The year is 2150. By some miracle, you’re still alive. The Happiness Machine has finally been invented. At a cost of just $100, you can get one for yourself. It’s like a non-stop dose of heroine, ecstasy and marijuana combined, but without any of the negative side-effects – no brain damage, no poisoning, no psychological impairment. Best of all, there’s no dependence. The Happiness Machine feels just as good on day 200 as it did on day 1, inducing a permanent state of euphoria. The only drawback is that once you’ve plugged yourself in, there’s no going…
Positive Psychology
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Most Topular Stories
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There’s More to Life Than Happiness – But That Doesn’t Make Wanting It Stupid or Selfish
Happier Human12 Feb 2013 | 6:55 am -
3 Steps to Happiness
Personal Development | How To Get Success In Life18 May 2013 | 6:39 amIf there’s one thing that many wise people throughout history have realized, it’s that life has a unique sense of humor. Why else would happiness be something that almost everyone wants and covets, yet only few ever realize in their lifetimes? Another similar joke that life plays on all of us is that happiness is often achieved by those who stop seeking it out. This may seem counter intuitive at first, however, as we explain some of the common beliefs happy people share, it will become readily apparent how those who don’t seek happiness are the most likely to find it! -
Unveiling Thick Face, Black Heart
Motivational Memo Blog12 May 2013 | 3:17 pmPost written by Chin-Ning Chu with Peter G. James Sinclair. Allow me to share what I feel are some of the best quotations from Chin-Ning Chu’s book, Thick Face, Black Heart: The Warrior Philosophy for Conquering the Challenges of Business and Life. Great insight. Great wisdom. Dwell on each phrase. Chew slowly. Digest deliberately, and apply diligently. The title of the book is drawn from a quote by Lee Zhong Wu – ‘When you conceal your will from others, that is thick. When you impose your will on others, that is black.’ The world has a tendency to accept our own judgment of… -
How Your Enthusiasm Makes All The Difference
Motivational Memo Blog16 May 2013 | 9:46 amPost written by Peter G. James Sinclair. Some years ago I sent my sixteen-year-old daughter on a mission. The mission was this: to purchase a new vehicle for our family at auction. Now after our research, we had discovered that we were able to purchase a top of the range vehicle with all the latest gadgets and gizmos, for thousands of dollars less than the current market value if we were simply willing to step outside the norm and do something different. Winning Preparation So for a whole month before the event we researched. We scanned the papers, we contacted dealers, and we checked out… -
Making Hope Happen (Book Review)
Positive Psychology News Daily17 May 2013 | 5:28 amBy Doug Turner - Rick SnyderShane Lopez dedicates his most recent book, Making Hope Happen, to Dr. Rick Snyder his friend and mentor by saying, “In memory of Rick. I interpreted your promise of a lifetime of mentoring to mean my lifetime.” As I pursued my Masters in Applied Positive Psychology, my attention was immediately drawn to the study of the concept of hope. I read all I could find on the subject and quickly learned that Rick Snyder was the leader in this field of inquiry. Sadly Rick passed away shortly before I finished my degree. Happily, Shane Lopez has picked…
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Positive Psychology News Daily
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Making Hope Happen (Book Review)
17 May 2013 | 5:28 amBy Doug Turner - Rick SnyderShane Lopez dedicates his most recent book, Making Hope Happen, to Dr. Rick Snyder his friend and mentor by saying, “In memory of Rick. I interpreted your promise of a lifetime of mentoring to mean my lifetime.” As I pursued my Masters in Applied Positive Psychology, my attention was immediately drawn to the study of the concept of hope. I read all I could find on the subject and quickly learned that Rick Snyder was the leader in this field of inquiry. Sadly Rick passed away shortly before I finished my degree. Happily, Shane Lopez has picked… -
Exercise for Social Fitness
15 May 2013 | 7:52 amBy Diana Boufford - Editor’s note: This is the fifth in the series by Diana Boufford on the well-being of the elder community. She first introduced the Comprehensive Geriatric Fitness model, then discussed Spiritual Fitness, then Family Fitness, then Emotional Fitness. Watch this space for one more article in the series on Physical Fitness. Also check out a separate article with some specific ideas for developing Social Fitness. When I think of social fitness I think of charismatic, outgoing, exciting people who are able to entertain at parties and make others laugh, people who feel… -
Social Fitness: Specific Ideas for Exercise
15 May 2013 | 6:59 amBy Diana Boufford - Here are some practices that build social fitness and social networks. Be brave, go forward, have fun, and make this the best time of your life. Participate regularly in activities that you find meaningful and engaging. Don’t know what they are? Watch for times when you lose yourself in something or feel particularly satisfied. What were you doing? Try new things and see how they affect your spirits. Playing Bridge Together Give of yourself to others: That could be to friends, family, neighbors, people in your religious center, children in… -
What a College Dropout Has to Say about Success
13 May 2013 | 7:16 amBy Sherri Fisher - Paul Tough“What can we as a country do to significantly improve the life chances of millions of poor children?” This is the question that reporter Paul Tough (the college drop-out in the title above) asks us to tackle with him in his book, How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character. More than a book about what schools can do to effectively educate students out of the grip of poverty, journalist Tough weaves newspaper feature-like stories into a call for action on behalf all children, from affluent to poor. By sifting through stories from… -
Attentional Biases of Anxiety Disorders, meet Positive Psychology
8 May 2013 | 9:52 amBy Merche Ovejero - Author’s Note: It is a great honor for me to introduce the authors of this article, Marta Velázquez Gil and Esther Lázaro Olmedo. Both of them are first course students from the degree of Psychology at Complutense University, Madrid (Spain). They are a great example of interest, motivation, and engagement of the new generation of psychology students related to Positive Psychology. This work was presented during a class of Psychology of Attention and Executive Functions and received very positive feedback from their classmates as well as from the professor. People…
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The Happiness Project
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“No Biographer Could Possibly Guess This Important Fact About My Life In the Late Summer of 1926.”
