GetReal!TheworldaccordingtothemediaMediabiasmagnifyingglass
ratherthanlookingglassaccentuatingthenegativeunder-repres
entingthepositiveWhoisreallydetached?Focusingonthe90%f
ullpartoftheglassFocuscreatesrealityAppreciatingApprecia
tionCreatingagrowthspiralGenuineappreciation!Thereisalwa
yssomethingtoappreciateAp-pre’ci-atev.,1.Valuing;theact
ofrecognizingthebestinpeopleortheworldaroundus,affirmi
ngpastandpresentstrengthsandpotentials;toperceivethoset
hingsthatgivelife(health,vitality,excellence)tolivingsys
tems.2.Toincreaseinvalue,e.g.,theeconomyhasappreciated
invalue.“Whatyoufocusonexpands,andwhenyoufocusonthe
goodnessinyourlife,youcreatemoreofit.Opportunities,rel
ationships,evenmoneyflowedmywaywhenIlearnedtobegratefu
lnomatterwhathappenedinmylife.” OprahWinfreyCorrec
tingtheFalseSchema:NewsCorrectingtheFalseSchema:ArtJan
VermeerCorrectingtheFalseSchema:ArtLudwigvanBeethovenCor
rectingtheFalseSchema:ArtCorrectingtheFalseSchema:ArtDa
vidKnowlesSandraJ.ShawCorrectingtheFalseSchema:StudiesA
daptationWearechangedetectorsChangedetectionhelpfulincas
eofdangerAdaptationhelpstoovercomedifficultiesTakingthin
gsforgrantedEatingthecakeandleavingitwhole?Mustsomethi
ngexternalandextraordinaryhappenbeforewelearntoappreciat
etheordinary?LearningtobeGrateful“Yousaygracebeforeme
als.Allright.ButIsaygracebeforetheconcertandtheoper
a,andgracebeforetheplayandpantomime,andgracebeforeIop
enabook,andgracebeforesketching,painting,swimming,fencin
g,boxing,walking,playing,dancing,andgracebeforeIdipthe
penintheink.”“Gratitudeproducedthemostpurelyjoyfulmome
ntsthathavebeenknowntoman.” G.K.Chesterton“Why
notstartbysurveyingatypicalday?Whatisityoutendtotac
klewithspontaneousmindfulness,sothatwithoutaneffortyour
wholeheartisinit?Maybeit’sthatfirstcupofcoffeeinthe
morning,thewayitwarmsyouandwakesyouup,ortakingyourd
ogforawalk,orgivingalittlechildapiggybackride....[It
is]amatterofpractice,ofdoingitoverandoveragain,tilli
tbecomessecondnature.”“Gratefulnessisthemeasureofoural
iveness.Arewenotdeadtowhateverwetakeforgranted?Surel
ytobenumbistobedead.”ResearchonGratitudeEmmonsandMcC
ullough(2002)Fourgroups:gratitude,hassles,superior,control
PsychologicalandhealthbenefitsPhysiologicalbenefits(McCrat
y&Childre2004)BenefitsoftraitgratefulnessMaintainingfres
hnessWeekly?(Lyubomirsky,2008)VarietyMinfulness(Langer,198
9)Visualize(Kosslyn,2005)TryIt!Becomingabenefit-finder21
daysoryourmoneybackChippingawaynegativityThanksforremi
ndingme…Co-creatingrealitywithquestionsGratitudetoOthers
(Seligman,2005)TaketimetoreflectLetter,phone,orin-person
LargestboostinwellbeingRegularly(weekly,bi-weeklyormonth
ly)WritinghelpsevenifletternotsentWorstandHappiestExpe
riences(Lyubomirskyetal.2006)Writing,Talking,orThinkingM
entalandphysicalhealthmeasuresAnalyzingversusreplay
ing(study3)PositiveOutcomeNegativeOutcomeThinkingNegative
OutcomePositiveOutcomeTalkingNegativeOutcomePositiveOutco
meWritingHappiest(Study2)Worst(Study1)“Weliveina‘give
n’world...Whatbringsfulfillmentisgratefulness,thesimple
responseofourhearttothisgivenlifeinallitsfullness.”
