Luck. It’s all around us this week with St. Patrick’s Day coming up. Can you use some Luck o’ the Irish? Interesting, the term was originally not positive but was used derisively to describe successful miners of Irish descent. The term meant that if an Irish man found gold or silver, it wasn’t due to hard work or brain power, just dumb luck. People have told me I am lucky to do something I love. Huh? It only took tremendous time and resources to obtain a PhD and 23 more years of clinical practice. Not to mention writing books, speaking, networking and marketing. Where we are today has very little to do with good luck and more to do with patience, persistence, and positive attitude. A positive attitude is essential. How likely are you to try something if you tell yourself you can’t succeed? If you have told yourself you…
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Positivity doesn't eliminate our problems, it illuminates them.
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You’ve heard the question a hundred times: “Is the glass half empty or half full?” If we are operating in noxious negativity mode we see the glass as half empty. It is absolutely true. It is half empty. Of course it is. Any dang fool can see it’s half empty. When we are feeling negative, we focus on what is missing and lament the lack of water in the glass. When we are feeling more positive, we see the glass as half full. Of course it is half full. Anyone can see that. We focus on what we desire, and celebrate the presence of water. Then there are those who see it as completely full – all the time. These seemingly crazy people are not just positive; they are what this psychologist calls pathologically positive. Pathological Positivity is an empowering mental supernormality that lifts us above the normal perception of “reality.” It…
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Basic principles of positive psychology allow us to experience happiness now, and to anticipate more happiness in the future.
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Positivity is a practical approach to solve every problem. Pathological Positivity is not ignoring or avoiding reality, but intentionally and doggedly insisting on seeing possibilities in problems and finding or creating constructive tools to handle inevitable challenges.
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Is there a program or process that propels us predictably to unprecedented personal power, productivity, and profit? Yes. Pathological Positivity. Our planet is plagued with a pandemic of poisonous pessimism. The popular perception of painful or perturbing problems is pathogenically paralyzing. Pathological Positivity programs and positions us to perceive positive possibilities in problems. It inspires and provokes people to apply positive principles and practices even in paralyzing predicaments. Pathological Positivity isn’t just a program or philosophy, it is a personal preference. It is a programmed proclivity to purposefully opt for the positive from a plethora of possible perceptions. This promotes powerful productivity and profit. Pandemic, pestilent and pernicious pessimism is pummeled into powder as professionals apply and promote pathologically positive paradigms. The payoff is phenomenal prosperity. What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. - Ralph Waldo Emerson Image courtesy of twobee/FreeDigitalPhotos.net about…
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Questions are power tools of change. Power tools work best when plugged in and turned on. Sometimes the questions we ask are not really questions. My friend and creative editor, Tom Cantrell, called me on this recently when he asked, "Was that a question, or a statement disguised as a question?" Here's a common example: "How can I be happy with all of this going on?" That's not a bad question, if it is used as a question. Normally a question like this really means, "I can't be happy with all of this going on" - it is a statement disguised as a question. Another example is in my last message - "What could possibly be good about this?" Another great question, if you stay plugged in to the question. "Nothing could possibly be good about this" is the statement that sometimes gets into that question's disguise. Plug in the power - turn it back into a question and get…
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The motivational master, Earl Nightingale promoted Pathological Positivity when he suggested that we learn to habitually respond to even devastating circumstances by saying “that’s good” – then engage our marvelous minds to discover or create what’s good about it. As a psychologist, I see the power in this strategy. Our mind will dutifully fulfill our commands and requests. If we ask our mind to find out what is bad about something we can certainly find supportive evidence. If, on the other hand, we ask our minds to find out what is good about something, our minds will get to work on that. "What could possibly be good about this!?" Well, that's not a bad question - get busy finding a legitimate answer instead of assuming that there couldn't be one. life loans It's our attitude in life that determines life's attitude toward us. ~ Earl Nightingale
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Sometimes I am accused of being pathologically positive, like Pollyanna from the 1960 Disney movie. Is this a compliment or a criticism? I wasn't sure so I rented the movie. I remember as a child liking the movie. It seems that when I got older, I joined in with the other popular opinions that it was just corny and, well, pollyannaish. Watching it this time, I really paid attention to what Pollyanna was doing in light of my positive psychology practice. Here is a kid who was orphaned at an age when she could understand what was going on. Unquestionably a huge and painful adversity. Her father had been a minister, and taught her a game that she liked to play whenever something difficult or unpleasant was happening - the glad game. The game is that you intentionally look for something to be glad about related to your situation. It is…
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