19 May 2013 | 4:21 am“Many scenes have come & gone unwritten, since it is today the 4th Sept, a cold grey blowy day, made memorable by the sight of a kingfisher, & by my sense, waking early, of being again visited by ‘the spirit of delight.’ ‘Rarely rarely comest thou, spirit of delight.’ That was I singing this time last year; & sang so poignantly that I have never forgotten it, or my vision of a fin rising on a wide blank sea. No biographer could possibly guess this important fact about my life in the late summer of 1926: yet biographers pretend they know people.”… -
The Happiness Lesson from the Finale of the TV Show “The Office.”
17 May 2013 | 6:05 amMy daughters and I are huge fans of the TV show, The Office (the American version). We have the DVDs, we’ve watched every episode several times, and they get funnier each time. Now, admittedly, you may question the wisdom of allowing an eight-year-old to watch the show. But I always watch with her, and I skip through the inappropriate parts. One thing that my happiness project has taught me is that my own frame of mind can significantly boost (or diminish) the amount of happiness I get from something. Therefore, one of my aims has been to boost my feelings of pleasant… -
Would You Do Me a Favor? Take This Short Survey.
16 May 2013 | 10:17 amOne of my Secrets of Adulthood is to It’s okay to ask for help–and today I’m asking! I’m considering adding some new features to The Happiness Project site, and it would be hugely helpful to learn more about you and your views. I’d like to know what’s working well, and what could work better. I know it’s a pain to do these things, so out of the people who take the survey, I’ll choose ten people at random to receive a set of signed books: The Happiness Project, Happier at Home, and The One-Sentence Journal. The survey is short and… -
How Well Do You Know Yourself? Take This Quiz.
15 May 2013 | 6:13 amEvery Wednesday is Tip Day. This Wednesday: Quiz–Answer these questions to boost your self-knowledge. A key–perhaps the key–to a happy life is self-knowledge, because as the Fifth Splendid Truth holds, I can build a happy life only on the foundation of my own nature. In my own case, I’ve found that the more my life reflects my real interests, values, and temperament, the happier I become. But it’s very hard to know ourselves; it’s easy to be distracted by the way we wish we were, or think we ought to be, or what others think we should be, until we lose sight of what is… -
Story: Get a Hold of Yourself, Meredith.
14 May 2013 | 2:33 pmFor the weekly videos, I now tell a story. I’ve realized that for me, and I think for many people, a story is what holds my attention and makes a point most powerfully. This week’s story: Get a hold of yourself, Meredith. Can’t see the video? Click here. Do you have any catch-phrases or mantras that work for you? I’m still puzzled by why I’ve remembered this one for so many years! It reminds me of how Miss Anning rallies herself by repeating “On, Stanley, on” in Virginia Woolf’s short story, “Together and Apart.” [She said] to herself:…
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The Psychology of Wellbeing
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Personal Decisions are the Leading Cause of Death
14 May 2013 | 4:33 amPersonal Decisions are the Leading Cause of Death, from The Psychology of Wellbeing By bitz nibtez via Compfight. Have you ever made one of the following decisions? Smoked a cigarette. Drank too much. Ate too much. Ate things that were bad for you. Neglected working out. Had unsafe sex. Drove a car without a seatbelt. Drove a car after drinking. Drove a car faster than the speed limit. Used an illegal drug. If you’re human, you’ve probably done many of the things on this list. Maybe even all of them (I’m pretty sure I have.) And yet, you probably acknowledge that these were bad… -
Coca-Cola Really Does Sell Happiness
7 May 2013 | 4:48 amCoca-Cola Really Does Sell Happiness, from The Psychology of Wellbeing One aspect of the emergence of positive psychology and the trendiness of happiness has been to see businesses incorporating happiness into their business models. Zappos’ business is based on “Delivering Happiness,” Huggies has it’s “be happy” campaign and Coca-Cola’s “Open Happiness” video commercials have been hugely successful. At least in the case of Coca-Cola, their claims about selling happiness in a bottle appear to be grounded in reality. A study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies… -
The Vegetarianish Diet
30 Apr 2013 | 4:47 amThe Vegetarianish Diet, from The Psychology of Wellbeing Photo Credit: Tambako the Jaguar via Compfightcc Long-time loyal readers of this blog will be aware that I take a month off of eating meat every year. I do this for three reasons: 1) I think it’s healthier not to eat meat. 2) I think it’s better for the planet. And 3) I think it’s a good to exercise your will from time to time to deny yourself things that you really want. I’ve been doing this for over ten years. Normally, I struggle through this month of vegetarianism and while I think it is good for me, I usually quickly… -
Running with the Dead
23 Apr 2013 | 4:45 amRunning with the Dead, from The Psychology of Wellbeing Photo Credit: Chad McDonald via Compfight The headquarters of my company (Starwood Hotels and Resorts) recently relocated to a beautiful part of Stamford, Connecticut. Our new offices happen to be located adjacent to a cemetery, where I sometimes go running on my lunch break. I’m not sure what the etiquette is of running through a cemetery where I have no relationship to any of those interred there, and I would hate to do anything that those there to mourn the loss of a loved one might consider disrespectful. But so far, I have not… -
How to Have a PERMA-Vacation!
