Your brain has a mind of its own – a cartographer. Every action, thought, memory, habit, talent, and trouble is recorded in the firing pattern of neural networks in your brain. Why is a bad habit so hard to break? Why is the electric slide effortless for some and befuddling to others, no matter how …
Mindfulness
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AllCoachingDecision-MakingGoalsHabitsMindfulnessPathway 2 "Engagement / Flow"Positive FeelingsStrengths
Wake Up and Notice: From Balance to Well-Being
Nearly all of us have had the sudden awareness that while we have been driving along, sometimes for many miles, we have not been paying attention. How did I get here? It does not just happen on the interstate in the form of highway hypnosis but also when driving through our neighborhoods or on our …
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Thriving in Australia: 2008 Happiness and Its Causes Conference
by Amanda Horneby Amanda HorneOn 8-9 May, the 3rd “Happiness and Its Causes” Conference was held in Sydney, Australia, with over 2,000 participants. I’m a fan of the Happiness and Its Causes conference, and have attended every year since the inaugural conference in 2006. Each year it gets better and better. Next year’s conference is already scheduled for May …
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AllAweGlobal PoliciesLoveMindfulnessPathway 3 "Meaning"Savoring / In-the-MomentSpirituality_1 Positive Experiences
Lesson from the Earthquake: Altruism and Selfless Love
Last Monday’s catastrophic earthquake measuring a 7.8 on the Richter Scale in Wenchuan County of China’s Sichuan province jolted not only the region, but also many of our hearts. Disasters might trigger the most magnificent qualities of humanity – which includes love, courage, unity, and the perseverance to survive.
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AllAweHabitsHealthMindfulnessOptimismPositive FeelingsSavoring / In-the-Moment
Savoring for your Health
by Doug Turnerby Doug TurnerI love to reminisce. When I get together with friends or family we tell the same stories again and again. Like the time we stared death in the face in Interlaken, Switzerland. We had decided to ride little mopeds (remember those?) on the narrow roads in the surrounding mountains. Huge trucks came within inches of …
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Where Has Our Birthday Wish Gone? From Wishes and Goals to the Journey of a Flourishing Life
A birthday is a special day for many of us. We all make wishes on our birthdays. It has been said that fewer than 15 per cent of birthday wishes are realized: most are broken within two weeks. We may start wondering why our birthday wishes would make us so miserable. Aren’t they supposed to …
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AllCommunicationHabitsHappiness ExercisesHealthLoveMindfulnessPathway 3 "Meaning"Positive FeelingsSavoring / In-the-MomentSpirituality
“How do you share positive psychology with strangers?”
by Sulynnby Sulynn“How do you propose we share positive psychology with strangers?” a participant at one of my recent seminars asked. The question took me by surprise, but in a flash, I answered intuitively, “Be nice”. That succinctly covered all the ways I could think of in 2 seconds. Two weeks have passed, and I think of the myriad of …
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AllBusinessGratitudeMindfulnessParenting & SchoolsPathway 3 "Meaning"Positive Feelings_1 Positive Experiences
On Graduation Day… Reflection on the Importance of Praise and Appreciation
Today is my graduation ceremony for my Master degree, a big and significant day. In this sweet and warm moment, I could not stop myself from reflecting on my life as a Masters’ student over the past year. This day makes me think of Praise and Appreciation, which I have learnt from my supervisor, Professor …
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Locating Hope in “Hopeless” Circumstances
by Sean Doyleby Sean DoyleI have always been drawn to the quote by Friedrich Nietzsche that “Freedom is to struggle with no hope for reward.” There a great deal of courage in that line. There is comfort in the notion that something can us keep us going, even when the circumstances seem insurmountable. As I have maneuvered the various …
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Our brains are attics – they have to be, storing all our past stuff. But we live when we can in the dizzy day-room delights of children’s laughter, family chaos, and even work. Spring seems to arrive earlier each year. So we are tempted to spring-clean our brains: let’s not. Let’s leave the attic to …
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AllAweMindfulnessPathway 3 "Meaning"Strengths_2 Positive Traits
“Positive Abnormality” – Be a GENIUS by discovering your Speciality, Uniqueness, and Meaning
“Am I abnormal?” People sometimes ask me this question when they know I am a psychologist. I am not in a very good position to answer this question, yet this leaves me in rumination over another interesting question, “Why do people try to be normal but not someone special? Why not be Positively Abnormal?”
