Please imagine with me for a moment, if you will. Let's imagine together that if we - all of humanity - stopped focusing so intensively on what is wrong with one another and with ourselves, and rather began focusing more intensively on what is good, positive, and beneficial about one another, then our lives may just change dramatically for the better. I wonder, is this possible?
Well, Martin Seligman created something called the "Values in Action" assessment at the University of Pennsylvania based on his extensive research. Seligman is typically considered the father of strengths-based psychology. Strengths psychology, or Positive Psychology, is concerned with focusing on what is good, healthy, and well with people rather than on what is wrong with them, as unfortunately the field of mental health has tended to do over the past 100 years. Seligman and his team have performed this research on strengths since the 1990’s; over two million people have taken this assessment and it has proven accurate with high validity.
The VIA Survey of Character Strengths is an assessment that offers twenty-four character strengths in six categories which include Wisdom, Courage, Humanity, Justice, Temperance, and Transcendence, and can help one understand him or herself better and help one learn to springboard off their innate strengths. Research shows doing this will improve happiness and the overall quality of life. A partial sample of these twenty-four strengths are creativity, curiosity, honesty, zest, kindness, fairness, humility, hope, humor, and so on. The VIA assessment is free to anyone and can be taken online at www.viacharacter.org.
One way to springboard off your strengths using the VIA is to use your favorite character strength in a unique or new way each day. One of my top strengths, or one of my “signature strengths” is Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence. Wow! Think about it, there are so many interesting and creative ways to bring this strength to life. Following are merely a few examples:
1. Gratitude -- Each time you see something of great beauty – STOP! – take a few long, deep breaths and feel a sense of thankfulness. Connect this feeling to a Universal power great than yourself.
2. Visualization – Relax, close your eyes, and allow yourself to go into a brief and simple meditation. Envision past moments of experiencing awe, wonder, or elevation in your life. Maybe it was the birth of your child, or your sibling’s wedding day. Perhaps it was seeing a breathtaking work of art like Pieta by Michelangelo or Water Lillies by Monet. Or, it could have been the internal feeling you had when you met your first love, or the day you graduated college. Go back in your mind to these experiences. Savor them. Make them a part of who you are.
3. Take a few hours on a free day and make a date or appointment with yourself to find and appreciate some beauty and excellence that you would not usually do, something out of ordinary. It could be a walk in nature in a unique place, or observing nature in some new way. Possibly try spending an hour with your child or friend noticing and observing something special or beautiful in them and letting them know about it.
These activities I’ve mentioned are only a few ideas, be creative! Go ahead and take the VIA and have fun playing with your unique gifts!
Saturday, March 7, 2015
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I love this... Positivity as a mind set will transform our world. And as usual... Paul, you are out there leading. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you John!
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