16 Apr 2013 | 4:38 amHow to Have a PERMA-Vacation!, from The Psychology of Wellbeing If you clicked this link because you thought I would teach how to have a “PERMANENT” vacation, then you misunderstood. But what I’m offering you is even better. PERMA is the acronym described by Martin Seligman, one of the top researchers in positive psychology, for the ingredients of a flourishing life: Positive emotions—experiencing happiness, joy, hope, love, gratitude, etc. Engagement—using strengths to meet challenges; a sense of being blissfully absorbed in what one is doing. Relationships—connecting with…
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How Can I Be Happy? Learn The Latest Positive Psychology Tools
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How Can I Be Happy? Using Science to Increase Your Happiness
19 May 2013 | 3:04 pmHow Can I Be Happy? Scientifically-Proven Techniques to Increase Your Happiness By John Schinnerer, Ph.D. Founder Guide to Self “If I had to live my life again, I would … read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week; for perhaps the parts of my brain now atrophied would thus have [...] -
Positive Psychology Coach John Schinnerer Ph.D. on Handling Adolescent Anger w/ Dr. James Sutton
19 May 2013 | 12:30 pmPositive Psychology Coach John Schinnerer Ph.D. on Handling Adolescent Anger (What to Do With Angry Teens) w/ Dr. James Sutton from The Changing Behavior Network Radio/Podcast Interview Check out the interview I did with Dr. Sutton last Thursday…. www.thechangingbehaviornetwork.com/?p=1499 Anger Management Let me know your thoughts down below! Thanks for listening! John John Schinnerer, Ph.D. [...] -
Brain frontal lobes not sole center of human intelligence
15 May 2013 | 1:30 pmHow Can I Be Happy? Understand the Way In Which the Mind Works May 15, 2013 Credit: National Cancer Institute/Wikimedia Commons The frontal lobes in humans vs. other species are not — as previously thought — disproportionately enlarged relative to other areas of the brain, according to a study by Durham and Reading universities. It concludes [...] -
Clinical trial supports use of Kava to treat anxiety
15 May 2013 | 1:27 pmHow Can I Be Happy? Turn Down the Volume on Anxiety May 15, 2013 Kava (Piper methysticum) (credit: Forest & Kim Starr/Wikimedia Commons) A world-first completed clinical study by an Australian team has found Kava, a medicinal South Pacific plant, significantly reduced the symptoms of people suffering anxiety. The study, led by the University of [...] -
How Do We Make Sense of the Irrational? Emotions, Moods and Temperaments as Dramatic Theater!
12 May 2013 | 10:38 pmHow Can I Be Happy? Learn Positive Psychology and How Your Mind Works… By John Schinnerer, Ph.D. Guide to Self Emotional power is maybe the most valuable thing that an actor can have. Christopher Walken The most embarrassing, shameful, stupidest things I’ve done in my life occurred when my emotional mind was in charge of me…angry, [...]
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Motivational Memo Blog
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The Vital Need For Positive Reinforcement
19 May 2013 | 9:56 amPost written by Bill Sims Jr. “Manipulating behavior by offering rewards, while a sound approach for training the family pet, can never bring quality to the workplace.” – Alfie Kohn, Phd. Applause bursts out spontaneously from a crowd delighted by the band’s performance. A coach shares a high-five with the player who wins the game. A baby’s first steps are applauded by Mom and Dad. As hard as Alfie Kohn, Daniel Pink, and others may try to persuade us that external praise and positive feedback are wrong, their arguments do not jibe with the reality of life. We need positive… -
How Your Enthusiasm Makes All The Difference
16 May 2013 | 9:46 amPost written by Peter G. James Sinclair. Some years ago I sent my sixteen-year-old daughter on a mission. The mission was this: to purchase a new vehicle for our family at auction. Now after our research, we had discovered that we were able to purchase a top of the range vehicle with all the latest gadgets and gizmos, for thousands of dollars less than the current market value if we were simply willing to step outside the norm and do something different. Winning Preparation So for a whole month before the event we researched. We scanned the papers, we contacted dealers, and we checked out… -
Unveiling Thick Face, Black Heart
12 May 2013 | 3:17 pmPost written by Chin-Ning Chu with Peter G. James Sinclair. Allow me to share what I feel are some of the best quotations from Chin-Ning Chu’s book, Thick Face, Black Heart: The Warrior Philosophy for Conquering the Challenges of Business and Life. Great insight. Great wisdom. Dwell on each phrase. Chew slowly. Digest deliberately, and apply diligently. The title of the book is drawn from a quote by Lee Zhong Wu – ‘When you conceal your will from others, that is thick. When you impose your will on others, that is black.’ The world has a tendency to accept our own judgment of… -
Making Progress Through Fearless & Strategic Action
9 May 2013 | 9:07 amPost written by Peter G. James Sinclair. If you want to change the way you live, there are vital ingredients that must become a part of your life if desired change will take place. You must back up your resolve with a plan of action. You must also acquire the correct knowledge and then put yourself within an environment whereby you can access ongoing wise counsel. And then you must do more than just plan your action. You must act. There is a multi-millionaire who had a dream. It may surprise you that his first dream was not to own a condominium or a hotel resort beside the ocean. His very… -
Overcoming Abuse – To Be Brave Is To Be Honest
5 May 2013 | 9:27 amPost written by Bulbul Bahuguna, M.D. It is unfortunate that a person has either been himself abused by someone, or knows of someone else who has been abused. Sexual abuse often happens in the secrecy of a home and goes unreported. Silence only enables the crime. To be brave is to be honest. Recovery begins with honest self-talk – such as what follows… Self-Talk By A Victim Of Sexual Abuse It never ceases to amaze me what one person can experience during a lifetime. This emotional clearing house called life. How do you stay sane in insane places? How do you stop sorting through the…
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Walter E. Jacobson, M.D.
