by Lynn Soots | February, 2016 | Work
With advancements within the field of Neuroplasticity, the topic of leadership becomes far more holistic than it once was. Gone are the days where it is acceptable for the corporate monster to come bearing down on you with his fists raised angrily screaming, “just shut up and do what I say, not what I do”. This type of power wielding anger creates tremendous stress on the brain and the body and cannot be sustained long term for either the enforcer or the enforced. Towards a holistic view of leadership Holistic health and well-being is a hot topic across many corporate boards. To sustain effective and healthy leadership, emphasis on coaching others as a key component to a management role – rather than dictatorship – has proven far more effective. Positive leadership and coaching the development of others has a much more therapeutic and compassionate based element to being an effective leader than the power stress that often comes with a leader attempting to enforce outcomes by encompassing a parent-child relationship with their staff. It is also far more effective at influencing and motivating others than the repressive environments that were once commonplace in the workforce. Positive Leadership encompasses four key strategies: • Fostering a positive climate • Engaging in positive communication • Reinforcing positive meanings • Developing positive relationships Coaching the development of others is a people-centered approach that involves getting to know someone on a deeper than surface level. This may include understanding what drives and motivates each member of your staff as an individual to achieve and what they are truly passionate about. Understanding both behaviorism styles...
by Lynn Soots | February, 2016 | Education
“If you think that you can do something, and have a great reason to do it, you will find a way.” Braco Pobric Before taking Positive Psychology my thoughts about the course were: Beat me with a hammer, slap me, kick me, whip me, it won’t really matter. People such as me don’t change our overall demeanor or habits. You can provide all the tools all day long, I just don’t get it! Rethinking what I thought about habits Positive Psychology opened my eyes in one area that is of the utmost importance for many, at least for me, thinking habits. As we all know thinking habits are extremely important. How we think determines our actions and emotions. I, being a very analytical type person with more than a dash of negativity, needed to find a way to consistently reset my thinking. I have never been diagnosed with any true form of depression but I recognize the symptoms as part of my person. So it was very necessary for my becoming more open to Meta cognition or “thinking about what I am thinking”. It is one thing to attempt to quit thinking about a particular subject, but finding a replacement thought or habit that would not allow my negative thought to return could be a problems/ challenge. Two or three little items could possible change this one challenge without much pain. Seeing a new perspective First thing I did was incorporate my idea of the five breathes at the beginning and ending of each day. Not a difficult addition since my wife has a ritual of prayer at night...
by Lynn Soots | February, 2016 | Education
“You had the power all along, my dear.” –Glenda the Good Witch Preparing for the journey Before Taking Positive Psychology I just began my “real journey” to change my thoughts to change my world. I say “real journey” because for the first time in my life, I truly made the commitment to effect change in my life. For most of my life my negative thoughts were on automatic, I was fearful of change and the unknown. Significant life events can turn your world upside down and can also compromise your health. When realities hit hard, they can either push you down further or give you the extraordinary strength to persevere. My child gave me my strength and motivation and I chose to persevere. I spent a lot of time in solitude and aloneness and found renewal and peace instead of loneliness. I disconnected to reconnect. At my lowest point, I gained mindfulness, strength, and resiliency. I found a renewed strength to focus on being a good mother, do well in school, and to live a healthier lifestyle. I found healing in my yoga practice. Reconnecting by disconnecting My body grew more open to new poses and my mind welcomed differences – I learned the art of finding my mind and body connection and it was truly amazing. My Ah-Ha moment…page 16 of Habits and Happiness, Pobric states “Habits never get deleted, the neural pathways established as a result of the habits we develop never get deleted. Those pathways are always there for us in case we need to go back and use those same routes again.” It’s where I’ve...
by Julie Ostrow | February, 2016 | Julie Ostrow, self-development
A strong feeling of gratitude washed over me as I was talking with a friend recently about how much it seems parents today do so much for their kids. Yes, my parents helped me out when they could but when I was going through college and after, I was very much on my own financially and emotionally. I worked all through college at various jobs…on-campus snack shops, a clothing store during spring break, a bagel shop across the street from campus, and at a comedy club off campus. I didn’t have a car but I always managed to get where I needed to go…whether by riding my bike, catching the bus, or bumming a ride. When I worked at Charlie Good Night’s Comedy Club in Raleigh, NC, I would ride my bike to class, go to the gym and swim laps, change for work, then I’d ride my bike to the comedy club. I have stuck with the story that I did everything on my own. Someone was always there to help As I was sharing with my friend about how I did everything myself and how I found a way to get where I needed to be and do what needed to be done to get to class, get to my job(s) and pay for the basic necessities of a college student, it hit me that I didn’t always go it alone. Although I had to wait anywhere from an hour to three hours to get a ride home from the comedy club, someone was always willing to drive my bike and me back to my apartment. One...
by Lynn Soots | February, 2016 | Education
“Go with the flow. Force nothing. Let it happen…Trusting that whichever way it goes. It’s for the best”– Mandy Hale Prior to taking Positive Psychology, I really wanted to learn how I can turn my attitude around, as I have some bad days and I seem to have a hard time getting over them. I also wonder what types of ways and things I can do in order to have a more positive outlook on life. I already have a positive outlook on life, but once there is a bump in the road, I am not able to get over it. I really wanted to learn how I could get over that bump and still go on throughout my day in a positive way. I also wanted to learn how my class mates view positivity and how they practice the power of positivity. Flowing into FLOW….. Learning about FLOW. Flow was my favorite section in this course. Anytime I have a bad feeling or I feel myself starting to get down, I listen to classical music. Classical music brings me to a mental place of peace. There seems to be no stress and I feel that I am alive. The air smells sweeter, I see colors more vividly, and I can hear the soothing sounds of the music and It brings me to a place like no other. After I’m done listening, I feel like I can accomplish anything. If I’m in a tight spot, I open my Pandora App on my iPhone and choose to listen to music, which brings me into my state of FLOW. Positive Psychology...
