"Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you're right" - Henry Ford

Many people think that success leads to happiness, but actually it's the other way around. A decade of research in positive psychology and neuroscience has found that happiness is the precursor of success - not the result itself.
Research within businesses has also proven that happiness and optimism actually fuel performance and achievement, giving companies a competitive edge.
Your mind is a powerful tool and with the right development can be programmed; just like a computer, to think and act more positively.
Every moment of every day we're having thoughts, in fact it's estimated that on average we process between 60,000 to 80,000 thoughts a day.
But what are those thoughts feeding you?
Fruit or poison?
Not only that, what about your boss, your colleagues, the culture of your business?
Is that nurturing positivity or conversely breeding negativity and unhappiness?
The London Evening Standard recently ran an article stating that 80% of Londoners are "Unhappy at work". This statistic was the output of a survey undertaken for "The Best You" magazine and revealed that only 17.6 per cent of men and women in the UK's capital were content at work, with many blaming their unhappiness on bad management and bullying.
The survey also found that 20 per cent of women and 25 per cent of men said that they suffered from depression, with the majority of men declining to seek professional help. A very worrying statement when you consider that suicide is the biggest killer of men under 25 in the UK.
Cultivating happiness....
Of course fruitful thoughts plant seeds that help us to blossom, positively effecting not only our psychology but also our physiology.
Happy thoughts boost our endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. 

• Endorphins the body’s natural painkillers
• Serotonin boosting our mood and making us more agreeable and sociable
• Dopamine the “pleasure” hormone, stimulated when we strive towards a goal. It helps motivate us to take action to achieve the goal so we can experience the pleasure of the reward
• Oxytocin  the “love” hormone released upon physical contact. Oxytocin provides feelings of love and trust, (try a good hug  if you want to feel the effects of this magical happy hormone)

Be a builder of happy shiny people.......Does your workplace build people up or knock them down?
Shawn Achor (Harvard Business Review 2011) estimated that intelligence and technical skills contribute only 25% of your job success. The other 75% determining long term job success depends on your ability to positively adapt to the world. He found that:

• Doctors primed to be positive come to the correct diagnosis 19% faster 
• Salespeople achieved 37% more sales when optimistic

In addition, happier people were also better securing and keeping a job, demonstrated superior productivity and resilience, experienced less burnout and had lower turnover rates.
5 Top tips  for business leaders to create happy people, happy workplaces and improve results:

1. Model the way - leaders and managers set the temperature in the workplace-  be the power station, energising and invigorating those around you
2. Inspire a shared vision - Show your people that they are valued, include them in your vision for the future, paint a compelling picture that involves and includes their input and involvement
3. Provide positive challenge  - provide team members with projects and assignments that will allow them to push beyond their perceived limits, allowing them to grow and develop
4. Enable others to act- Invest in their development, training is critical to ensure they have the skills, confidence and feeling of worth in the business
5. Encourage the heart - Catch them doing something great, make their work meaningful , show your appreciation and gratitude and most importantly allow time for fun!

Don't forget every word you say , every move your make is feeding both yourself and those around you fruit or poison..... be sure to be nutritional with your words and deeds.
“Watch your thoughts, they become words;
watch your words, they become actions;
watch your actions, they become habits;
watch your habits, they become character;
watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.”
FRANK OUTLAW
Late President of the Bi-Lo Stores
Want to learn more about inspiring positivity in the workplace?
Join us for #inspirenewark our inspire day, all details can be found here: https://billetto.co.uk/inspire-day-by-get-the-edge
Would you like to be the difference that makes the difference?
Click now and book your place! All proceeds from this event will go to Beaumond House Community Hospice
Until next time , make every moment count,

Lisa x
Chief Inspiration Officer