of having the mental capacity to organize your day. He suggests identifying your strenths and staying focused on them. Journaling and meditation are two ideas I hope to get better with. In the meantime, I’ll make it simple for you: Get rid of your “happy” suckers and surround yourself with “happy suckers!”