Broadcasting Happiness

Positive Energy

Everyone has the power to be a positive or negative influence. The subjects you talk about – or “broadcast” – to your family, friends and co-workers affect their mood and their reactions to “stress, change and challenges.”

During the 2007-2008 recession, CBS News in New York produced a series called “Happy Week,” which aired uplifting stories during a challenging time. Positive feedback from viewers for that one-week experiment exceeded the total number of emails the station had received for the entire previous year. The viewers said the good news helped them understand that happiness is a conscious decision. Regardless of the context or situation, the stories people tell reveal whether they have an optimistic or pessimistic mind-set. Research indicates that positive interactions in the workplace significantly lower stress levels and increase sales, performance and productivity.

Workplace Positivity

Experience conditions people to believe that only top executives or managers can bring about positive change. Such an idea could make you feel negative and powerless, but it’s not true. “Normal people” can change others’ attitudes...