Awesome Sauce Top Ten list: Positivity. You’d think being positive would be universally accepted as a positive thing, but it’s surprisingly controversial. Not only that, but arguments to the contrary have scientific backing. Listen to this discussion and decide where you’d rather live – la la land, or blah blah land – and learn and easy way to get there!

Outline Notes:

1. Welcome, another episode of our series Awesome Sauce, the Traits that Make Life Great.
2. I’ll introduce today’s topic with a story I wrote about an exemplary human being for the online course and upcoming book The Happiness Equation.
3. This topic may seem obvious, in fact I’d place it in my Top Ten list of awesome sauce traits, but as it turns out, it’s also surprisingly controversial.
4. After the story, I’ll point out that controversy, and cite research that proves both sides of the argument.
5. Read the story at https://www.facebook.com/UofLIFE/photos/a.133279420076693/3095053577232581/?type=3&theater
6. Homework assignments: A. List three happy thoughts. B. Think them 10-20 times per day until they become habits. C. Once you notice them changing your world, discuss one with someone.
7. Nice comment and contribution (thanks!) and Alan.
8. La la land. French. THE land. I agree! Ou la la!
9. Not what he meant. Too touchy feely?
10. Old paradigm that conditions determine happiness.
11. vs new science that ideas change lives, thoughts shape reality.
12. In the first place, perception is what you experience.
13. In the second place, thoughts influence emotions, behavior, outcomes.
14. Science example: John Gottman, institute, insightful, useful, 5 to 1 ratio.
    I used to apply a variation of this rule while teaching at the high school level.
15. But before we dismiss Alan’s comment entirely, let’s validate the controversy. I told you there is also science to support his reaction, and using Gottman’s same research, that ratio is 13 to 1. Can’t believe it. Like why the first “realities” in the Matrix failed. Unrealistic.
16. You probably know people like this. Watching Lego Movie, everything is awesome, and you find yourself on Alan’s side shouting NO IT’S NOT! There are serious problems in the world!
17. So you see, we all have common ground with Alan, though we may disagree about where to draw the lines.
18. Swing too far toward idealism and it gets unrealistic and ineffective.
19. Swing too far away from a growth mentality, away from taking responsibility for your thinking and the outcomes it produces, and you become stuck in…wherever you happen to already be, with little chance for significant improvement.
20. If that place isn’t already ideal, it sounds rather blah. Let’s give that place its own name, too. May I suggest “blah blah land.”
21. That’s your choice. One or the other, or somewhere in between, wherever you land is all up to you and whether you do your homework faithfully – list at least three happy thoughts, think them repeatedly, and discuss the results with someone.
22. BTW today is New Years Eve, and I could wish you happy new year, but I would rather show you a comic which shows you how to make it MORE than just a wish, and make that wish come true.
23. For those of you listening and not watching on our YouTube channel, it reads “What do you think the new year will bring? I think it will bring flowers. What makes you think that? Because I’m planting flowers.”
24. So do your homework and PLANT SOME POSITIVE THOUGHTS in your brain! Then water them until they take root and grow and produce fruit!
25. That’s exactly the sort of thing I’m talking about every time I sign off and tell you to Live Smart, Live Happy.
26. Also remember to subscribe so you’ll know when we post the next positive thought for you to consider. See you next year!