So my latest obsession is learning about all things personality related. It was something which I felt it would be interesting to look into in more detail based on my experiences with my Happiness Project. In short, a major finding is that although we can all move the needle in a more positive direction, what exactly leads to a happier life for me is probably not identical to what would for you due to our individual differences. Starting out that project, I remember reading Gretchen Rubin's argument that one of the keys to happiness is self-knowledge, and she says that "we can build a happy life only on the foundation…
The Wisdom Of Joseph Pilates – An OG of Positive Psychology
I had the opportunity to spend all of last weekend in London in an anatomy course specifically designed for Pilates instructors. Since I love Pilates and I love learning - it's safe to say that it was time well spent! The incredibly intricate and masterful design of the human body is beyond spectacular, so although my brain was completely overloaded after the two full day sessions, I would have been happy spending at least another two weeks immersed in it all! There's so much to learn about the structure, composition, mechanisms and the list goes on, that I left feeling in awe and compelled to find some more space in…
How To Do Your Own Happiness Project and Whole30 Coconut Pistachio Crusted Chicken
As I am sure we have all experienced firsthand, being inspired to do something or thinking that a certain thing is worth doing can still be quite a distance from knowing exactly how to do it or getting started. Although I am full of good intentions, one constant struggle for me is taking the first step to get things moving. I am often paralyzed by the desire for perfection or afraid of making a mistake I’ll later regret, but I am continuing to learn that that it is often better to do it now and to get things going, rather than to get them perfect. And now that I described…
Learn to Flourish: Why Do a Happiness Project and a Whole30 Broccoli “Cheese” Frittata
"However much we resist acknowledging it, we humans are not static. We're either on a positive trajectory or a negative one. Either we're growing in goodness, becoming more creative and resilient, or we're solidifying our bad habits, becoming more stagnant and rigid. [Our] life trajectory is leading [us] to languish or flourish…. People who flourish function at extraordinarily high levels - both psychologically and socially. They're not simply people who feel good. Flourishing goes beyond happiness, or satisfaction with life. True, people who flourish are happy. But that's not the half of it. Beyond feeling good,
Conducting a Personal Mid Year Review With a Side of Whole30 Southwest Stuffed Avocados
Although I know firsthand that it requires a lot of extra effort on the part of the manager or supervisor, and that the feedback may not always be all that wonderful, I think I've always been someone who really enjoys regular performance reviews. For as long as I can remember, I've looked forward to report cards, parent-teacher conferences and both corporate/companywide and personal reviews on the job. It's nice to get a reality check or alternative perspective on what's going well and what can be improved upon. Far too often, I find for myself at least, that I can really beat myself up or minimize my successes and progress and…
What I Read Last Month :: June
June marked the last official month of my year long Happiness Project! Time actually does fly and very sincerely, this has been one of the most impactful and biggest learning experiences of my life. I plan to do a full recap of some of the highlights and best outcomes in the near future, but as things are winding down I decided to read all the remaining books on my shelf about happiness in particular. And that included a pile of ones which I have been very excited about, but was saving for the grand finale! Here's what I read throughout the month of June ::
Plan it in, Do it Anyway: Checking off the Summer Goals with a Whole30 Green Gazpacho
LOVE SUMMER! It's been a fun and fabulous couple of days - the weather couldn't have been too much better and Jon and I had time over the weekend to cross off a few of the Summer Bucket List items! We both have pretty full agendas with some impending travel over the next couple months and since planning is my favorite sport, we had spent some time a few weeks ago to map out tentative dates, book events, buy tickets, etc. for the fun things we wanted to do. I've learned that for me at least, it's important to schedule in time not only for the serious and work related…
Considering “What Went Well” and a Whole30 Blackened Tilapia with Cherry Salsa
If you are familiar with traditional applied psychology, therapy, or counseling, you may be aware of the fact that there are several different protocols, or interventions, which may be employed to reduce the patients' negative symptoms depending upon the presenting problem. Although Freudian psychoanalysis is not generally leveraged or deemed effective these days, many other forms of treatment, such as cognitive behavioral therapy has been shown to be effective at reducing symptoms of mood disorders such as depression or anxiety. However, throughout his practice, Dr. Martin Seligman, former president of the APA, founder of positive psychology, and someone whose research has had tremendous impact on my own life over the…
Know Your Purpose + a Whole30 Strawberry Walnut Salad
It's important to know your purpose. This is true on a large scale of course, but I acknowledge that might be slightly too big a topic to cover right here and now. I mean it in a more temporal and specific kind of way which I was reminded of earlier this week. On her podcast, Happier, Gretchen Rubin and her sister Liz Craft discuss ways to live a happier, healthier, and more productive life. One of the things that I really appreciate about the podcast and Rubin's approach in general, is that she is very good at making the esoteric, transcendental, or very aspirational more practical and tangible. In this…
What I Read Last Month :: May
I guess I have always been a nerd. I genuinely loved school and was even always a proponent of a traditional liberal education which includes teaching specific knowledge of specific subjects as opposed to the progressive Montessori style which teaches only abstract skills (although I still continue not to convince many of my friends and family members who insist learning about significant historical dates or the factors that led to a scientific discovery are "pointless in the real world"). However (as you'll soon find out!) I recently read a much better articulated defense of traditional schooling which argued that "a mental skill is not the same as an algorithm -…