Positive What?

So you wake up today... do you remember what are your first thought? What position in bed did you get up from? what you were dreaming the night before?

Today in History is the day that Dr. Sigmund Freud passed away in 1939. Obviously, his contribution to the field of psychology was great. I reckon diving into your sub-conscious mind will give you more in sight and clarity to what you are and what you do.

Just 2 nights away I dreamt that about 20 women were pregnant and ready to give birth. I then witness the birth of one and as dreams go... bizarrely as they do. This woman had a 10 year old pop out ... another ex-colleague who bore another fruit.

No I do not want babies. Rather on the dream interpretations, it means that a project, a highly anticipated event is happening and it is of importance to the dreamer. Personally, I relate and resonated with that a lot more and that totally explained my emotional disposition at that point in time.

But that is anther branch of psychology which is gaining popularity and that is Positive Psychology.

Martin Segliman - The God Father of Positive Psychology


This Spiel is from Wikipedia about the three building blocks on Positive Psychology

Research into the Pleasant Life, or the "life of enjoyment", examines how people optimally experience, forecast, and savor the positive feelings and emotions that are part of normal and healthy living (e.g. relationships, hobbies, interests, entertainment, etc.).

For me that would mean either eating a beautiful ice-cream, going out to sea and the beach. HOLIDAYS!!!

The study of the Good Life, or the "life of engagement", investigates the beneficial affects of immersion, absorption, and flow that individuals feel when optimally engaged with their primary activities. These states are experienced when there is a positive match between a person's strength and the task they are doing, i.e. when they feel confident that they can accomplish the tasks they face.

The flow is a great indicator of enjoyment and time not being there at all. It happens for me when I am reading good book or doing hot yoga in a 42 degree Celsius.

Inquiry into the Meaningful Life, or "life of affiliation", questions how individuals derive a positive sense of well-being, belonging, meaning, and purpose from being part of and contributing back to something larger and more permanent than themselves (e.g. nature, social groups, organizations, movements, traditions, belief systems).

Doing something that is outside of your self, your agenda and give of yourself to causes, social or whatever rocks your world for the local community.

Check the three things above and deposit into your positive psychology banks and outweight the negative emotions.

:) Negative emotions are here to teach us something about ourselves too but it is when we get too booged down form them that is when it ends up Owning us.

Own your emotions and be happier because no one is responsible for them.

This is a wonderful talk by Professor Martin Seligman.

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/martin_seligman_on_the_state_of_psychology.html

Here's a write up about the international man of mystery

http://www.ted.com/speakers/martin_seligman.html