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“Forgive To Win” Audio Version
12 May 2013 | 10:29 amMy book, “Forgive To Win! – Create The Life You Want” is about utilizing spiritual principles and cognitive techniques to eliminate judgments and resentments, eliminate guilt, shame and self-loathing, increase self-esteem — and in so doing — decrease self-sabotaging behaviors getting in the way of one’s happiness, physical well-being and material success. “Forgive To Win!” is available in paperback, in a Kindle version and now in an audio book version available at Amazon, iTunes and audible.com: http://bit.ly/19cmjnN Copyright © 2013 Walter… -
Forgive To Win! AUDIO VERSION – FREE 5-MINUTE PREVIEW
11 May 2013 | 10:43 amForgive To Win!: End Self-Sabotage & Create The Life You Want: NOW AVAILABLE in audio version on Amazon, iTunes and http://bit.ly/19cmjnN. LISTEN TO FIVE MINUTE PREVIEW FOR FREE! Copyright © 2013 Walter E. Jacobson, M.D.. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@walterjacobsonmd.com so we can take legal action immediately.Plugin by Taragana Tweet This Post Facebook This -
Judgments and The Forgiveness Diet
6 Apr 2013 | 8:37 amCheck out this interview I did with Dr. Don Wagner on judgments and my Forgiveness Diet: http://lnkd.in/h9kjPa Copyright © 2013 Walter E. Jacobson, M.D.. This Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal@walterjacobsonmd.com so we can take legal action immediately.Plugin by Taragana Tweet This Post Facebook This -
Get Well With Your Mind
16 Mar 2013 | 10:44 amThe best solution for people with difficulty managing mood swings, anxieties, and impulsivities is not a pill. It’s the power of their thoughts harnessed effectively with the goal of maximizing positive outcomes in all aspects of their lives. With the proper set of psychological tools, one can learn to stabilize emotional states amidst stress and chaos, navigate difficulties and obstacles in one’s life path, effectively communicate with others and strengthen relationships, and eliminate self-sabotaging behaviors. This past year I have been developing, with Dr. Pam Popper… -
How To Effectively Manage Emotions, Get Off Psychiatric Medications, and Create The Life You Want
17 Feb 2013 | 12:00 pmIf it’s true that most people take psychiatric medications because of difficulties regulating their emotions, anxieties and impulses, then when they are taught skills to effectively self-regulate, they will no longer need to depend upon and can safely taper themselves off their psychiatric medications. The Wellness Forum’s new program, “Emotional Wellness 101,” was specifically designed for this purpose. It can also be used to great benefit by people who are not on psychiatric medications but are dissatisfied with their lives and their relationships. With emotional wellness skills,…
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Happiness / Good Life Articles from YES!
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“Modified Social Benches”: An Experiment in Outdoor Socializing
13 May 2013 | 3:35 pmThis article originally appeared on Shareable. Photos courtesy of Jeppe Hein. Jeppe Hein, a Danish artist known for creating experiential art, has put an interesting twist on park benches by populating the town of De Haan in Belgium with his eye-catching “modified social benches.” The benches, which range from the super-comfy-looking to the seemingly unsittable, are intended to bring people together in unexpected ways and make them more aware of their surroundings. While they look enough like traditional park benches to be recognizable as something you sit on, Hein’s benches have… -
Mothers Day Cards that Actually Depict Our Moms
10 May 2013 | 4:43 pmCards, television commercials, and print ads all trumpet a value system in which mothers look and act in narrowly defined ways, a saccharine world where a hardworking mama’s only wants and needs are a bit of recognition and perhaps a spot of chocolate once a year. Shen is hopeful that the cards will be downloaded 15,000 times this year; a worthy target for a message in need of wider audiences. But the reality bears little resemblance to the myth. According to the 2010 census, only 20 percent of households in this country reflect the traditional nuclear family norm, with two heterosexual… -
Why Sharing News About Solutions Is a Revolutionary Act
10 May 2013 | 11:25 amPhoto by Lenneke Veerbeek. "If it bleeds, it leads." Ever hear that maxim of journalism? If you want readers, go with the scary, gruesome story—that's what gets hearts pumping and grabs attention. But what grabs our attention can also scare the heck out of us and shut us down. Remember, what we do and say doesn't just influence our friends, but also our friends' friends and our friends' friends' friends. Scary news might "sell," but we can also feel so bombarded with the negative that our "why bother?" reflex kicks in. Fear stimuli go straight to the brain's amygdala, Harvard Medical… -
Would Smokey the Bear Get Arrested to Stop Fracking?
