[It’s] the lens through which your brain views the world that shapes your reality. And if we can change the lens, not only can we change your happiness, we can change every single educational and business outcome at the same time.

Achor argues that subjective perception—our habitual “lens” of attention and interpretation—plays a causal role in lived experience. Reality, in this view, is not merely what happens to us but what our minds select, emphasize, and narrate. By training the brain to notice opportunities, social support, and progress (rather than threats and deficits), we can increase well-being. He further claims this shift has instrumental value: a more positive cognitive frame improves learning, creativity, resilience, and performance, so happiness is not just an outcome of success but a driver of it. The quote encapsulates the central thesis of positive psychology as Achor popularizes it: change mindset, and both feelings and results can change.