One
of the tenets of Positive Psychology is that we can choose to think
about and focus on happy, uplifting images to enhance our
well-being, or we can dwell upon negative, pessimistic thoughts, and
create or worsen a state of depression. It is especially helpful to
intervene on our thinking if we find that we are in a ruminative
state, and our mood is in a downward spiral. Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky
and her research colleagues have found that rumination can be
actively addressed in as little as eight minutes of purposeful
distraction, in which we either socialize with others, engage in a
“flow” activity, or otherwise engage our emotions and senses with
more positive thoughts.
To that end, this page is designed
to present people with images and videos that can demonstrate the
power of seeing stories or people whose actions inspire laughter,
awe, gratitude, or other positive emotions. If you come to this page
with a sad or pessimistic thought, you just might find that a few
minutes of watching some of these videos will put you in a slightly
different frame of mind, and possibly ignite the “upward spiral of
emotions” that Dr. Barbara Fredrickson has detailed in her “Broaden
and Build” thesis.
This
short clip from the August 3, 2007 edition of the
“CBS Evening News” was so moving that I had to
include it on this page. It profiles a retired
gentleman in Lake Placid, Florida who gives away
approximately 25,000 roses every year that he grows
himself, and he hand-delivers them in bud vases to
every single business in town, including patients at
the local hospital. He does it to “stay busy,” but
says he loves how it makes others feel, which brings
him true joy. This is the perfect clip to watch if
you need a reminder that it doesn’t take much to
bring joy to others, and yourself, in a lasting,
meaningful way.
WATCH VIDEO
In this piece on
Laughter Yoga in India, you can learn more about the
power of laughter, how this movement started, and
what happens in your body and your environment when
you either fake laughter or genuinely laugh! I
challenge anyone to watch this and not smile or
laugh at least once!
Here is another
video about Laughter in Yoga
Watch Video
I’m
including this clip of Emmitt Smith, a
Pro Bowl former football player, and his
partner, Cheryl Burke, in the 2006
finals of “Dancing With the Stars”
because I always found myself stopping
and watching them dance with a huge
smile on my face. It’s hard not to enjoy
watching this show because it involves
half of the dance partners putting
themselves out of their comfort zone
every week while learning new and
complicated dances, which they always
accomplish. You can’t help but admire
their spirit, the joy exhibited in the
dances, and the sheer physicality of the
movements choreographed to the music. If
this isn’t Positive Psychology in
action, I don’t know what is!
This clip is from the movie,
“Pay It Forward” in which a
social studies teacher, played
by Kevin Spacey, challenges a
class of middle schoolers to
come up with a project that
might change the world for the
better. One student, played by
Haley Joel Osmont, comes up with
the idea of doing something kind
and challenging that person to
“pay it forward” by doing
something kind for three other
people. This true story is an
awe-inspiring tear-jerker, and
has inspired the creation of a
foundation, the Pay It Forward
Foundation (http://www.payitforwardfoundation.org/),
that teaches others how to do
the same.
And
here’s the cutest baby laughing
video I’ve ever seen. If someone
isn’t smiling after one minute
of this, then Emotional
Contagion Theory isn’t valid!
Here’s a video about a movement
to give away “Free Hugs.” It’s
amazing how powerful this small
gesture can be in terms of
helping people feel connected to
others.
There are few video clips that
challenge this one from “The
Today Show” about “Team Hoyt”
for sheer awe and elevation.
This father-son team competes in
marathons, triathlons and all
kinds of races around the world
in which the father pushes,
carries or pulls his adult son,
which has cerebral palsy. You
will want to be a better person
in every possible way after you
watch this extraordinary story.
Candid
Camera” is one of the funniest shows
ever aired on television, and it never
fails to make me laugh. Norman Cousins
even credited his remarkable recovery
from illness to watching shows like
this, over and over, until he felt he
had the right frame of mind to live
again!
"Why
Seeing “The Bucket List” Might Change Your Life
& Make You Happy"
Read Caroline's
article on the Positive Psychology News Daily
is one of the most read articles on the site.
Click here to read article.
Who is Your Role Model? (taken from
Caroline's
Tip of the Day)
Ballou High School is a gritty,
inner-city school in Washington,
D.C. that has seen more than its
share of violence, drug abuse,
broken homes, and underachievers.
That’s why the 2006 graduation of
two young men who were top students
and athletes made so much news.
Instead of accepting scholarships
from religious, suburban prep
schools that had noticed their
talents and achievements in ninth
grade, the two young men were
encouraged by their parents to stay
in Ballou and provide inspiration
and role modeling for the young
black men coming behind them.
Although not everyone in their
families supported their decisions
to stay in their communities,
ultimately the two boys remained at
Ballou and flourished in every way.
The
impact Jachin Leatherman and Wayne
Nesbit had by staying at Ballou was
attested to by classmates, teachers
and other adults who observed them
in Advanced Placement classes and on
the athletic fields and courts
throughout high school. All around
them, peers who’d once gotten C’s
and D’s were suddenly getting B’s
and A’s. The number of black,
athletic students in the AP classes
surged with the encouragement of
Wayne and Jachin. And of the 130
graduating seniors that year, five
of the top ten students were male –
the most in memorable history. And
Wayne and Jachin were the
valedictorian and salutatorian.
Both
boys agreed that the impact they’d
set out to have at Ballou, and that
they’d achieved, couldn’t have been
done without the other. “I feed off
him; he feeds off me,” one of them
said. The other added, “If I was by
myself, I wouldn’t do as good.”
Role
modeling is essential for
achievement, but it’s also important
for role models to have someone who
will support and “feed” them, too.
Whom do you feed off of? Who is your
role model?
Caroline
Adams Miller, MAPP, ACC: Goal Setting and Performance Coach copyright
2000 -2012 Caroline Miller Coaching, LLC,
all rights reserved
website design and hosting
by Designspinner.com
One
of the tenets of Positive Psychology is that we can choose to think
about and focus on happy, uplifting images to enhance our
well-being, or we can dwell upon negative, pessimistic thoughts, and
create or worsen a state of depression. It is especially helpful to
intervene on our thinking if we find that we are in a ruminative
state, and our mood is in a downward spiral. Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky
and her research colleagues have found that rumination can be
actively addressed in as little as eight minutes of purposeful
distraction, in which we either socialize with others, engage in a
“flow” activity, or otherwise engage our emotions and senses with
more positive thoughts. 
"Why
Seeing “The Bucket List” Might Change Your Life
& Make You Happy"
Read Caroline's
article on the Positive Psychology News Daily
is one of the most read articles on the site.
