Is there any substance and meaning behind the choice of who wins an Academy Award? In an analysis of 1,132 films, Simonton found that the Oscars do matter; they provide meaningful information about creativity and …

We like to think that we are in charge of our choices. But what if making a choice or decision is based on things that we don’t notice? A new article from Song and Schwarz at the University of Michigan looks at the consequences.

Despite the research, very few people ever make a meditative practice part of their daily lives. The most commonly offered excuse is lack of time. I’d like to offer a solution to time constraints. You can combine a meditative practice with another powerful positive psychology intervention – exercise. At first glance you might think that I’m crazy. Surely you have to be in a quiet room to meditate – not a smelly noisy gym.

I want to travel to Pandora, the fictional planet depicted in Avatar.  I saw James Cameron’s newest film that has rocked box offices since its release in December on I-MAX 3-D and have since …

I visited Maui, a breath-taking beautiful island where I experienced multiple moments of awe, elevation, spirituality, and connection with all things larger than myself. Stepping outside urbanization and its demands stimulated my strengths of open-mindedness, appreciation of beauty and capacity to love. Today, I am more motivated than ever to be respectful of the environment through the dozens of everyday choices that we know about, and should never fail to make.

Mind and Its Potential conference, held in Sydney on 2-3 December 2009, was an “opportunity to hear the world’s top scientists, psychologists, and philosophers explain how to apply the new science of the brain …

We all know that a guiding principle of positive psychology is that “Other people matter.” What is it that makes other people matter to us? Empathy.
Empathy is commonly defined as the ability to …

Goodwill to All – If You Can Manage It
The Christmas carols tell me that “’tis the season to be jolly” and wish peace to all mankind, but around me I see overwhelm, envy, and resentment …

It’s all by matter of connection. Empathetic relationships are what predict successful lives. George Vailliant has shown this in the Harvard Men’s Study of Adult Development and in his PPND article, Yes I stand by …

Detecting Icebergs
Recently, I was teaching “Detecting Icebergs”, one of the resilience skills described in The Resilience Factor.  The participants had practiced the skills themselves, and we were talking about how to teach them.  I mentioned …