My wife thinks I was crazy to register for a college class right now with all that I have to do. She’s right of course. But I could not stop myself from registering for my first MOOC* on the Science of Happiness. (*Massive Open Online Course.) UC-Berkeley stated that over 10,000 people had signed up. I can guarantee you there are not 10,000 in week 7. (I am in week 7, but the class is in week 8.)
Studying happiness with research and science to back it up has been wonderful. What has been more amazing is how intertwined this is with discovering your “purpose” in life. As a career coach or career counselor, here are three specific things you can do to help your students/clients to be happier and three things to think about in helping them discover purpose and meaning in their lives.
Research shows that happiness has a “set point” in all of us at about 50%. This means that we are born with a certain happiness set point that is not moveable. 10% of our happiness is our environment, where we live, with whom we live & work, etc.. This leaves a WHOPPING 40% that we actually have control over! Yahoo! Here are three action steps you can take to increase your happiness that I have learned in the class I do not have time for 🙂
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