by Dan Collinson | June, 2015 | My Journey with a MAPP
‘My journey with a MAPP’ Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference. I embarked on the MAPP course at UEL with the intention of learning about and applying positive psychology interventions in my workplace but the focus of the course led me on a different journey. I never was very good at map reading anyway so during my 2 year MAPP journey I have focused on topics of personal interest to me. I have become a convert to hope theory which has proved to be the missing link in achieving my goals. Hope theory has taught me that being a card carrying optimist is just the beginning of the journey and that to arrive at a desired destination other elements need to be in place. It is important to have clear goals in line with your own values, several paths to acheiving goals as well as high levels of motivation and the willingness to ask for help. When I reflect on things which have previously not gone according to plan, I now recognize that one of these elements of hope theory was missing. I also found self-compassion theory really enlightening. Previously I would have beaten myself up for not achieving something which I had put my mind to, but self-compassion research shows that cutting yourself some slack and treating yourself as kindly as you would a dear friend is a much more helpful and much more successful way to reach your goals. The growth mindset theory equally suggests that the...
by Lesley Lyle | April, 2015 | My Journey with a MAPP, self-development
My Journey With a MAPP Change is something that we all experience whether we are conscious of it or not and we don’t always look back on the journey of change that we have taken. In this blog, I review and reflect the journey of change that I undertook during the two years of my Masters in Applied Positive Psychology course. Although there were positive and negative situations in that period, I found that there were more positives and that I was better equipped to cope with the negative situations. For me, even applying for the course took courage for me venture outside my comfort zone, whilst overcoming the fear of the unknown and yet at the same time, I knew that it was going to be something that would enrich my life. Funnily enough, throughout the duration of the course I was taken back to my authentic self, who valued gratitude, helping others to excel and live a meaningful life. Somehow that had been lost a little in the treadmill of life. For example, learning about and applying mindfulness had a big impact in the way that I interacted with friends, family and colleagues. From a family perspective, this was invaluable, especially as a dad. I was able to get to know my son better and I felt that as a result, our bond grew stronger and I was better equipped to give my him what he wanted, to help him grow into the best possible person that he can be. This isn’t to say that there weren’t negative situations, more that I was more aware of them...
by Lesley Lyle | April, 2015 | My Journey with a MAPP, self-development
My journey with a MAPP? To be honest, I’m not a MAPP (MSc Applied Positive Psychology). I’m a barefoot fangirl of the MAPP’s. Being a champion of the program is more complicated than a few words can describe. My journey with MAPP began with my study of all things positive psychology, kicked off by “What is good is not the mere absence of what is bad” (Peterson & Park, 2006). I began my journey studying trauma and community. I read that article, followed by the flood gate of researchers that followed, joined IPPA (International Positive Psychology Association) as a charter member, flipped to studying all things positive psychology, discovered the MAPP’s and began adjunct teaching at a local state university all within a year. I brought positive psychology to that psychology department as a special interest class four times, before it’s popularity had the, then chair, turn it into a full time class for the 400+ psychology department. I made sure that the MAPP programs around the world were always part of the curriculum, and I often held pro bono workshops or discussions with juniors and seniors about the possibility of positive psychology in whatever fields they were going into. Careers in positive psychology are endless. Many of those students went on to do exactly that. Five years later, my bottom fell out. The department completely changed. A full time Professor wanted to teach my class. My personal life fell apart. In the span of a year, I lost everything I’d been working so hard to achieve. At middle age, the accomplishments were already challenging (something I wasn’t aware of...
by Lesley Lyle | April, 2015 | BNU, My Journey with a MAPP, self-development
Sometimes, people ask me if my life has changed since I enrolled on the MSc Applied Positive Psychology course (MAPP) at Bucks New University. The answer is no, my life has changed very little. However, the way I see my life and the world around me changed completely and so, paradoxically, the answer is also yes, my life is completely different. In metaphoric terms, it is rather like how I see the world when I put on my reading glasses; I can see without them but wearing them removes the blur, bring things into focus and I see things much clearer. Of course, it also means I’m forced to see things that would otherwise be easy to overlook – my wrinkles when I look in the mirror, the dust upon the shelves and the calorific value on the labels of my favourite foods for instance. This is a similar experience as a result of the MAPP course; I’m more aware of strengths and virtues but with that comes the knowledge that I have sole responsibility for every aspect of how I feel and what I do with my life. I can no longer blame my circumstances, other people and lack of opportunities if I fail or feel out of sorts. If happiness and health are choices, then logic would suggest that so too are their opposites. This is how I view my life nowadays and frankly, sometimes it can feel uncomfortable. The emotional crutch of victim thinking and blaming others has been removed and sometimes I hobble, but it is worth it to experience the more frequent feelings of...
