Positive Psychology Articles

In case you hadn't heard, there's a new-ish field within psychology, called positive psychology, which is very relevant to self growth. The premise of the field is that throughout the history of psychology, far too much emphasis has been placed on mental illness and disorder, and getting people from a "minus 5 to a zero." The aim of positive psychology is to look more deeply into the factors that cause people and groups to thrive - getting people from "zero to plus 5". One

7000 years ago, or so, Sadashiva, the founder of yoga, said that one of the seven secrets of spiritual success is to have a balanced mind. What does this mean? One should not have a superiority complex, nor should one have an inferiority complex. Everyone knows that a big ego is an impediment to spiritual growth. However, just as the “umbrella of ego” can prevent you from feeling the rain of spiritual grace, an inferiority complex can cause you to stop striving for perfectio

Once more, mindfulness is being totally present and in the moment and avoiding judgment. So how do we connect our increased practice with mindfulness to our eating behaviors and attitude to food? Sadly, we let our lives become so busy that things become automatic, even some of the things we should devote more of our focus and energy toward. Eating is one of them. Even if a person doesn’t have issues with overeating, it has been proven that being mindful to our food and digestion when we eat is much healthier for us.

Want to make a change in your life? Whether it’s losing weight, a career change, or remaking a relationship if you want to make any real and lasting changes then you can’t do it alone. I work with hundreds of patients and workshop attendees who desire to transform their lives and one of the first points I tell them is that for real success they initially need to build a Wisdom Council of Support. Like an owner assembling a start-up baseball team you begin with those players who are already available to you, being mindful of the strengths and weaknesses of each.

As a therapist in Los Angeles I’ve seen more than my share of patients who are dealing with various forms of depression and unhappiness. One common personality trait I’ve found with them is their unwholesome thoughts and beliefs that come from what I call the “wanting mind.” In wanting mind, we feel that our current state of unhappiness can only be cured if we have more money, recognition, fame, or power.

In this Article, I want to discuss Jou aling relative to discovering what we Believe and, perhaps, how our Belief Systems have affected and/or created our present Reality. It may come as a surprise, but few individuals know what it is they believe, only periodically becoming upset and angry when the Beliefs are challenges

Finally, after a summer of moving to Maryland, editing, and working with the publisher, my new book is about to be born. It is due out before Christmas and will be available on Amazon and Barnes and Nobel. I am excited because this book is a reflection of my work over the years, both as a educator and as a counselor. It combines my love of life with my love of energy psychology, mindfulness, meditation and jou aling. These amazing mind-body balancing tools are a part of my personal life and my professional life, and I am now able to share them with you.

Just imagine for a moment what life would be like if each individual on earth were allowed to own just one automobile per lifetime. Do you think you would be more motivated to take better care of your vehicle—getting routine tune-ups and oil changes, rotating tires, keeping it clean, and so forth? Some of us might have a very different attitude about it altogether. We might take our responsibility to care for it more seriously. And we would most likely appreciate and cherish it much more.

There aren’t too many things in life that ever stay the same. Sometimes that can be a good thing and other times it simply isn’t. Life presents us with new and unexpected challenges that block our goals and force us to make some major adjustments. When we have our eyes set on a goal, we don’t ...

Success through a positive mental attitude might be hard to understand for some, especially if you're looking for an explanation based on pure logic and science. However, when you think of it deeply, you'll understand that developing a positive attitude can get things done for you. It works like magic. When you think positively, you surround yourself with positive energy. It's not visible to the eyes but everyone can feel it, including the people around you. What's more comfo

1. Laugh until it hurts- Laughing is contagious and brings you immediate happiness and joy. Check out a laughing yoga class, it is a great way to let go and laugh until it hurts. 2. Appreciation- when you feel true appreciation in your heart it automatically brings happiness into your soul. Appreciation makes us happy to be alive.

Negativity Not Allowed - Determined Optimism It seems like every conversatio I have had with someone lately, they have brought up the terrible state of the economy. I’ve started off many conversations with my friends this week with the sentence, “No negativity allowed.” I refuse to accept the “ain’t it awful mentality” of the masses. I know that I make my own reality and so do you. Let’s visualize a better tomorrow. Let’s know in our hearts everything is just fine…because it

Mindfulness – So What? Most have heard of mindfulness while few truly practice it Mindfulness comes to us in two forms: the spiritual/meditative practice or as a tool in self examination and behavior control.

