The first “real” Positive Psychology book that I got my hands on was the German version of the The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky. It´s the one book that I still recommend to newbies when asked for a hands-on yet scientific source on the topic. Therefore, I was delighted to see that Sonja also has a lot of her stuff on Youtube. Below, you´ll find three of her short videos that were published by the Greater Good Science Center at Berkeley (and there´s more where this came from).
The first video explains the set-point theory of happiness that suggests only 10% of our happiness is determined by external circumstances (such as where we live, if we are married, rich or poor etc.), while 50% is determined by our genes – which leaves roughly 40% under our personal control, precisely: Intentional activities that have been shown to raise psychological well-being.
The second video builds on that last notion, saying that there are no shortcuts to happiness – that it takes work to be happy.
The last one talks of about the benefits (the side effects) of being happy, such as being healthier, more resilient, even potentially even more successful in a wide array of life domains.
Enjoy!
Mappalicious 