9 May 2013 | 1:15 pmOriginally published on Wagingnonviolence.org. One of Lopi LaRoe's designs that uses Smokey the Bear to promote environmental action. Image courtesy Lopi LaRoe. Smokey the Bear thought he smelled a fire in the woods. But as he approached the clearing and saw a giant derrick jutting out into the sky, he realized that what his nose had picked up was the scent of hydrocarbons. It was another piece of evidence suggesting that the increasingly widespread method of oil and gas extraction known as fracking was poisoning the environment. He decided something must be done. “This is Smokey waking up… -
Survival of the ... Nicest? Check Out the Other Theory of Evolution
3 May 2013 | 11:37 amPhoto by Harlan Harris. A century ago, industrialists like Andrew Carnegie believed that Darwin’s theories justified an economy of vicious competition and inequality. They left us with an ideological legacy that says the corporate economy, in which wealth concentrates in the hands of a few, produces the best for humanity. This was always a distortion of Darwin’s ideas. His 1871 book The Descent of Man argued that the human species had succeeded because of traits like sharing and compassion. “Those communities,” he wrote, “which included the greatest number of the most sympathetic…
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Personal Development | How To Get Success In Life
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3 Steps to Happiness
18 May 2013 | 6:39 amIf there’s one thing that many wise people throughout history have realized, it’s that life has a unique sense of humor. Why else would happiness be something that almost everyone wants and covets, yet only few ever realize in their lifetimes? Another similar joke that life plays on all of us is that happiness is often achieved by those who stop seeking it out. This may seem counter intuitive at first, however, as we explain some of the common beliefs happy people share, it will become readily apparent how those who don’t seek happiness are the most likely to find it! -
Overcome Failures to Reach Success
13 May 2013 | 7:38 amThe word failure is often used to describe a situation in which your desired goals were not realized at a specific point in time. There are many reasons that could have played a part in your goal not being realized and absolutely none of them have to do with your value as a person. Let’s break down some of the ideas behind unhealthy views of failure and see how taking a more positive approach can help you realize success: * If you are trying out for the high school basketball team and you don’t make the cut, this doesn’t make you a failure. It simply means that under these… -
Free Yourself by Overcoming the Fear of Loneliness
13 May 2013 | 7:31 amThe fear of loneliness affects almost all of us. It is only natural for human beings to want to feel close and connected with others. Many psychologists and mental health professionals agree that being connected and having a support network is one of the most important prerequisites for a healthy and happy existence. Unfortunately, there are times when we find ourselves alone due to factors that are often out of our control. The thought of being alone for extended periods of time can be terrifying or elicit feelings of anxiety and sadness. Why is the idea of being alone so scary? The Primal… -
Be Persistence – Finish What You Start
9 May 2013 | 7:39 amWhen it comes to completing a job, task, or project, have you ever choked under the pressure and wondered if you would finish? If this has happened to you, you might have ended up feeling guilty and profoundly disappointed in your own abilities. Even though your desire for an end result is high, the difficulty level or time required to complete the task could make you want to give up. Where do you stand when it comes to persevering until a job is complete? How can you persist when you’re challenged in meeting your goals? If you struggle to complete what you start, these strategies are… -
Boost Your Energy With Healthy Options
5 May 2013 | 7:48 amYou’ve probably heard news stories about people being rushed to the hospital as the result of using commercial energy drinks. If you need a boost now and then, there are safe options that will help you steer clear of any risk of excess caffeine or other adverse reactions. These are some facts about energy drinks and a variety of healthy ways to perk yourself up. The Low Down on Energy Drinks 1. Read labels carefully. The FDA regulates the amount of caffeine in foods like cola drinks. However, energy drinks are considered a dietary supplement so it may be impossible to tell how much…
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The Psychology of Wellbeing
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Personal Decisions are the Leading Cause of Death
14 May 2013 | 4:33 amPersonal Decisions are the Leading Cause of Death, from The Psychology of Wellbeing By bitz nibtez via Compfight. Have you ever made one of the following decisions? Smoked a cigarette. Drank too much. Ate too much. Ate things that were bad for you. Neglected working out. Had unsafe sex. Drove a car without a seatbelt. Drove a car after drinking. Drove a car faster than the speed limit. Used an illegal drug. If you’re human, you’ve probably done many of the things on this list. Maybe even all of them (I’m pretty sure I have.) And yet, you probably acknowledge that these were bad… -
Coca-Cola Really Does Sell Happiness
7 May 2013 | 4:48 amCoca-Cola Really Does Sell Happiness, from The Psychology of Wellbeing One aspect of the emergence of positive psychology and the trendiness of happiness has been to see businesses incorporating happiness into their business models. Zappos’ business is based on “Delivering Happiness,” Huggies has it’s “be happy” campaign and Coca-Cola’s “Open Happiness” video commercials have been hugely successful. At least in the case of Coca-Cola, their claims about selling happiness in a bottle appear to be grounded in reality. A study published in the Journal of Happiness Studies… -
The Vegetarianish Diet
30 Apr 2013 | 4:47 amThe Vegetarianish Diet, from The Psychology of Wellbeing Photo Credit: Tambako the Jaguar via Compfightcc Long-time loyal readers of this blog will be aware that I take a month off of eating meat every year. I do this for three reasons: 1) I think it’s healthier not to eat meat. 2) I think it’s better for the planet. And 3) I think it’s a good to exercise your will from time to time to deny yourself things that you really want. I’ve been doing this for over ten years. Normally, I struggle through this month of vegetarianism and while I think it is good for me, I usually quickly… -
Running with the Dead
23 Apr 2013 | 4:45 amRunning with the Dead, from The Psychology of Wellbeing Photo Credit: Chad McDonald via Compfight The headquarters of my company (Starwood Hotels and Resorts) recently relocated to a beautiful part of Stamford, Connecticut. Our new offices happen to be located adjacent to a cemetery, where I sometimes go running on my lunch break. I’m not sure what the etiquette is of running through a cemetery where I have no relationship to any of those interred there, and I would hate to do anything that those there to mourn the loss of a loved one might consider disrespectful. But so far, I have not… -
How to Have a PERMA-Vacation!
16 Apr 2013 | 4:38 amHow to Have a PERMA-Vacation!, from The Psychology of Wellbeing If you clicked this link because you thought I would teach how to have a “PERMANENT” vacation, then you misunderstood. But what I’m offering you is even better. PERMA is the acronym described by Martin Seligman, one of the top researchers in positive psychology, for the ingredients of a flourishing life: Positive emotions—experiencing happiness, joy, hope, love, gratitude, etc. Engagement—using strengths to meet challenges; a sense of being blissfully absorbed in what one is doing. Relationships—connecting with…
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Your Life YOUR Way
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Make your Dreams Come True: What to do When your Dreams don’t Work Out at First.
