Introducing You to the Practice of Positive Psychology for Thriving and Wellbeing

Here is my proposition; read the introductory article, “What is positive psychology?”

Then, if it sparks your interest, read the “Primer to Positive Psychology” and do the activities.

Take on one topic a week, and take in the benefit of the activities, or go at your own pace as you wish.

If you do the activities for a month and see some benefit in going further, schedule a one-hour meeting to explore working together as a next step in your positive growth journey.

To get the most benefit from the coaching program, reflect on

“What you can expect of working with a coach” and

“What your coach expects of you to succeed and receive the most benefit.”

Before going further and introducing you to the self-study material, here is an initial inquiry, recommended for all learning and growth enthusiasts, whether we will be working together or not.

In 20 minutes, take the VIA Survey (www.viacharacter.org) and receive a report on your top five signature strengths and a rank order of your 24 character strengths.

Next, engage in a “Best Future Self” Visualization for one week, six days in a row, and six minutes a day.

Finally, ponder some “inquiry questions on your vision, values, and purpose.”

The self-study is the first step (A Primer to the Practice of Wellbeing Science) of the program, “The Practice of Positive Psychology for Thriving and Wellbeing.”

The program has three levels of engagement: Building the Foundations, Deepening, and Mastering.

The first step is a preparatory self-study, giving you the basic tools and the foundation to embark on a path to mastery. You can complete it in six weeks (or less) of learning and practice.

To use this opportunity effectively, engage fully and let your curiosity be your guide.

The most important idea to take away is that harnessing strengths, as opposed to shoring up weaknesses, is a valid route to success.

In the next several weeks, you will learn about the basic tenets of the field, the science behind it, and how to apply it.

In your engagement, you will

read the article

do the exercise: do, observe, reflect, journal, do again, discuss, share, receive feedback

then practice to make it a micro-habit and skill

some exercises are short activities such as reflecting on a single question and journaling some insights

clarify your stance, choose your path, give yourself

share, teach, learn from community, cooperate, collaborate, activate

The psychology of wellbeing is an experiential-developmental endeavor. Experience opens your capacities, your powers; development integrates them. The self grows into wholeness. This is the path to enlightened, embodied, caring, servant leadership.

Be curious to discover.

Be creative when you explore to engage so you develop.

Be generative as you use it optimally and purposefully.

Curious, creative, generative

Discover, engage, use

To discover, be curious.

To engage, explore, and develop, be creative.

To use, be optimal, purposeful, and generative.

This program will guide your personal knowledge mastery in three steps or stages:

Self-study to learn, practice, and grow;

Developing and using positive leadership to apply in community and work;

Mastery to teach, coach, and mentor youth, educators, and community leaders.

Three Levels of Engagement

The Practice of Positive Psychology for Thriving and Wellbeing

Three levels of engagement: Building the Foundations, Deepening, Mastering

Step One, Building the Foundations: A Primer to the Practice of Wellbeing Science (Self-study)

Happiness, Positive Emotion, Interventions, Strengths, Hope and Optimism, Integration, and continued practice

Step Two: Deepening the Practice

Happiness, Subjective Wellbeing, Psychological Wellbeing, PERMA, and other models

Emotional Agility

Grit, Mindset

Goals, Relationships, Positive Thinking

Purpose, Meaning, Accomplishment

Resilience, Mental Toughness, Psychological Flexibility

Entering Step Three: Preparing for Mastering the Practice of Wellbeing

Bringing it to the Community: Living, Leading, Coaching the Good Life

Capacities Interventions

Facilitating Large Groups with Appreciative Inquiry

In the first step, you learn the positive psychology perspective to care for yourself and build your best life. This is mainly the self-study part of the program, where your preparatory work includes reading and doing activities. Your program facilitator will guide you by pointing to reading resources and communicating with you on the learning portal (garden dashboard).

The portal includes links to relevant articles, activity prompts, or outside informational resources, such as talks, journal articles, or research papers.