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AllAweDecision-MakingMindfulnessPathway 2 "Engagement / Flow"_1 Positive Experiences
Let Your Subconscious Mind Go To Work for You – Part 2©
My Dad’s father understood the power of the subconscious. When I couldn’t figure something out when I was growing up, my grandfather used to say, “Take a walk. Clear your mind.” He believed that if you set aside your issue for a little while, you would allow your subconscious mind to bring forth new and …
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AllAweGlobal PoliciesMindfulnessPathway 3 "Meaning"Strengths_1 Positive Experiences
Musings – ‘Finding Your Voice’
by Sulynnby SulynnToday, I picked up Stephen R Covey’s book, The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness to read and my attention was immediately riveted. Covey said that the 8th habit was not a forgotten additional habit to The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People which he published in 1989. Rather the 8th habit added a third dimension, moving …
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AllDecision-MakingGratitudeMindfulnessOptimismPathway 3 "Meaning"_1 Positive Experiences
The Law of the Garbage Truck™
Special Note to Positive Psychology News Daily Friends This month I am posting a column that I wrote a number of years ago known as The Law of the Garbage Truck™. My column is now widely traveling the internet in mass emails and blogs. I want you to have it too. You can find my …
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AllCoachingMindfulnessPathway 3 "Meaning"_1 Positive Experiences
Searching versus Seeking
by Aren Cohenby Aren CohenRecently I was talking with an acquaintance of mine who is preparing to leave his job in investment banking to go to an ashram in India to practice mediation and yoga. It was clear that he was excited by the prospect of this new journey, but he was also apprehensive. Having attended business school and …
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AllDecision-MakingHappiness ExercisesMindfulnessParenting & SchoolsPathway 2 "Engagement / Flow"_2 Positive Traits
“Brainset” – Neuroscience Examines Carol Dweck’s Theory
Recently, Dr. Mangels and colleagues teamed up with Carol Dweck to study the differences in the brains of people with growth mindsets and fixed mindsets. This is exciting work because it is hard empirical science studying the underlying brain functions dealing with learning and internal self-concepts.
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AllAweLoveMindfulnessPathway 2 "Engagement / Flow"Pathway 3 "Meaning"Savoring / In-the-Moment
The Science and Wonder of Positive Psychology
by Doug Turnerby Doug TurnerI have been reading about the virtues as outlined in the book of virtues by Peterson and Seligman. I have been wondering how they all relate to each other and the influence one virtue exerts on the others. At the same time I have noticed references to these great virtues in literature. It has occurred …
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Living a Balanced Life
by Dana Arakawaby Dana ArakawaOur 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, and BlackBerrys that do both and more, the demands on our time are relentless. These demands have increased our levels of …
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AllHealthMindfulnessPathway 1 "Pleasure"Savoring / In-the-Moment_1 Positive Experiences
The Delight and Discontent of Eating
by Gloria Parkby Gloria ParkOne of the great pleasures in life can be found in the food that we eat. For me, my relationship with food started out as a challenge for many years. Involved in the very aesthetically-focused sport of figure skating, I was forced to be constantly vigilant about my weight. Consequently, I spent the first 16 …
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Conversation on an Airplane “I’m planning on being a fireman. But if my brother gets killed in Iraq, I’m going to enlist and go take vengeance over there.” Thus spoke the young man in the seat next to me on a late night flight last month. This recent high school graduate had already been wonderfully …