We’ve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can’t just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it’s going to get on by itself. You’ve got to keep watering it. You’ve got to really look after it and nurture it. ~John Lennon

Ever since the Secret made its movie debut back in 2006, there has been an onslaught of information and -- in my opinion -- misinformation about what the Law of Attraction is and isn’t and how we measure success. I suppose first and foremost it is a personal interpretation, yet many if not all of the law of attraction programs presently being promoted have its key focus on material success as the gold standard (pun intended) of what success really means.r

Conscious discipline can be defined as an approach to address behavior that is multidisciplinary. It is different from behavioral approaches that target specific behaviors and presents a neurodevelopmental model of the brain which is an adaptation from the works of various people including Bruce Perry, Allan Schore, Daniel Siegel, Joseph LeDoux, Alexander Luria, Louis Cozolino and Paul MacLean. A disciplined brain state model shows us and enables us to understand better the s

In my years as a psychologist, I have come to believe that most people seeking psychotherapy are unhappy. This is not only due to earlier hurts and traumas, as well as present frustrations and problems, but because they cannot access earlier happy moments often enough. The unfortunate result is ...

Why does it seem that most of us fear letting ourselves become quiet? In truth, I must be included in this unfortunate generalization. Virtually every person I have spoken to has readily stated that being quiet is either a daunting challenge or something they have no concept of. How many times, as a child, were we chided for “doing nothing”? Sitting around dreaming seemed to be something that really irked our parents. Even the Bible says something about “idle hands are the devils workshop”.r

Recently, my daughter made a trip to the town where she was born. Unfortunately, it was not a happy occasion. The daughter of one of her childhood friends had committed suicide. The girl was 15 years old when she decided that she could not tolerate any more bullying. The only way she could stop the pain and humiliation was to take her own life. The day of her funeral, the daughter of another friend was found unconscious on the bathroom floor in her home. She had overdosed on some prescription drugs she had found in the medicine cabinet.

“Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for right thinking.” ― Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910) The Optimum Happiness Index Project recognizes that happiness is not merely about the individual but the human family, intrinsically linked as a community of influence. The worldview of a person

Whilst there is certainly more to life than money, neglecting to pay attention to it's importance will soon catch up with you. Some people say "Money isn't important" " I don't care about money" nand such like, well I'm pretty sure your supermarket care about your money, your car dealer, your health care provider and so on. The point is, regardless of your current belief system; money is important, it provides both the necessities and luxuries to nanyone living in a civilized

People take criticism in two ways. Either they take it as an insult or as a feedback. Criticism can be used as a positive advice to make our self better or it can be looked as rude behavior and can spoil relationships. In this article we will discuss as how to handle criticism. “Criticism, like rain, should be gentle enough to nourish a man’s growth without destroying his roots.” Frank A. Clark

What on earth has redundancy got to do with pyjamas? And more importantly, how can the notion serve your business operation ? Well, let me explain. With the advent of the industrial revolution came radical change which continues today. Business’s are restructuring, and with that, the job you had 3 weeks ago…is gone ! Any of you who have been through that process will know of the shock and the isolation. Any of you who have had to orchestrate it will know how difficult it is for everybody on staff.

When the nightly news is filled with the major tragedies of today, it is very hard to stay positive and upbeat. Even if these terrible things weren’t done to us or to someone we love, they still affect us. They are all around us. They are being done to people who are like us, who have families and friends, dreams and goals. Everyone is affected.staying positive That’s what terrorists are trying to do to us…affect us in a negative manner. They want us to be as unhappy and mis

Are You Being Active and Making Healthy Choices? In the pursuit of happiness, one must always challenge themselves to be productive. It is not always good to just sit around and allow the mind to wonder. Yes, brainstorming is good to make a decisive decision but an idle mind can create boredom and unhealthy choices. Often, we find ourselves restless, eating, drinking, or smoking to compensate for a peace of mind. This is not the answer.

