Fast Five: The Jar of Awesome

Awesome is in the mind of the beholder. Find awesome in our everyday lives. Happiness researcher Shawn Achor encourages us to spend a few minutes daily identifying gratitude moments. We can reference them for later use. 

Tim Ferriss gifts an even simpler method. His girlfriend presented him the Jar of Awesome. He replenishes the jar daily with awesomeness. When we look for awesome, we find it. 

I got my Jar of Awesome. I watched episode one of March to Madness on HBO that examines the UCONN Huskies women's basketball program. But earlier, we had worked to assemble over 10,000 meals (rice, soy protein, flavoring, vitamins) to fight global hunger. That's truly awesome.

Jon Gordon, author of The Positive Dog, suggests fourteen simple steps to be more positive. 

Here are a few ideas that fit our jar well: 

2. Take a Walk of Gratitude - I do this each morning and it feeds me all day long.

3. Turn off the News - Starve the negative dog.

8. Reach Out - Call or visit someone who has made a difference in your life and thank them. (research shows this is a huge happiness booster)

12. Be a Coach - Coaches bring out the best in others. The best coaches mentor, encourage, praise, inspire, and lead with optimism and positivity. Today, feed others and yourself with positivity by being a coach.

13. Start a Success Journal - Write down the one great thing about your day. The more you look for success, the more you will find it.

Happier employees are more productive, experience less burnout, and earn more.