Author: Louis J. Alloro, M.Ed., MAPP

16 Sep

Posted at 19:48h in Action Research, Mindfulness, patterns, Positive Psychology by

1. Lots. 2. Negative patterns are so imbedded in our DNA, that without mindfulness, we're apt to repeat our history -- and not in good ways. 3. No one is exempt from building this thing called positivity. It's not "you have it or you don't." You build it -- just like any other muscle. 4. Focusing is hard. Especially in 2011 when there are so many things (media/discourse/beliefs) coming at us all the time. Especially during summer. Especially in transition. (For me, living in a new city, and out of a suitcase, has been more challenging than I thought it would be.) 5. Evolution is...

10 Sep

Posted at 09:17h in Positive Psychology, Workshop by

and the amazing Emiliya Zhivotovskaya . . . in NYC this fall . . . three Sunday afternoons (Oct 23, Nov 20, and Dec 4) . . . in an experiential learning lab at the NYC Open Center . . . which will leave you feeling energized, engaged, and alive! From the Open Center Catalog: The dynamic new field of positive psychology uses rigorous research to understand happiness and well-being and is expanding rapidly worldwide. In this lab, participants can enter this psychological revolution—a scientific movement helping people flourish, become happier, and be more alive. The program provides tools to measure our baseline happiness, well-being,...

25 Aug

Posted at 12:49h in My life, Positive Psychology by

Ever get the feeling that you don't know who you are? What you are? Where you are? I'm feeling this now as I transition to Cleveland and sort out the next phase of my life. Of SOMO. And beyond. Thank goodness mercury is coming out of retrograde on the 26th, which means clearer clarity, clearer communication, and clearer collaboration are on its way. Patience, Louis. ("I'm workin' on it!") Collaboration is the name of the game -- and what positive psychology purports is just that: putting aside ego (am workin' on this too), embracing individuality and diversity at the same time and realizing we...

20 Aug

Posted at 10:43h in Uncategorized by

Mindful Every day I see or hear something that more or less kills me with delight, that leaves me like a needle in the haystack of light. It was what I was born for - to look, to listen, to lose myself inside this soft world - to instruct myself over and over in joy, and acclamation. Nor am I talking about the exceptional, the fearful, the dreadful, the very extravagant - but of the ordinary, the common, the very drab, the daily presentations. Oh, good scholar, I say to myself, how can you help but grow wise with such teachings as these - the untrimmable light of the world, the ocean's shine, the prayers that are made out of grass? ~ Mary Oliver ~ (Why I Wake Early)...

14 Aug

Posted at 09:28h in Cognitive-behavioral, gratitude, Mindfulness, Opportunity/Threat, Uncategorized by

I'm feeling a whole slew of "threat" response surfacing lately -- fear, anxiety, scarcity. Even with all of this knowledge of positive psychology (that thoughts lead to feelings), I still find myself caught in this whirlwind of frustration. What are the beliefs underscoring (or overwhelming!) my feeling this way? Spending a week as a seminar participants in Jack Canfield's Breakthrough to Success program has been way eye-opening for me. I know I am not showing up to play full out. I feel myself on the fringes and I don't like it here. Why is it happening? There are many variables: I didn't necessarily...

12 Aug

Posted at 23:21h in My life, trust by

You know the kind? It's when there *appears to be many balls in the air - and the juggling is going well. Until, of course a bump. Or two. Bumps are natural. (Booty and otherwise.) The thing about bumps is that they require adaptation -- and as we know from Mr. Darwin, that's the name of the game. "The fittest" = the most adaptable. My bump has been this move to Cleveland. When I think I just moved to a new apartment in NYC earlier this year (with a heavy broker's fee, I'll add), it wasn't even in my consciousness that...

22 Jul

Posted at 08:53h in SOMO Leadership by

I had a SOMO moment yesterday at the gym 1-2-1 Fitness on CASE's campus. A kid (must've been sixteen) was bench pressing. He asked me to spot him. He said, "I want to get five reps, but will probably only do four." I replied, "You can and will do five, buddy, c'mon"...

13 Jul

Posted at 20:31h in Positive Intervention, Positive Psychology, Social-Emotional Leadership, SOMO Leadership, Uncategorized, well-being by

I drove 400 miles to Cleveland, Ohio yesterday to continue a newer chapter of my life called "My Dreams are Coming True." I swear, people--this stuff works! It's happening in my life and it's because I'm learning to think differently. Trust me, please. I'm not just talkin' smack. But let me tell you, the past few weeks have been filled with mixed emotions. Lots of anxiety was coming up for me in New York. (I'm learning too that my fear shows up in strange, strange ways . . . almost hard to notice in real time, which is why hindsight is a beautiful thing.)...

04 Jul

Posted at 15:48h in Flourishing, neuroscience, Positive Intervention, SOMO Leadership, Uncategorized by

[caption id="attachment_535" align="alignright" width="157" caption="Shot on my run one morning along the Bosphorus River."][/caption] I'm just returning from Turkey, where I spent just five days in Instanbul, an amazing place on so many levels--rich with history, faith (of all kinds), and beauty beyond imagination. I was invited to facilitate a SOMO Learning Lab for 30 pioneering change-agents (coaches, HR directors, business & media leaders, university professors) in a 2-day experience we called Engaging Leadership With Positive Psychology. The program was stamped by George Mason University's Institute for Leadership Excellence and its Director, Fran Nurthen and I co-facilitated. We used my SOMO Leadership Model as the...

03 Jul

Posted at 16:56h in Moments that matter, Social-Emotional Leadership, SOMO Leadership by

[caption id="attachment_523" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Louis Joseph and Louis Thomas"][/caption] I had a great SOMO moment today with my dad. We were in his car driving (obviously) and catching up. He said, "I've been selling lots of jobs lately -- most of the sales calls I've been going on turn into sales" (he's had a contracting business for the past 30 years and I used to work with him). I responded, "Awesome, dad! Why do you think?" (i.e. how do you explain your success to yourself?) He paused and then said, "I don't know -- I suppose all the competitors send used-car like...

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