Where do you find the inspiration to live a fulfilling life and the courage to navigate heartache and disappointment? One place I turn to is the writing of poet, lawyer, and positive psychology expert, John Sean Doyle.
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What do seventeen of the top Positive Psychology leaders in the world have in common? They all enthusiastically endorse Character Strengths Matter. It’s that good, and it’s that important. Now I want to add my own endorsement.
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Recently Dawn and I were asked two interesting questions. One person asked, “Your parents do so much for you guys; why do you think they are so giving?” A couple weeks later, someone asked the second question: “You and Dawn do a lot for your parents; how come you do so much for them?” Until recently I held these questions separately in my mind. I now see they are part of the same question. Why do we all do so much for each other? The answer is that we are in what I call a “Love Cycle.”
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You cultivate three things in the process of building a Gratitude Chain™: awareness of what and for whom you are grateful, curiosity about what makes something you value possible, and memory of what is good. And when you link together your Gratitude Chains™, you experience a powerful appreciation of the important people and things in your life.
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Our brain automatically tries to keep us safe. We are wired not to hurt or kill ourselves. The challenge is that the brain has an alarm system that can be hypersensitive. We often receive physical and emotional alerts to warn us of problems that pose no real threat. As a result, we are left to respond to psychological and physical false alarms. […]
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AllGratitudePathway 2 "Engagement / Flow"_2 Positive Traits
Gratitude Is a Bridge to Your Positive Future ©
Gratitude is a bridge to your positive future: It is your passageway to success. Think about a bridge crossing a river. It must have strong supporting foundations on both banks. …
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Focus + Humility + Questions = Momentum© Let me check something out with you. Pretend for a moment that your friend, child, spouse, employee, or your boss said to you:…
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Be clear on what’s expected of you in your job. Agree on what success looks like. Don’t be shy. Ask how you’re going to be judged. I learned how important…
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Show me the trunk of your car. Hand me your luggage. Step back. I’ll find a way to fit it all in. I’m a good packer. No car, no…
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I reached for the one on top. It was a letter. It was addressed to Dawn. I read the first two lines. “Thank you for your recent visit to our facility. Your digital mammogram shows no evidence of cancer.” Then I had what I call a “gratitude moment.”
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AllParenting & SchoolsPathway 2 "Engagement / Flow"Strengths_2 Positive Traits
Find Your Voice By Tapping Your Strengths ©
It was 1977 and I was in the sixth grade. I joined the Boy’s Choir. I really didn’t like singing in choirs, but I joined anyway. All my friends had…
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AllHabitsLoveParenting & SchoolsPositive FeelingsSavoring / In-the-Moment_1 Positive Experiences
Who Do You Run To?©
It was 1976. I was in the fifth grade. The fifty-yard dash record for Lake Bluff Elementary School in Shorewood, Wisconsin was set in the mid 1950s. I had a…
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A few years ago I was sitting in my office, by myself, and I wasn’t feeling good. Yes, it’s true. I research, write, and speak about Positive Psychology, but I…
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Mom was an opera singer who could sing high C’s beautifully. And she had the chance to sing them often. Mom was a leading soprano with The National Opera Company,…
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I love peanuts. I like them salted or unsalted. I like them sweet or savory. You can put them in my dinner or in my dessert. I never met a…
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Have you ever said something like this to yourself? “I have a dream. I want to do what I love every day. Yet, I don’t know how to get there.…
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AllGratitudeHappiness ExercisesPathway 3 "Meaning"Positive Feelings_1 Positive Experiences
Increase Your Happiness. Build Gratitude Chains™ in Your Life.
Everything good that happens in this world is the result of a chain of events. No matter the size, each event has a history of activity. Unfortunately, most of us…
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AllGratitudePathway 3 "Meaning"Savoring / In-the-Moment_2 Positive Traits
Gratitude – The Secret to Getting Back Up©
Floyd Patterson, a heavyweight boxing legend and Hall-of-Famer, once said, “They said I was the fighter who got knocked down the most, but I also got up the most.” Patterson found a way to get back up each time. This is the mark of a good leader, and a successful person. You get up after you get smacked.
All success stories involve knock down after knock down. The question is, why do some people have the courage and confidence to get up while many others stay down. Let me tell you how I learned the secret.
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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 better thoughts, not just the few you already had. As a result you would come up with a better idea.
My Dad’s father understood the power of the subconscious.
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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…
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