Positive Psychology is not pop psychology and hence the readers have to forgive me for making this piece sound self-help-ish. Or perhaps I would say Positive Psychology, among all other behavioral sciences has better and scientifically proven tools for helping ourselves and others around us co-create a life of optimism, hope, positive emotions and all.
So when I started reading "Learned Optimism" by Martin Seligman years back when a friend Introduced me to Positive Psychology, my thoughts around pessimism as well as optimism changed. Seligman in his seminal work argued that, “The genius of evolution lies in the dynamic tension between optimism and pessimism continually correcting each other.” And this statement opened my eyes. I will tell you why. Let us say we are totally optimistic and always looking at the brighter side of life. So, when we get 3-4 setbacks, we may shake a bit and when it is too much a burden, we may drift towards pessimism. However, if we are "optimally" optimistic and look at pessimistic turnarounds as "checks and balances", it will not be too difficult to be optimist again. Tools like "three blessings" or talking to people who are close to you or practicing mindfulness will help you go back to become optimist again.
This is just one example where I read a book and my mind started working. In fact if you pick up any Positive Psychology book, it will make you feel yearning for more and this will make all journeys in life wonderful. Whether you are in Human Resources or a scientist or a homemaker as well, the tools and interventions of Positive Psychology are so enriching, interesting and fascinating that you would feel surge of exuberance and gaiety for sure.
As a teacher of Positive Psychology (and a student, a lifelong researcher), I look forward to those moments when I meet the participants of the courses I teach and build the aura of beautiful learning where each and every one compliments each other and create an environment of fun filled learning before and after we end a session. I look forward to talk about Positive Psychology with anyone who is interested to know more and you can email me at sandeep@sandeep.com.co
You may also visit this online library for more information on Positive Psychology
Comments
Post a Comment