What is opportunity, and when does it knock? It never knocks. You can wait a whole lifetime, listening and hoping, and you will hear no knocking. None at all. You are opportunity, and you must knock on the door leading to your destiny. You prepare yourself to recognize opportunity, to pursue and seize opportunity as you develop the strength of your personality and build a self-image with which you are able to live. ~Maxwell Maltz

Happiness is itself a kind of gratitude. ~ Joseph Wood Krutch When I first came across this quote, I had to stop and think about it. Why would happiness be a kind of gratitude? According to Webster's Dictionary, to be grateful or thankful is to be conscious of a benefit being received and to be well pleased.

We’re all advised to avoid sarcasm in our personal communications. But it turns out that sarcastic exchanges can enhance and boost your creativity. Sarcasm is frequently used as a way to hurt, demean, or belittle others. It also, too often, serves as a veil for hostility, when direct confrontation would actually get to the heart of the matter. In addition to this, sarcasm is frequently used as a tool to bully the naive and innocent. Knowing all of this, your takeaway might be that sarcasm is a terrible form of communicating and should be avoided at all costs. Hold that thought.

It seems that every time we hear about the untimely and tragic death of a celebrity it is due to a lethal combination of recreational drugs, prescription medications and alcohol. And in the midst of the controversy is the issue of irresponsible doctors prescribing antidepressant medication like candy. In similar fashion are we not prematurely drugging a nation of young children with drugs such as Ritalin and Adderall that have the potential of adversely affecting their developing brains?

“Understanding how context moves us and an over dependency on content sucks as a means to being Mindful”rn By Kenneth Silvestri, May, 2013 (Excerpted from my forthcoming book Living Systemically: How To Make Your Life Better)rn“The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how nature works and the way people think it works” rn― Gregory Bateson For many years I have been looking at the world in a systemic manner, how we and our environment

“Beware of the Unhappy List” So I am sure many are wondering, why I would make an unhappy list after I have made a happy list? The unhappy list serves as a matter of identification of those things that disrupts the flow of happiness in our daily lives. It can be used as a practice to set goals to eliminate challenges that just make things complicated. Yet, it ultimately challenges each of us to find a solution.

We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, rn so as to have the life that is waiting for us.rn -Joseph Campbell Developed by Dora M. Kalff of Switzerland, Sandplay has become more popular throughout the United States since Kalff began presenting lecture in California in the ‘60’s. Sandplay evolved through Kalff’s combining and refining Carol Jung’s work, the sand tray World Technique developed by Margaret Lowenfeld at her Institute of Child Psychology

In general, most of us are very careless about the words we use, or consider how the words we use could be affecting our life experiences, let alone tale responsibility for them. Currently, only a relative few individuals would give credence to the possibility that the words that we use, and those used by others in our hearing, can have an affect on us psychologically as well as physically. It is believed--we have been conditioned to believe--that words are, "just words."

How wonderful it would be if we could help our children and grandchildren to learn thanksgiving at an early age. Thanksgiving opens the doors. It changes a child's personality. A child is resentful, negative—or thankful. Thankful children want to give, they radiate happiness, they draw people. ~ Sir John Templeton

‘You don’t have to play sport to be an Australian, but you do have to have a sense of humour” says author Pete Crofts in his book How to use Humour in Business and Life. As an Australian I know they have many “winning ways” and I believe this is strongly linked to their good humoured view of the world. Is there a formula they and others use to aid their success ? Four of the so called “formulas for good humour” include exaggeration, understatement, saying the opposite, and unexpected punch lines.

One thing I absolutely love about a new year, or a new day for that matter, is that it gives us a fresh start to set new goals and implement new plans to pursue and achieve. I have recently set some new goals that have been keeping me very busy, motivated, and excited. One of my many goals began about three weeks ago. I cut desserts out of my diet. It started with a chocolate fast. I was literally consuming at least one bar or 5 pieces of dark chocolate every day, and that is not including cookies, icecream and other desserts I love.

When you strike out in anger, you might miss the other person, but you will always hit yourself. ~Jim Gallery Striking out with angry words is the cause of so many relationship problems. Words are powerful. They can encourage, strengthen, and change destinies. They can also destroy potential and robs us of hope and peace. Most major fires begin with just a small flame. Before long the fire spreads and becomes more and more difficult to contain. It damages or completely destroys everything in its path. Do we realize how quickly unmanaged anger can do significant damage?

