In 2006 I had the privilege of being a teaching fellow in Tal Ben-Shahar's Positive Psychology class at Harvard University. Alongside Shawn Achor, (as well as other talented teaching fellows), we lead over 856 undergraduate students through a transformational learning experience. Dubbed the "Happy Class", it created some bewilderment and suspicion on campus: What made this class so popular? Were students given A's for smiling and thinking positive thoughts? Flash forward to winter of 2014: my Positive Psychology class at Tufts University fills up one minute after registration opened. It doesn't take a scientist to tell us that, clearly, there's something "up".

The person responsible for launching the field of positive psychology in 1998 was Martin Seligman. He brought together researchers to study and find answers to a fundamental question: What contributes to happiness and success as we develop as human beings? Students and others are drawn to the material in Positive Psych because it encapsulates research-based strategies to improve mood, well-being and performance. (It's by no means the standard mood enhancer!) By studying positive emotions, strengths, goal-setting and relationships, people learn the skills necessary to succeed-- in their personal, academic, and professional lives.