To describe how much I enjoyed and recommend the Positive Psychology Workbook series by Robert Biswas-Diener and colleagues, I thought of the positivity ratio discovered by Barbara Fredrickson and Marcial Losada: flourishing happens when positivity …

My experiences in Buenos Aires thus far have been speaking to me with a persistent message: “Dana, be proactive and self-motivated!” This message has sometimes come in a whisper, and this time when I …

A few months ago, I had an intense conversation with a friend who is a U.S. Navy SEAL. I asked him whether or not he was ready to kill someone. His response was unequivocal—yes, he was ready. He was strongly motivated by the conviction that evil people with no regard for human life must themselves be killed. … I was reminded of this conversation again when reading the manga, The 14th Dalai Lama. An important question emerged for me: What is the role of positive psychology in a world at war, in a time of terrorism and violence? I found lines in the manga that began to resonate as answers. [...]

atience. It’s not one of the twenty-four strengths classified in Character Strengths and Virtues, by Christopher Peterson with Martin Seligman. The CSV (or anti DSM-IV), classifies specific strengths under six broad virtues …

I believe that the yearning to travel to find oneself, to find meaning in life, to find happiness, is a ripe field of exploration in positive psychology. I first became interested in the idea that …

How do I begin to describe my two months studying, volunteering, and living in Peru? I came to Cusco, Peru without clear expectations, excited and nervous about my first time being abroad on my …

I have 3 days to pack up a year of life in Philadelphia. Coming to Philly for the Master in Applied Positive Psychology at Penn is one of the best things I have ever done, …

Our lives are full of stress: we have 24 hours each day and more activities than we feel we have time for. In this age of multi-tasking and instantaneous communication through cell phones, e-mail, …

Given my longtime interest in spirituality, my favorite chapter in Authentic Happiness was the last, on “Meaning and Purpose.”  Martin Seligman discusses his encounter with Bob Wright, author of NonZero, at a conclave of ten …