Positive Psychology

26 Jan

Posted at 19:30h in Inspiration, Life Coach, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, spirituality by

[caption id="attachment_208" align="alignleft" width="204" caption="Gotta love an AHA! moment"][/caption] When I was out walking Rocco this morning before my first client arrived, I had a big revelation about me and my work in the world. My job as a coach is intuitive – it is my calling, my passion. But I still have the voice in my head that says, sometimes, “you’re not good enough (at asking questions)” or “you don’t know enough (about positive psychology).” I grapple with this voice some days as I prepare to meet clients. It gets in the way. But today I thought differently. I...

14 Jan

Posted at 20:54h in Coaching, customs, Efficacy, gratitude, Inspiration, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mindfulness, positive emotion, Positive person, Positive Psychology, Relationships, resilience, resiliency, Thoughts-Action by

Can you believe Albert Einstein said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” I’ve been thinking on this lately. Albert Einstein was a smart, smart man. But quotes of his like this make me see his intelligence in different, universal – perhaps even spiritual ways. I’ve been testing my ability to see everything as miracle and boy, does it take work. As a New Yorker, I’ve recently been doing this work in finding ways to enjoy winter. My tendency is...

06 Jan

Posted at 10:52h in forgiveness, Goal Setting, gratitude, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, Relationships, resiliency by

Well, here we are, it's 2010!   Here's my list of Top 10, of course with at positive psychology lens.  BIG clarification: Positive psychology is NOT just about positive thinking. It's about being authentic and attuned, grounded, and choosing to focus attention in certain (perhaps more positive) directions - when possible, which makes it realistic. (1) Take stock. Review 2009 with an appreciative lens. What went well? What were your wins, big & small? Make a list, post them on your refrigerator and savor. (2) Clarify your visions. Successful people know what they want. They are clear about what the future looks...

15 Dec

Posted at 20:33h in Action Research, Hope, Inspiration, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mindfulness, positive emotion, Positive Psychology, Relationships, resiliency, savoring, Social-Emotional Leadership, Uncategorized by

Last week, our meetup discussed ways to really have a banging holiday season this year.  A mighty group of us talked about how to use Positive Psychology (the science of happiness & success) to make this happen.  We started by asking, "How do we want to be feeling on January 1?" Inspired? Excited? Rested? Hopeful? Some of our ideas for how to ensure this - about how to have a joyful season, included: * Keep a growth mindset (things change, people change) * Appreciate what's already good (what you look forward to each year - dig deep if need be) * Consider 'best' possible...

11 Dec

Posted at 12:18h in Goal Setting, Hope, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mindfulness, Positive person, Positive Psychology, Uncategorized, Vision by

First on Barbara Walter’s special of the 10 Most Fascinating People of 2009 is Lady Gaga. What makes her so positive? “I had a dream and was fearless with my ambition,” Gaga (who’s right around my age) says. “Every bit of me is devoted to love and art.” It’s all about clarifying dreams and building intrinsic motivation around those dreams. Hope = pathways + agency. Positive psychologists study this. She says she felt like a “freak” when she was younger, especially in high school (don’t I know it too…). “I want to free them [struggling young people} from their fears and...

09 Dec

Posted at 23:04h in Coaching, Cognitive, Cognitive-behavioral, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology, resilience, Uncategorized by

I do! And I'm working at silencing him. Maybe you are too?  Let me tell you - the tools from my field, Positive Psychology, are scientifically proven to help combat that.  To make us more resilient! More happy! Don't you want that? I love how this guy (ill doctrine) talks about it in terms of CREATIVITY. Take a look, by clicking here....

28 Nov

Posted at 23:47h in abundance, Action Research, Cognitive-behavioral, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Mindfulness, Positive Intervention, Positive Psychology, Schools, Social-Emotional Leadership by

I propose we attempt to set up learning organizations wherever possible to support a more positive evolution. According to Peter M. Senge, Director of the Systems Thinking and Organizational Learning Program at the Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Learning Organizations are places where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together. Essentially, anywhere there are groups of people that spend chunks of time together can form learning organizations –...

28 Oct

Posted at 15:17h in Action Research, Coaching, Cognitive, Cognitive-behavioral, Meaning, Mindfulness, Positive Intervention, Positive Psychology, Relationships, Social-Emotional Leadership by

[caption id="attachment_166" align="alignright" width="300" caption="From hearing to seeing to speaking. Assume much?"][/caption] Aim: To become more mindful of everyday language, to create meaning. Point: What we know of positive psychology is that other people matter. <roll eyes here>. Certainly, these words have been overused so much so, they’re becoming empty. Other words we use are empty, too. For example, when someone asks, “How are you?” answers like “fine” and “good” do not have significant meaning. The argument can be made that the question has no meaning either. Challenge: To be as specific as you can be when someone asks you, “How are you?”....

14 Oct

Posted at 11:54h in Character Strength, Coaching, Efficacy, Flow, forgiveness, Hope, Inspiration, Life Coach, Life Coaching, Love, Meaning, Mindfulness, Positive person, positive place, Positive Psychology, Relationships, Vision by

Last week I had the great fortune of being with the Dalai Lama three days in two cities. The second of these visits brought me to Washington DC, where the Mind Life Institute presented an annual congress on learning called “Educating World Citizens” which brought together over 2,000 international voices. The Dalai Lama participated in all sessions over two days, which engaged western scientists concerned about the good life, particularly in regard to schooling (teaching/learning). Session topics included: Envisioning the World Citizen; Attention, Emotional Regulation, and Learning; Compassion and Empathy, and Future Directions and Policy. To sum, we discussed how to educate...

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