A Life Well Spent
How to increase your purchasing power
If you know how to spend it, money can actually buy happiness, says our friend Shawn Achor. That’s not what Mom told us, but on the other hand, Shawn taught a class called “Positive Psychology” at Harvard, runs a company called Good Think, Inc. and wrote The Happiness Advantage. In other words, he knows a thing or two about good vibes.
The trick, Shawn says, is to use money to do something rather than get something. “Research shows that the happiness we get from material objects passes very quickly,” he told us. “But spending on experiences, especially those involving other people, produces positive emotions that are more meaningful and last for years.” So if you’ve got a few extra bucks, skip the trendy shoes, and spend instead on dinner out with friends, tickets to Cirque de Soleil, or a donation to a charity you care about. We’re smiling already.
—For more on The Happiness Advantage, go to shawnachor.com or amazon.com.
The trick, Shawn says, is to use money to do something rather than get something. “Research shows that the happiness we get from material objects passes very quickly,” he told us. “But spending on experiences, especially those involving other people, produces positive emotions that are more meaningful and last for years.” So if you’ve got a few extra bucks, skip the trendy shoes, and spend instead on dinner out with friends, tickets to Cirque de Soleil, or a donation to a charity you care about. We’re smiling already.
—For more on The Happiness Advantage, go to shawnachor.com or amazon.com.
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