Meaningful Work as Part of the Meaningful Life

By Kathryn Britton Kathryn Britton's website Kathryn Britton's email

During working years, life satisfaction is strongly related to the level of meaning people find in their work. People put more energy into jobs that they believe contribute positively to the world. They are also more resilient in the face of setbacks.
Meaningful work is as important as pay and security – and perhaps […]

Gratitude Day: A New Tradition

By Derrick Carpenter Derrick Carpenter's website Derrick Carpenter's email

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 […]

Mozart and Minidiscs

By Derrick Carpenter Derrick Carpenter's website Derrick Carpenter's email

Roughly 30 million Americans do it every week. And I hate to admit being one of them.
But watching American Idol has become a habit for many people as the show has grown into an icon of modern culture. Why do so many people watch? Perhaps they tune in to hear the judges share uplifting aphorisms […]

On Adventure and Filet Mignon

By Derrick Carpenter Derrick Carpenter's website Derrick Carpenter's email

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 […]

Visualizing Happiness

By Derrick Carpenter Derrick Carpenter's website Derrick Carpenter's email

Every few days or so, when I need a break from the world, I go to my sanctuary on top of a remote mountain in the Canadian Rockies.
Well, at least my brain is convinced that I do.
During my junior year as a varsity collegiate rower in Boston, my coach – concerned about some of our […]