“How do you propose we share positive psychology with strangers?”, a participant at one of my recent seminars asked. The question took me by surprise but in a flash, I answered intuitively “Be nice”. That succinctly covered all the ways I could think of in 2 seconds. Two weeks have passed and I think of the myriad of […]

Today is Valentine’s Day so to me there is but one topic to write about…
 
LOVE

Capacity to Love and Be Loved is one of the twenty-four character strengths measured by the Values in Action (VIA) Signature Strengths questionnaire (available at the Penn Authentic […]

As I meet with individuals and couples, either in my role as a church leader or in my role as the Human Resources officer for my employer, I often find people who have lost hope.  They have lost hope in their careers, they have lost hope in their relationships, and they have lost hope in […]

It’s definitely the time of year to reflect on the nature of gift-giving and what positive psychology has to teach us about it. In broader terms, giving (especially in the form of volunteering or acts of kindness) is often considered to be synonymous with altruism, i.e. the unselfish concern for the needs and interests of […]

‘Tis the season to give and get. This is the explicit message of the many advertisements that propel us into hypnotic holiday spending. Are your halls decked? Is your closet filled with hot fashions? Will you be giving your children the “it” gift this year? Will this be the best set of holiday celebrations ever? […]

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 are unaware of the many good chains in our lives. 
 
Consider the last time you opened a can of beans.  Did you think about who planted […]

Holidays, such as Thanksgiving, are times for tradition. The idiosyncrasies that make up my family’s holiday traditions are precisely the reasons I look forward to the holiday season all year. What would this fourth week in November be in America without turkey, football, and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? My personal Thanksgiving favorites include enjoying […]

What can Positive Psychology say about being happy at work?  No, really, what can Positive Psychology definitively say about happiness at work?  For example:

Are there some people for whom happiness at work is easier?
Are there actual ways to increase happiness at work?
What if you’re too busy at work working to have time to worry about employee […]

I have 3 days to pack up a year of life in Philadelphia. Coming to Philly for the Master in Applied Positive Psychology at Penn is one of the best things I have ever done, and after a year working in the city post-graduation, it is time for me to move on to a distinctly […]

  If you’ve ever been unhappy, you would have benefited from a mood-repair tool kit. It could have helped you analyze why you were feeling badly, for example, and helped you assess with that after-the-fact clarity we seem to have how you could avoid that emotion in the future. Guess what? You already […]