The second step starts with the “Monthly Workshop 1: Care for Yourself.” This is the group program to develop and use positive leadership to care for others in your community and work by creating positive relationships and culture.

In the following weeks and months, the program will guide you to build your wellbeing knowledge and habits, taking the path to mastery.

The program’s first module is three months, each month beginning with a monthly workshop, followed by three weekly group coaching sessions. The first module prepares you for the path to mastery; it is a beginning to “becoming an activist for wellbeing.” It is a step toward mastery.

Excerpt: Monthly Workshop One (Week 1)

Agenda

(20 min) How happiness can infuse vigor and vitality into all life areas. The benefits of wellbeing.

(20 min) Measuring wellbeing: available surveys and questionnaires for self-assessment and monitoring growth.

(3x 20 min) Creating wellbeing micro-habits.

(20 min) The experiential learning cycle.

(5 min) Some words on fieldwork.

Agenda item #1: <Presenting the Benefits of Happiness>

Your preparatory self-study materials introduced basic theory and research:

“Broaden and build theory” of positive emotion;

Wellbeing theories: Subjective, Psychological, and Objective Wellbeing;

(Prep-Work: A Primer to the Practice of Positive Psychology for Thriving and Wellbeing.

Read the Article:

Subtitle: The bare minimum necessary to establish a foundation to practice and build a path to wellbeing.

Sections: What is Positive Psychology? Understanding Emotions. Positive Interventions. Etc.)

With an understanding of what the invitation to practice positive psychology entails – its premise, findings, and assertions about the good life – you are equipped with a basis to build on for your work on the community track.

The first step is to evoke interest and intrinsic motivation. We expect that health, personal growth, and success are intrinsic motivators for everyone. The very convincing findings that happiness is a fundamental resource for such outcomes make it a worthwhile topic to introduce to your community and to find ways to nurture, individually and collectively.

Beyond happiness, when you bring in further theory and research concerning

Strengths, engagement, and flow;

Meaning and purpose;

Self-concordance; and

Self-determination,

you can confidently, convincingly, and deliberately introduce wellbeing surveys to others.

You can invite them to complete the PERMA profiler and the VIA survey as a first step to caring for their wellbeing.

These are then easily built on in the group conversations to follow.

Positive States

Happiness, positive emotions

Capacities

> Positive Living

Character strengths and virtues

Performance strengths and talents

Vitality, zest, vigor: energized action

Choices, goals, purpose, and meaning

> Positive Living Together

Positive relationships

Collaboration

Positive culture and climate

Positive communication

Vision, mission, and values in community

Positive leadership, mentoring, and coaching

The three levels of engagement

The three levels of engagement are designed to progressively build participants’ understanding and skills in wellbeing science. The first step – A Primer to the Practice of Wellbeing Science – focuses on happiness, positive emotion, interventions, strengths, hope and optimism, integration, and continued practice. Through this process, participants learn how to use wellbeing science knowledge and skills effectively to develop their wellbeing practices and gain greater mastery. As they progress through each level, they build upon their existing foundation and gain more meaningful insights into the science of wellbeing.

- Three levels of engagement: Building the Foundations, Deepening the Practice, and Mastering the Practice.

Building the foundations involves introducing basic concepts and skills. Deepening the Practice focuses on expanding knowledge and developing more complex abilities. Mastering entails achieving a high level of proficiency and applying the knowledge and skills in practical situations.

Step One, Building the Foundations: A Primer to the Practice of Wellbeing Science

- Happiness, Positive Emotion, Interventions, Strengths, Hope and Optimism, Integration, and continued practice

The first step of the program provides a foundation in the principles of wellbeing science, covering topics such as happiness, positive emotion, and interventions, with a focus on developing strengths and cultivating hope and optimism through continued practice. Participants will progress through six weeks of learning and practical application to master these concepts.

Step Two: Deepening the Practice

- Happiness, Subjective Wellbeing, Psychological Wellbeing, PERMA, and other models
- Emotional Agility
- Grit, Mindset
- Goals, Relationships, Positive Thinking
- Purpose, Meaning, Accomplishment
- Resilience, Mental Toughness

These are all important concepts that contribute to personal growth and success. Developing these skills can help individuals overcome challenges and achieve their aspirations.

