I recently interviewed two random humans on the subject of generosity, in the Atlanta airport when my flight was cancelled five times in a row due to thunderstorms. The first subject was thoughtful, humble, and humorous in her approach to my questions. My interview with her left me feeling rather elated about just how wonderful random human beings can turn out to be when you get up the nerve to ask them “positive psychology” questions. […]

As my experience with the masters program in positive psychology at Penn nears its conclusion, I thought it might be appropriate to spend my time this month writing about adventure.
The last year certainly has been an adventure, particularly for many of my classmates who took time away from their careers and their families to travel […]

When we face setbacks or challenges resilience is essential - helping us think flexibly and accurately about how to deal with the situation and building our ‘psychological capital’ over time. The Penn Resiliency Program teaches such skills to young people and the research suggests that this helps them solve problems and decreases their chances […]

I have a tendency to be a worrier.  When I think about the future, I think about all the “What ifs” contemplating all the things that will be out of my control, and possibly even all the things that could go wrong.
In truth, as a positive psychologist, I am embarrassed to admit to my propensity […]

I recently flew from New York to Miami to visit my sister, brother-in-law and 3 amazing nephews (all under the age of 5!). It was remarkable to see my sister care for each child’s every need as though her own needs and desires hardly existed. Perhaps that’s why on my return flight to New York I was more aware of this FAA safety regulation. At first it sounded strange…”When traveling with children, if emergency oxygen masks deploy, put your mask on first.” Isn’t it always a parent’s job to put their child’s safety first? […]

Technology drives speed and anxiety. We click to agree or even authorize an event or exchange, payment or information, and as soon as we click, we want the result delivered, no delay. Often we are given comfort messages that the technology is still thinking of us, still engaged; on computers we have moving bars, dancing icons and patience hints, on phones we get musak interrupted with reassurance of how important our call is and in queues for shop or train we get digitized displays of how many people are before us and how long we might expect to wait. Much of this is of course helpful information. But these sensory and cognitive invasions of our waiting time may serve to deplete rather than enhance our patience, even if they prolong it. […]

Several months ago a man made an appointment to meet with me regarding some of his personal struggles. When the appointed time arrived I was more than a little curious about what was on his mind and how I could help. After sharing a heart rending story of his life experiences, he summed it up by saying that the biggest burden he carried was his inability to forgive those who had hurt him. What a heavy burden it was for him to carry. I could see it in his eyes and in his manner and even in his posture. He seemed sad. The mental image I had of him was of someone standing in a deep hole looking up and longing to be back in the light. […]

Drug companies are used to telling consumers about side effects—the headache, nausea, and mild genital swelling that can ensue from that ubiquitous antacid. We all know that traditional advertising media (TV, radio, newspapers), as well as non-traditional advertising media (blogs, coffee sleeves, and tattoos), present startling disclosures about pharmaceutical side effect risks. Americans are barraged […]

Like Caroline Miller, I have recently had a son go through a major life transition.  My older son graduated from Emory a few weeks ago, moved to Louisville, and started his Masters in Teaching.  This fall, he will be teaching sixth grade science in a public school through the Teach Kentucky program.  And as we […]

How do you create a positive organization? What’s the formula? In previous articles I have focused on the leader’s role in creating a positive work environment. In this article I will focus on a few other factors - Physical Location, High Quality Relationships, and Meaningful Work – using specific examples from a company I recently visited in northern Italy.