by Lynn Soots | February, 2016 | Education
“Change your thoughts and you can change your world.” Before Taking Positive Psychology my thoughts about the course were quite enthusiastic. After being out of school for so long I decided that Positive Psychology would be the best class to get my feet wet again. This class did not disappoint. I learned so much about myself and how I could treat myself better through my thought processes. I did not imagine that this class would have as much as an impact on my entire life as it has. I now wake up every morning with positive thoughts and it really does change the way my day goes. I used to dread getting out of bed, scared of what the day was to surprise me with and what obstacles I would have to navigate through. But now I wake up, Thank God for another day and I take my days one stride at a time. Don’t take it personally An Ah-Ha moment for me was when I read how a pessimist personalizes certain situations. The scenario was, when waving at someone or saying hello that the pessimist would internalize that and think that said person does not like them. However, an optimist would instead think that the other person was just preoccupied and just did not notice the greeting. When reading that I completely seen myself, but then I read that we can train our minds not to be so pessimistic and I knew I had to dig deeper. Being pessimistic in certain situations can be helpful, but being an overall optimistic person is now my goal. I had always...
by Lynn Soots | February, 2016 | Education
“Laugh out loud follow your heart and enjoy the little things” My thoughts before taknig Positive Psychology were: Here is another class that is going to go and on about what it is to be positive and in short blow smoke about positivity. My Ah-Ha moment: realizing that it is OK to laugh at yourself and to know that not everything in life is going to go as you had planned. Life is forever changing and will throw you curve balls you just have to know when and how to swing the bat. Laughing at myself and figuring out my own ways to change the things that are bringing me down are the best lessons I’ve learned as of yet. Release endorphins through laughter Have you ever heard that laughter is the best medicine? I know that I have and I must say that more often than not I have thought these people have no idea what they are talking about. Well, I am happy to report that they were/are right and I was wrong. Being able to laugh at the things that life throws at you is the best medicine and will allow you to move forth knowing that in the end you hold the key to your own success and most importantly your happiness. I have to admit that I was not always able to look at the positive things in life and I was never the first to laugh at myself. It has taken me much work and I have taught myself that he who laughs at oneself laughs the loudest because they have taken control...
by Lynn Soots | February, 2016 | Education
“Dear you, make peace with the mirror and watch the reflection change.” unkonwn Venturing into the unknown Before Taking Positive Psychology my thoughts about the course were: Positive psychology is going to teach me about meditation and how to keep a positive mindset in the midst of a chaotic world. The course name stays true to the content that was discussed, by continuing to teach me new ways in which to maintain a positive outlook on life. While the course did not ignore negative thoughts, behaviors or habits, it gave me a chance to face them and learn how to grow from them. I didn’t realize how many aspects went into positive psychology. It isn’t as simple as think happy thoughts and you will be a happy person, it is hard, so incredibly hard. This class has given me the tools I need for so many different circumstances to come out on top and know what it is to truly be happy. Learning about self-love An Ah-Ha moment for me was learning about self-love. Loving yourself for who you are, your strengths, and your weaknesses is a very powerful and fulfilling thing. Coming to terms with what you are capable and incapable of allows you to set your goals and dreams within a realistic and attainable parameter. This in turn allows for more success and even more love for your self. First you have to love and accept yourself so you have a positive basis for growth. It became meaningful to me Positive Psychology opened my eyes to… This has always been a difficult topic for me. I was...
by Lynn Soots | February, 2016 | Health, Positive Psychology, self-development
I love surfing movies. Whether it’s FBI agents tracking down surfing bank robbers, a lost youth grieving his father through the curl, or my personal favorite, shark-victim girl surfing her way to spiritual healing. I love them all. I’ve never actually surfed myself. My version of extreme sports involves carefully balancing a bowl of chips on top of my beer so I can reach for the remote to push Netflix to the next episode of a Scandal marathon. But there is something about the endless images of man riding the current to shore that hooks me. They make it look so natural, how they calmly paddle out and wait until just the right moment, hop into position and ride the wave wherever it takes them. Who’s path am I on? As much as I love the beach, the open sea kind of scares me. As I push my way out, the shore getting smaller and smaller behind me, I envision getting swept out by the tide and like Nemo, having to rely on the probability of a bale of Rastafarian turtles to find me and lead me back to shore.It happens to me all the time. I’m floating along in life when all of a sudden I start drifting off course, swept up by some unexpected wind. Invented obligations and responsibilities lead me to imaginings of greener grass. The suggestions or flattery by others distracts me like the glitter of distant coral in the sun. And before I know it I am struggling with every stroke, exhausted and unsatisfied as I kick and paddle with all my might but...
by Lynn Soots | February, 2016 | Education
Before taking Positive Psychology my thoughts about the course were that I was going to learn about techniques focusing all about increasing a person’s happiness in life. I thought it would be about being happy all the time or just focusing on the good things in life. I wasn’t too sure what to expect but I knew it would promote positivity. Discovering the benefits of pessimism An ah-ha moment for me in Positive psychology was to do with learning about optimism and pessimism. In the course one of our assignments was to take a quiz to get a perspective on if we are more optimistic or pessimistic. After looking at the results it turns out I was highly pessimistic. It was a bit discouraging so I tried taking the quiz again and my scores were even worse. I then realized I might need a change in my life and the way I think about things because I seem to be a very sad person. I’ve had some recent hardships in my life that I think have affected my new train of thoughts and maybe made me more pessimistic. A part of me has always been a realest and I more often look at the down side of things or what can go wrong than the good things. As we went through the lesson plan about pessimism I learned that my thinking style and how I perceive events in my life will effect how I feel and respond to situations. I may end up self-blaming for things going wrong or think that the world is out to get me if...