In group sessions, we will cover the various aspects of achieving and sustaining happiness, such as subjective wellbeing, psychological wellbeing, PERMA, and other models. We will explore emotional agility and resilience as well as mental toughness. Additionally, we will discuss the importance of positive thinking, goal-setting, relationships, and having a sense of purpose or meaningful accomplishment in life. Lastly, we will consider the power of grit and determination when it comes to mindset.

Entering Step Three: Preparing for Mastery

- Bringing it to the Community: Living, Leading, Coaching the Good Life
- Capacities Interventions
- Facilitating Large Groups with Appreciative Inquiry

This step focuses on mastering the practice of wellbeing science, which can help individuals develop capacities through interventions to overcome challenges and achieve their aspirations. Additionally, the module provides training on bringing this knowledge to the community through living, leading, and coaching positively and facilitating large groups with appreciative inquiry.

In Step Three of Wellbeing Science, we will focus on bringing that knowledge to the community and how to best live, lead, and coach others for the Good Life. We will explore various capacity interventions and how to facilitate large groups with Appreciative Inquiry. Now that you have acquired a better understanding of wellbeing science, we can schedule the 1-to-1 coaching sessions for you to further master the application of this practice. These sessions are tailored to apply the skills you have learned in a way that works for your individual needs.

Wellbeing promotes health, a growth mindset (learner identity), and success

Everyone desires to be successful and content in their personal and professional life. Still, few take the steps necessary to reach these goals. With the right mindset and optimism, one can enhance one’s positive capacities and enjoy a fulfilled life. Positive psychology provides a wealth of knowledge on achieving this, allowing us to gain insight into our character strengths, discover true happiness, and foster hope for a better future.

A positive mindset, optimism, and hope are crucial elements that can lead to a successful and fulfilling life. These traits (and states) are not innate but can be developed and strengthened with the right tools and knowledge. Positive psychology is an area of study that provides us with the necessary tools and techniques to foster personal growth and development.

Positive psychology focuses on identifying and utilizing our character strengths to maximize our potential for happiness in our personal and professional lives. It emphasizes harnessing strengths rather than focusing on weaknesses, as this approach is a more effective route to success.

The concept of positive psychology emerged in the late 1990s. It focuses on studying the positive aspects of human behavior, such as happiness, wellbeing, and flourishing. Positive psychology is not just about being happy all the time but rather about developing the capacity to handle challenges and difficulties positively.

One of the key ideas of positive psychology is that we can cultivate a positive mindset and optimistic outlook on life. This means focusing on our strengths and abilities rather than dwelling on our weaknesses and shortcomings. We can build resilience and cope with stress by developing a growth mindset and embracing challenges as opportunities for growth and learning.

Another important aspect of positive psychology is the idea of hope. Hope is the belief that things can get better and that we have the power to make positive changes in our lives. It is an essential component of resilience and can help us overcome obstacles and setbacks. We can stay motivated and optimistic by developing a hopeful mindset, even in adversity.

Positive psychology also emphasizes building positive relationships with others. Social connections and a sense of belonging are essential for our wellbeing. They can help us cope with stress and adversity. By fostering positive relationships and practicing kindness and gratitude, we can build a strong support network and enhance our overall sense of wellbeing.

In conclusion, positive psychology offers many tools and techniques for personal growth and development. By cultivating a positive mindset, embracing challenges as opportunities for growth, and building positive relationships with others, we can maximize our potential for happiness and lead more fulfilling lives, personally and professionally.

The Path to Mastery: A 6-Week Preparatory Self-Study Course on Positive Psychology

A short walk-through of the introductory content

Introducing Positive Psychology

Understanding the basic tenets of positive psychology

Positive psychology focuses on the strengths and virtues that enable individuals, communities, and organizations to thrive. One of the key tenets of positive psychology is a strength-focus approach that emphasizes identifying and utilizing one’s unique talents and abilities to achieve goals. This approach views humans as inherently resilient and capable of overcoming adversity through self-awareness, positive emotions, creativity, and social support.

