I recently interviewed two random humans on the subject of generosity, in the Atlanta airport when my flight was cancelled five times in a row due to thunderstorms. The first subject was thoughtful, humble, and humorous in her approach to my questions. My interview with her left me feeling rather elated about just how wonderful random human beings can turn out to be when you get up the nerve to ask them “positive psychology” questions. [...]

I recently flew from New York to Miami to visit my sister, brother-in-law and 3 amazing nephews (all under the age of 5!). It was remarkable to see my sister care for each child’s every need as though her own needs and desires hardly existed. Perhaps that’s why on my return flight to New York I was more aware of this FAA safety regulation. At first it sounded strange…”When traveling with children, if emergency oxygen masks deploy, put your mask on first.” Isn’t it always a parent’s job to put their child’s safety first? [...]

Drug companies would serve their customers well (and may even gain a competitive advantage if the idea is pitched well) if they begin to utilize burgeoning wellness-focused models, and regularly investigate “north of neutral” side effects in pharmaceutical trials.

As my experience with the masters program in positive psychology at Penn nears its conclusion, I thought it might be appropriate to spend my time this month writing about adventure.
The last year certainly has been …

Technology drives speed and anxiety.  We click to agree or even authorize an event or exchange, payment or information, and as soon as we click, we want the result delivered, no delay.   Often we are …

My older son graduated from Emory a few weeks ago, moved to Louisville, and started his Masters in Teaching. And as we look forward with him to this change in his life, I have been thinking about what I have learned from Positive Psychology and about advice I can give to my sons. One key point is summed up in the following story my mother used to tell me. It’s called, “The Story of the Three Bears”, and it goes like this:

When we face setbacks or challenges resilience is essential – helping us think flexibly and accurately about how to deal with the situation and building our ‘psychological capital’ over time. The Penn Resiliency Program …

Several months ago a man made an appointment to meet with me regarding some of his personal struggles. When the appointed time arrived I was more than a little curious about what was on his mind and how I could help. After sharing a heart rending story of his life experiences, he summed it up by saying that the biggest burden he carried was his inability to forgive those who had hurt him. What a heavy burden it was for him to carry. I could see it in his eyes and in his manner and even in his posture. He seemed sad. The mental image I had of him was of someone standing in a deep hole looking up and longing to be back in the light. [...]

How do you create a positive organization? What’s the formula? In this article I will focus on a few other factors – Physical Location, High Quality Relationships, and Meaningful Work – using specific examples from a company I recently visited in northern Italy.

I have a tendency to be a worrier.  When I think about the future, I think about all the “What ifs” contemplating all the things that will be out of my control, and possibly even …