Strengths

Graduates of the MAPP Program at Penn have just published another issue of the MAPP Magazine with articles about maintaining well-being during the pandemic, caregiving, and exploring character strengths.

What if there is a false dichotomy between optimism and pessimism?  Could the same individual filter with the caution of the pessimist and choose the hope and positive outcomes of the optimist?

While feeling stressed may be an appropriate reaction to the pandemic, fight for racial justice, and contentious election, the fact that we have powerful inner resources called character strengths can help us cope with these adversity. Here are three constructive actions your strengths can help us do in the face of today’s challenges. Strengths can be a source of hope.

Exploring and applying character strengths can help us improve relationships, buffer against negative feelings, and manage problems as well as enhance our well-being during this challenging time. We offer some simple suggestions for activating different character strengths while dealing with this international pandemic.

Whether you’re bringing your expressive medium to the side of a creek, having a collaborative meeting while on a mountain hike, or simply taking some time by yourself to sit and breath in the forest, the natural outdoors can be a huge benefit to the creative person, process, and lifestyle.

In 2019, Henry Edwards published The Daily Better: 365 Reasons for Optimism. I interviewed him on December 12 about why he wrote the book. I learned that he personally changed his world view to be more open and hopeful and that he hopes his book will help others do the same.

To sum up: When people do not perceive their jobs to deliver fun on regular basis, they are probably going to jump ship soon. Now, it´s clear that a job can´t be fun all the time. It´s called work, after all. But my data suggests that top managers and human resources professionals should not take this seemingly light factor too lightly.

Jane Strunk Anderson’s book, 30 Days of Character Strengths: A Guided Practice to Ignite Your Best lays out a month-long series of practices to help people intentionally develop their own character strengths. I did the 30-day practice with a group of friends. We realized that the book also allowed each of us to customize strengths practices to our own personalities.

Now in its 10th year, I’m happy to offer you the best of the best positive psychology movies from the past year. I comb through popular, independent, and obscure films to select important films across some of the most important positive psychology themes.

Dr. Diener, what are you working on now? What are the newest developments in research on happiness?

When is a joke not a joke but a lie? What is a white lie, and when is it ok to tell it? Can silence be a lie? Should one always stand up for the Truth? How do you answer when you consider the question inappropriate?

This article continues the answer to the question, “How does a relationship with our natural environment help us develop a life of meaning?” The actions in this article are involved with deeper self-discovery and expression.

How does a relationship with our natural environment help us develop a life of meaning? 13 actions to explore this question. Come back tomorrow for an additional 13 actions.

Watch on YouTube Hi, I’m Carin Rockind. Welcome to PPN Bites, where we give you 60-second helpings of the Positive Psychology News you need to know. Humans are great at…

I have traveled a long, rugged road to find my way back to see you with new eyes. Dear Mister Rogers, thank you for the opportunity to offer you my gratitude. You taught us that feelings are not forever. We may be sad now but we’ll also be happy again. We get to feel all of the feelings because they are all part of life.

ANNOUNCEMENT:  On September 5, we will have a Positive Psychology News webinar featuring Christine Duvivier, author of the eBook, Best-Loved Love Notes to My Child… What I’d Say if You Wouldn’t…

I invite you to participate in a research study by filling in an online questionnaire about courage in the workplace.

“The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” gets most heads nodding like a metronome. Except, of course, when the apple does in fact fall far. This stunning documentary takes you behind the scenes with several incredible families where individual children are outliers, entirely distinctive from all the other kinsfolk. Right now the film is opening in theaters across the United States and I encourage you to observe positive profiles in resilience, hope, and the enduring power of love amongst five amazing families.

The world news has been pretty challenging lately. No matter what your political preference there’s a lot going on. Even I began to lose hope, and I teach happiness for a living. So the question is, is there anything we can do to regain hope?

ANNOUNCEMENT:  On July 18, we will have a Positive Psychology News webinar featuring George E. Vaillant, M.D. discussing the REAL difference between happiness and joy.