Another important aspect of positive psychology is the recognition of happiness as an essential component of wellbeing. Positive psychologists seek to understand what makes people happy and how to cultivate more positivity. Research has shown that happiness has numerous benefits for physical and mental health, including increased life satisfaction, lower stress levels, improved immune function, better cardiovascular health, and greater resilience.

By embracing these basic tenets of positive psychology – a strength focus that emphasizes individual potentialities coupled with an emphasis on cultivating happiness – practitioners can help individuals develop healthy coping mechanisms for navigating life’s challenges while fostering greater emotional resilience.

The science of positive psychology

Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on the study of positive emotions, character strengths, and virtues. The field emerged in the late 1990s as a response to the traditional approach of psychology that often focused on mental illness and dysfunction. Positive psychology emphasizes the importance of happiness, optimism, and resilience for improving wellbeing. In addition to studying positive emotions, researchers in this field also examine personal strengths such as creativity, curiosity, and perseverance.

A key concept in positive psychology is strength-focus. Unlike traditional approaches that focus on fixing weaknesses or areas of deficiency, strength-focused approaches emphasize building upon existing strengths to promote growth and success. In practice, this means identifying one’s unique character strengths and finding ways to incorporate them into daily life. By focusing on what individuals are good at rather than what they struggle with, positive psychologists aim to improve self-esteem and confidence while promoting overall wellbeing.

Becoming a positive psychology practitioner involves applying these concepts in various settings, including education, healthcare, business management, or coaching. Practitioners must be knowledgeable about theories related to happiness and wellbeing as well as have an understanding of techniques used during sessions, such as mindfulness practices or gratitude exercises. Ultimately by helping individuals identify their strengths while providing tools for growth, practitioners aim to help their clients to create happier, more fulfilled lives.

The importance of harnessing strengths for success

One of the critical components of success is having the right mindset. A positive attitude and an optimistic outlook can help individuals to navigate challenges and setbacks more effectively, enabling them to maintain momentum toward their goals. Developing a growth mindset that focuses on continuous learning and development can also be instrumental in achieving success.

Another crucial element in harnessing strengths for success is cultivating optimism and hope. Individuals who possess a sense of hopefulness are more likely to persevere through difficult times. Optimistic people tend to see opportunities where others see obstacles. Individuals can cultivate resilience and stay motivated even during challenging periods by focusing on what is possible rather than dwelling on limitations or failures.

Ultimately, tapping into one’s strengths enables individuals to live fulfilling lives both personally and professionally. Whether pursuing a passion project or advancing in one’s career, leveraging strengths helps individuals reach their full potential with confidence, purpose, and enthusiasm. Aspiring Positive Psychology Practitioners should focus on nurturing these qualities as they work towards helping others achieve their goals for personal transformation and wellbeing.

Three actions help cultivate exuberance:

Engage in activities that bring you joy: One way to cultivate exuberance is to engage in activities that bring you joy and energize you. This could be anything from dancing to your favorite music, playing a sport you love, or spending time with friends who make you laugh. You can cultivate a sense of exuberance and energy by intentionally seeking out activities that bring you joy.

Practice gratitude: Another way to cultivate exuberance is to practice gratitude regularly. This could involve keeping a gratitude journal and writing down things you’re grateful for each day or simply taking a few moments to reflect on the things in your life that bring you joy and happiness. By focusing on the positive aspects of your life, you can cultivate a sense of appreciation and joy.

Set goals and work towards them: Finally, setting goals and working towards them can help cultivate a sense of exuberance and energy. We often feel more motivated and energized when we have a sense of purpose and direction. This could involve setting goals related to your personal or professional life and taking daily steps to work toward those goals. Focusing on what you want to achieve and taking action toward those goals can cultivate a sense of exuberance and vitality.