3 May 2013 | 10:44 amTwenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. – Mark Twain. Credit: Flickr.com/doug88888 (This is a post by Rebecca Hulse). Do you have big, wildly audacious dreamsthat you have no idea how to, or if you can ever achieve? Wish you could make your dreams come true? Yeah, me too. At 11, I wanted to be the first New Zealander in the (Russian only) Bolshoi Ballet. At 16, I wanted to be a Prima… -
Why (and How) I Quit My Job in South Africa and Moved to New Zealand – A Reader Shares.
11 Apr 2013 | 11:52 amSecurity is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing. - Helen Keller. Why did I decide to give up my cozy executive job and move my family to a country where we didn’t know anyone? In part – I have always been a “seeker”. Once I’ve got “there”, it’s not long before I start wondering what lies around the next corner. I was in a senior marketing management role that I described as “what I worked so… -
How ‘Star-gazing’ Saved My Life – A Reader Shares.
19 Mar 2013 | 10:07 amClouds may come, but clouds must go, and they all have a silver lining. For behind each cloud you know, the sun, or moon, is shining. – Unknown. Pic credit: Flickr.com/kylir (This is a post by regular reader Janietta. Want to share your story? Click here for deets!). We are all familiar with the saying ‘every cloud has a silver lining’ but sometimes, the threads of silver that weave their way through the dark times of our lives are not so easy to spot. Twelve years ago, there was such a storm brewing in my life that I was unable to notice anything but the black clouds and rumbles… -
How I Found The Courage to Quit My Job and Follow My Dreams: A Reader Shares.
2 Mar 2013 | 11:49 amEverybody has a calling. Your real job in life is to figure out what that is and get about the business of doing it. – Oprah Winfrey. Pic credit: www.flickr.com/photos/visualpanic (This is a reader post by Deevra Norling. Got a story to share? Check out the details here & email me). I took a bold step this year. I quit my dead-end job to follow my dreams. I’m not going to lie to you, this was not easy, nor was it a decision I made overnight. You see, I’ve always known what my passions are; I just didn’t have the courage to pursue them. Writing, working with animals,… -
How to determine your top 5 relationship needs (and stop limiting your dating options).
6 Feb 2013 | 9:41 amA great relationship is about two things: first, appreciating the similarities, and second, respecting the differences. – Unknown. Pic credit: www.datingish.com Most people don’t know what they really want in a partner or relationship. That may be true in some cases, however, I’d argue that while some women may not know exactly what they want or what that looks like, they truly do know how they want to feel. What’s the difference, you say? Well, dear reader, let’s worksheet this out. I was schooling one of my friends on this very topic and she came up with a criterion on…
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Good Vibe Blog
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Doesn’t Matter What You Do
17 May 2013 | 10:46 amSometimes we get caught up in trying to decide what to do, analyzing which option is best. Quit this job or stay put? Stay in this relationship or get out? Go ahead with this medical procedure or wait for another solution? Spend this money now or save it for later? It can be maddening when we don’t have strong guidance making it clear which is the best option. That’s when I like to remember that it doesn’t matter what we do. It only matters how we feel. Because our world is unfolding according to our energy, not our action. So even if I picked a “smart” action,… -
Activate: Peace in Not Knowing
11 May 2013 | 11:36 amAs part of our Vibration Activation series, this post is designed to help activate peace in the face of uncertainty. Use it when you want to soothe the “freak out” mode when you aren’t sure what’s coming next or what you should be doing about it. It can help elevate a disturbed vibe when you’re uncomfortable not knowing what’s going to happen. Here we go in making peace with not knowing: We don’t always get to see the road ahead clearly. It’s cool when we do, but sometimes we simply don’t know what’s coming next. It might be… -
Q&A: When Manifestations Go Poof
8 May 2013 | 10:00 pmEver had the experience of acknowledging to others something really cool that’s manifested, and then it seems to go poof immediately after? I have, and it’s why I selected this reader question to get your input on. Here’s Stacy: I have a problem that I just know you can help me with … When I get excited about something that has manifested, it seems to go away! For example, I started offering a new course this year. It has been slow to pick up so when I get new enrollments, I get really excited and tell my husband and best friend. Then it’s like I… -
Activate: Smooth Running Technology
7 May 2013 | 10:04 amby deviantART This is my personal addition to the Vibration Activation series, designed to help me (and whoever else tunes in) experience smooth running technology! Use it whenever you want to create a more supportive relationship with technological tools in your life. One read through is all it takes to activate the vibration and start a shift in your favor. Enjoy creating wonderfully cooperative technology … What a relief this is! It’s such a sweet experience to be so well supported by the technology in my life! I love how well everything works for me, and how easy it is… -
Where to Buy a Good Vibe?
5 May 2013 | 11:16 amIf you’ve heard me on any GVU calls lately, you’ve probably caught a whiff of my recent technology challenges. It’s been one ridiculous thing after another, in particular with my laptop and PC. (I’ll refrain from elaborating since I’m working on a new story.) The other day someone asked why I didn’t just get a new computer. I could easily afford it, so why don’t I just solve the problem by investing in new equipment? If only it were that simple. If money could buy a better vibration, oh my … what kind of world would that be?! I would love…
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BAKER THE BRAND DOT COM
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Top 5 Ways Self Hypnosis Can Help You
7 May 2013 | 9:45 amTop 5 Ways Self Hypnosis Can Help You Editor’s Note Today’s Post is Written by a : Guest Blogger. Self hypnosis is where you do not visit a hypnotherapist. Instead you use an audio recording or methods from a book or teacher. The benefit is that you can do it anytime you like, as [...] -
Inspirational Message of the Month
29 Apr 2013 | 7:47 amCreated by Mama Indigo. Join the indigo Revolution on the Original English – Indigo Child’s Survival Guide Facebook Fan Page Here. Si habla Espanol ! Join the indigo Revolution on the Spanish Translation – Indigo Child’s Survival Guide Facebook Fan Page Here. Created by Mama Indigo. -
Excerpt From Indigo Child Survival Guide – Chapter 6 on “How To follow Your Life Passion.”