BrotherDavidSteindl-Rast“Toliveanddieingratefulne
ss,ifinnoothervirtue.” GalwayKinnel“Gratitu
deisnotonlythegreatestofvirtues,buttheparentofalloth
ers”. CiceroTheMoralityofGratitude“Iwonderedhow
itwaspossibletowalkforanhourthroughthewoodsandseenot
hingofnote.Iwhocannotseefindhundredsofthings:thedeli
catesymmetryofaleaf,thesmoothskinofasilverbirch,ther
ough,shaggybarkofapine.Iwhoamblindcangiveonehintto
thosewhosee:useyoureyesasiftomorrowyouwillhavebeens
trickenblind.Hearthemusicofvoices,thesongsofabird,th
emightystrainsofanorchestraasifyouwouldbestrickendeaf
tomorrow.Toucheachobjectasiftomorrowyourtactilesensew
ouldfail.Smelltheperfumeofflowers,tastewithrelisheach
morsel,asiftomorrowyoucouldnevertasteorsmellagain.Ma
kethemostofeverysense.Gloryinallthefacetsandpleasure
sandbeautywhichtheworldrevealstoyou.” HellenKelle
rFinalProject20-30minutePresentationAnytopicwithinposi
tivepsychologyWrittentext(10-15pagesdoublespaced)Slides
(wordorpowerpoints)Include:ReferencetoresearchOptional
:stories,filmclips,exercises,etcDatesMarch20:Letyour
TFknowyourtopicApril7:SendyourTF1pageoutline(draft
)ByMay3:Presentationto3-4classmatesMay10:Finalproj
ectduehttp://www.gratefulness.orghttp://www.luckfactor.co.uk
/Danner,D.,Snowdon,D.,andFriesen,W.(2001).Positiveemo
tionsinearlylifeandlongevity:Findingfromthenunstudy.J
ournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology,80,804-813.Emmons
R.A.(2007).Thanks!HowtheNewScienceofGratitudeCanMake
YouHappier.HoughtonMifflin.Seligman,M.(2002).Authentic
Happiness.FreePress.BrotherDavidSteindl-Rast(1984).Gra
tefulness,theHeartofPrayer.PaulistPress.Wiseman,R(2003
).TheLuckFactor.Miramax.BibliographyandRecommendations
AQuestionofFocus“Itappearsthatthewaypeopleperceivet
heworldismuchmoreimportanttohappinessthanobjectivecircu
mstances.” EdDienerEmotionsdeterminedbyexternal
andinternalChoiceoffocus“Tothedifferentminds,thesamewo
rldisahell,andaheaven.” RalphWaldoEmerson“
Nothingisgoodorbadbutthinkingmakesitso.” WilliamS
hakespeareTwoArchetypesTheFault-Finder“Thefault-finderwil
lfindfaultseveninparadise” HenryDavidThoreauCouldle
adtoresignationTheBenefit-Finder(Bower,2007)Couldlead
todetachmentTheneedtorespectreality“Theinvariablemarko
fwisdomistoseethemiraculousinthecommon.” Ralp
hWaldoEmersonWeCo-CreateOurReality“Nowhoweverfixedthes
eelementsofrealitymaybe,westillhaveacertainfreedomin
ourdealingswiththem.Takeoursensations.Thattheyareisu
ndoubtedlybeyondourcontrol;butwhichweattendto,note,and
makeemphaticinourconclusionsdependsonourowninterests;an
d,accordingaswelaytheemphasishereorthere,quitedifferen
tformulationsoftruthresult.Wereadthesamefactsdifferent
ly.‘Waterloo,’withthesamefixeddetails,spellsa‘victory’
foranenglishman;forafrenchmanitspellsa‘defeat.’So,for
anoptimistphilosophertheuniversespellsvictory,forapessi
mist,defeat.Whatwesayaboutrealitythusdependsonthepers
pectiveintowhichwethrowit.” WilliamJamesWeCo-Creat
eOurRealityIsn’titstrangehowprincesandkings,andclowns
thatcaperinsawdustrings,andcommonpeople,likeyouandme,
arebuildersforeternity?Eachisgivenalistofrules;ashap
elessmass;abagoftools.Andeachmustfashion,erelifeisfl
own,Astumblingblock,oraStepping-Stone. R.L.SharpA
MatterofInterpretation“Neverletagoodcrisisgotowaste.”
AnneHarbison“Thingsdon’tnecessarilyhappenfo
rthebest,butsomepeopleareabletomakethebestofthingst
hathappen.”AMatterofInterpretation“Apessimistseesthedif
ficultyineveryopportunity;anoptimistseestheopportunityi
neverydifficulty.” WinstonChurchillAQuestionof
InterpretationTheworldaccordingtothefault-finderThe(same
)worldaccordingtothebenefit-finderTheBenefitsofBeingaB
enefitFinderWell-being(Thompson,1985)HealthAfflecketal.(
1987)Bower(1998)King&Miner(2000)Longevity“Thejoyfulness
ofamanprolongethhisdays.” EcclesiastesTheNunStudy(
Danneretal.,2001)Onlypositivefeelingspredictedlongevity“
Godstartedmylifeoffwellbybestowinguponmegraceofinesti
mablevalue...ThepastyearwhichIspentasacandidatestudyin
gatNotreDamehasbeenaveryhappyone.NowIlookforwardwi
theagerjoytoreceivingtheHolyHabitofOurLadyandtoalif
eofunionwithLoveDivine.” CeliaO’Payne“Iwasbornon
September26,1909,theeldestofsevenchildren,fivegirlsand
twoboys...Mycandidateyearwasspentinthemother-house,tea
chingchemistryandsecondyearLatinatNotreDameInstitute.W
ithGod’sgrace,IintendtodomybestforourOrder,forthespreadofreligionandformypersonalsanctification.” MargueriteDonnellyTheNunStudy(Danneretal.,2001)OnlypositivefeelingspredictedlongevityAge85: 90%ofmostcheerfulquartilealive; 34%ofleastcheerfulquartilealive.Age94: 54%ofmostcheerfulquartilealive; 11%ofleastcheerfulquartilealiveGetReal!TheworldaccordingtothemediaGetReal!TheworldaccordingtothemediaMediabiasmagnifyingglassratherthanlookingglassaccentuatingthenegative(magnifying)under-representingthepositive(minimizing) |
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