I am thankful... for simple acts of kindness

Silchar is the 2nd biggest city in Assam and is situated 420 km south-east of Guwahati. It is a favorite commercial centre of Assam due to its tea cultivation. Sichar is located on the banks of the River Barak and is famous as Barak Valley. It is the economic gateway to Manipur and Mizoram states, and the main office of the Cachar District. The town is visited by large community of traders from distant various parts of India every year. The place has got the name “island of

Reflecting on the Seasonal Changes in Life ©Jane A. Simington, PHD. August, 2013 For me, August is the time when I begin in earnest to harvest what I have sown in the spring. As I walked amongst the plants this morning, I ruminated on how fruitful some of my efforts were, and of how unproductive other gardening labors have been. As I mulled over some of my early spring decisions about plant choices and planting locations, I was drawn to ponder, one more time, on the metaphor

Many people are sick today and no one seems to understand why this is so. We live in the best of times and the worst of times. We used to think of pollution as smog, such as not being able to see the blue sky in Los Angeles. Today, In 2011, we have many forms of pollution. We live in a contaminated world. Not only do we have all of the ills of the industrial age, with its carbon emmissions, but we have new particles that can make us sick. We live in an age of electromagnetic pollution, weapons/grade biotoxins, chemical toxins, noise pollution, nuclear radiation.

Before you got into a couples relationship, you had your own friends to hang out with and have fun. You never had to worry about a partner who did not like your friends or did not want to hang out with them. You never had to conce yourself with problems that could arise if you simply wanted to spend some time with your friends rather than your partner. But once you left the singles scene and became a couple, some things regarding friendships began to change.

Negative thoughts can have serious and damaging effects on our life. To get the most out of life you must find ways to overcome negative thinking. We have all at some time or other harbored self-defeating, limiting thoughts when embarking on a new goal, challenge, venture or experience. For many, such negative thinking often leads to the abandonment of so many goals and dreams. When negative thinking takes a hold, it robs you of the opportunity to thrive, achieve excel in the

Now that fall has arrived, I have been winding down a little and making time to watch some movies. A friend once recommended Walk the Line, based on the true life story of Johnny Cash, so that is what I decided to watch and I am so glad I did. I thought it was an excellent movie--very sad and touching, yet inspiring and moving. The pain and rejection that Johnny experienced early in his life almost destroyed him. In his music, the artist within was able to express himself, release some of his pain, anger, hope and faith.

The Comfort Zone Concept I have never seen the phrase comfort zone in the dictionary, but if it were there, I suppose it would read something like this: Comfort Zone- A mental state in which no progression toward one’s potential takes place.

Think Positive While speaking my thoughts can be a very powerful tool in developing meaningful relationships with those around me, it could also prove to be very detrimental, based on what my thoughts revolve around. With that reasoning, I feel comfortable making the assertion that before I master speaking my thoughts, I need to master positive thinking..

Life can be hard, unfair, painful, and confusing. Sometimes it is overwhelming and we feel defeated. We may face situations that we do not think we can overcome and we just want to give up. We may lose faith and give up on ourselves, on others, and sometimes on life itself. Following are simple words of encouragement to remind you that you can and will make it through the problems you face if you do not quit. Today, you can choose to believe for the best in your life, receive God's strength, get back up, and be encouraged to never give up!!

When people see the word “meltdown”, they often think of a young child who is overtired, overstimulating, and who has finally hit a point of emotional overload. The resulting meltdown usually coming in the form of inconsolable crying or flailing tantrum. We tend to forget that, as adults, we also have emotional limits, and when those limits are exceeded we are also capable of emotional meltdown.

Water does not worry about how it will take the shape of the glass into which it is being poured! Yet as humans we can be caught up in worry and anxiety over what might happen. In order to survive and thrive we need to be in what I call inspired action. To achieve that space we need to have factored in some down time that allows for reflection and relaxation. When we consistently do that, the mind can much more readily summon forth inspired ideas and thoughts, that when acted on bring great results.

As a writer of personal development or self actualization articles, I find that I am often confronted with the remark: “If you know all this stuff, how come you aren’t perfect?” Believe me; I make all kinds of mistakes in my life. I am about as far from perfect as anyone else. I have my fears, foibles, quirks, etc just like everyone else.