25 Apr 2013 | 4:16 pm -
What is A Hero?
23 Apr 2013 | 9:46 am -
3 Tips To Spiritual Awakening
15 Apr 2013 | 5:32 pmSpiritual awakening is a process that can begin for you at any given moment. It is simply awareness of what is already within you. It isn’t something you chase, run after, or try to get towards. It simply IS. There are three things that you can do to awaken your spiritual life. These are very [...]
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Working with ACT
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The Science of Gratitude (or What your Mother didn’t teach you about how to say ‘Thank You’)
12 May 2013 | 8:31 amSaying thank you is important. Your parents probably spent hours drilling this into you. A polite ‘Thank you’ smooths social interaction and makes life a little kinder. But what your Mum probably didn’t teach you, was how to express heartfelt gratitude in a way that enriches your relationships, has genuine meaningful impact on the other person and can also make you happier. Expressing sincere appreciation is risky. The other person is often pleased but sometimes they seem uncomfortable and occasionally they seem to see it as an invitation to tell you how disappointing you are. -
ACT and Conscious Evolution Part B: How ACT can help us respond to global change
27 Apr 2013 | 11:04 pmLast week we looked at how our psychology gets in the way of effective responding to the challenges of global change. This week we look at how ACT might help us meet some of those challenges by helping us think long-term, more complexly and with others. I want to explore with you how ACT could impact upon society not just individuals. (As I write this, I notice my doubts – ‘who am I to write about global change?’, ‘these issues are far too complex for a short blog’, ‘do I really think ACT can make a difference in the face of huge, powerful and rich vested interests?’ and so on. -
ACT and conscious evolution Part A: Why cant we get our act together to respond to global change?
21 Apr 2013 | 2:02 amWe live on a planet completely transformed by humanity. Our impacts upon the planet are so great that scientists have now coined a term for a new geological age – the Anthropocene. We are changing the climate, the chemical balance of the oceans and soils, biodiversity and even the physical structure of the planet –humans move more sediment and rock than all natural processes combined. Together this is referred to as ‘global change’. Whether we like it or not, and whether we are conscious of it or not, we are designing the future of not just our species, but every other… -
Building Psychological Flexibility by Turning Rules into Ribbons
14 Apr 2013 | 7:05 amThis post was co-authored with Marie-France Bolduc . Marie-France is an incredibly warm and compassionate ACT therapist and trainer based in Quebec. In a recent training session, her partner, Benjamin Schoendorff, described a lovely metaphor Marie-France has developed and I wanted to share it with you: Our mind is a rule-making factory. It constantly tries to make sense of the world. It does this by developing rules that tell us what to do next; what something means; how we should feel; what we should think… These rules can be helpful. They can save us time and energy. For example, I have… -
When Feeling Awkward Gets In The Way Of Change
28 Mar 2013 | 4:51 pmHave you ever wanted to try something new but because it felt awkward you backed away from the change and went back to what felt more comfortable, even though part of you really wanted to persist with the change? I have been struggling with such a difficulty. I recently become aware of something small that could lessen the influence I potentially have in the world. It looks like this: When you look at that photo do you think – ‘There sits a credible executive coach and corporate facilitator?’ I didn’t think so! Although I don’t actually turn up to meetings with…
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Envisioning Success
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GO YANKEES
6 May 2013 | 3:12 pmGo Yankees In light of all the superstar players placed on the disabled list for the New York Yankees, it is a wonder that they are doing as well as they are-or is it? What it really comes down to is a combination of great managing and commitment on the part of individuals to rise to the occasion. On one of Joe Girardi’s TV shows, he states that when players go down, other players need to step up to fill the void. This is great in theory but reality is usually something different. It seems to be the ability of the manager to find the right “buttons to… -
SPRING CLEANING
15 Apr 2013 | 1:31 pmSpring is the time of year when most people remove themselves from the hibernation of the cold winter, and venture, once more, to the outdoor elements. Just as our bodies have slowed down because of the cold and foreboding conditions outside, the spring is the time of year when people get out and prepare themselves for the warmer and usually more productive period. When this time of year arrives, one usually makes a list of things that they need to do and an order in which to proceed. Things like preparing the lawn, getting the sprinkler system to… -
IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY
13 Mar 2013 | 2:34 pmIf you followed my blog you will know that I am a huge fan of the New York Yankees. I have been a Yankee fan all my life, probably because my father was a Yankee nut. To see what has happened to the Yankees this spring is disheartening to say the least. The situation, however, is an important metaphor for life. In the face of adversity, what will you do? Will you say “poor poor pitiful me”, or will you look for possibilities to improve your current situation. Please read between the lines and realize that I have just given you another example of how choice enters into our everyday… -
NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION
21 Jan 2013 | 1:07 pmIt’s the same old thing, each year people make New Year’s resolutions and they last approximately one to two months. Why is that? The reason is that most people are unable to change their self-image or internal representation of that particular situation. The ability to change takes time, effort and direction. Imagine for a moment that you had the ability to change any situation. What benefits would that bring you? Would you be happier, more satisfied or more empowered? The answer to that question is that you should be all three. In order to… -
IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD
4 Dec 2012 | 11:34 amOne of the most inane things that I did was to walk 12 feet across a stack of red hot burning coals. This experience was supposed to show me that fear is all in your head. Now don’t get me wrong, walking across hot coals is of course, only a metaphor for life. Physiologically, I should have burned the soles of my feet quite severely. The only residual effect was a little thickening in the base of the soles of my feet. The metaphor, however, was loud and clear A salesman is constantly told that he or she is only as good as their…
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Happier Human
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Recognizing the Right type of Gratitude
18 May 2013 | 11:35 amThis is a guest post from Ciara Conlon, one of Ireland’s best productivity and well-being bloggers. What are you grateful for today? How often do you stop to give thanks for all the gifts you have been given? Recently I met a friend for coffee who described to me the changes she’d been experiencing in her life since she started writing what she was grateful for each day. Previously unhappy in her job, as she started to focus on the positives, little by little things started to change. At work she took note of her boss thanking her for work she had done and her colleagues inviting… -
Time or Money? Lessons Learned from Sleeping with a Stranger
26 Mar 2013 | 11:25 amI just got back from a ten week journey through India. It started out as a two week sightseeing trip with the family, but my mother country had different plans for me. It was day two, and we had just gotten back from viewing the sights of Delhi – an ancient fort, a modern bazaar, a few beautiful temples. We were all exhausted, so we went straight to bed. But a few hours later, I woke for a midnight dalliance. I was driven by a compulsion. I just had to go to the freaking bathroom. It was a romance that grew only stronger with time – what was supposed to be just a once-off… -
Money Secret #4 – Delight Is In The Details
2 Mar 2013 | 2:42 amThe last time I was on a date, things got awkward. In itself, nothing new – on my best behavior, I’m unique. Loosened up by alcohol, I turn a bit weird. It started off normal. Following my own advice, we were eating at the highest rated Italian restaurant in New York City. I hadn’t had a single expensive meal since quitting my eat-caviar-for-free consulting job. So I ordered an orgasm-in-your-mouth quality steak. No surprise, it was so good that I wanted to savor the experience. Several times that evening I closed my eyes, stopped paying attention to the sounds around me,… -
There’s More to Life Than Happiness – But That Doesn’t Make Wanting It Stupid or Selfish
12 Feb 2013 | 6:55 amThe year is 2150. By some miracle, you’re still alive. The Happiness Machine has finally been invented. At a cost of just $100, you can get one for yourself. It’s like a non-stop dose of heroine, ecstasy and marijuana combined, but without any of the negative side-effects – no brain damage, no poisoning, no psychological impairment. Best of all, there’s no dependence. The Happiness Machine feels just as good on day 200 as it did on day 1, inducing a permanent state of euphoria. The only drawback is that once you’ve plugged yourself in, there’s no going… -
Money Secret #3: The Stoic’s Guide To Buying Happiness
18 Jan 2013 | 6:57 amAll action is based on prediction. Every time you do something, its because you or your subconscious brain has predicted that doing so will leave you better off than the alternative. Decide to stay with your romantic partner? It’s because you predict they’ll make you feel better than being alone or with someone else. Spend money? It’s because you predict purchasing that object will make you feel better than buying nothing or something else. Perfect the art of prediction, and no joke, you can take over the world. You’d be able to pick the best romantic partner, best…
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Examine the Glass!
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The Right Answer
17 May 2013 | 6:33 amWhen looking for solutions to problems, it is often thought that there is no right answer. I’ve come across this concept many times over the past few months. It seems like with every decision that is made, there are Pros and Cons without any clear definition of absolute. Then again, that is the world we live in. There are no absolutes. Every good thing comes with a price. Every bad thing has a silver lining. Of course, I said ‘every’ in those statements, which sound a bit absolute. So, MOST things fall into those categories. What I have also found is… -
Quick Shot: Problems and Solutions
14 May 2013 | 6:24 amSometimes when problems arise, it is the first instinct to run. Run away from the problem until eventually it goes away. However, a very wise person said “Running away from your problems is a race you will never win.” They are always there and will be there until you face them. Then how about this? Instead of running AWAY from your problems, run TOWARDS a solution. I mean, heck, you are still running in a metaphorical sense, right? At least, this way, you are making productive use of your time and energy and life is too short to waste either. -
Dreams
10 May 2013 | 6:28 amDo you remember when you were a kid and had so many hopes and dreams. Remember what it felt like to think about ‘what you wanted to be when you grow up’ and ‘all the places you want to see’. More importantly, remember that feeling of ‘anything is possible’ that would wash over you when you thought about those hopes and dreams? Driving to work the other day, listening to Pandora, I had a flashback to that time. In my very eclectic music channel, between Evanescence and The Beatles, a Harry Chapin song came on. It was a song that I don’t… -
Right Now!
22 Jan 2013 | 7:18 pmThis morning I heard the Van Halen song, “Right Now” and it struck a chord! No pun intended. It reminded me that yesterday was nice and tomorrow is coming, but the here and now is the place to be. The moment to make the most of. The time to make the change. When tomorrow comes, will you regret waiting? Do you look back at yesterday and think, ‘Gosh, I wish I had done something different?’ If you have, that’s fine. It happens. Every day, we make the choice to either let it ride or change the course. There is no need to regret the decisions of the… -
Transitions
14 Jan 2013 | 8:29 pmThere comes a time in everyone’s life when they have to make a hard decision. This decision will invariably change the course of their lives forever. There are a lot of factors that go into making such decisions, but in the end, it comes down to which provides the most “pro” weighed against the least “con”. I have made two such decisions in the last year. Last Spring/Summer I made the decision to stop coaching for a while. For the foreseeable future, that is. This was a huge step for me because I loved it so. I enjoyed helping others reach…
