Category

Optimism

The Art of Distractibility, Part VI: Be Your Own Best Friend

When I realized that I’d forgotten my mom’s birthday, the self-judgments hit me hard. “I’m a horrible daughter. And an airhead. How could I be so selfish? My mom would never be so thoughtless. I must be one of those self-absorbed millennials the news is always complaining about.” Ever had self-abasing thoughts? It’s true that...
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The Art of Distractibility, Part V: Go Through the (E)Motions

I have earned a C- on a test I was sure I’d aced. I feel my shoulders slump and my energy plummet. I hide the test and start chatting with my friends, trying to put my sadness and shame from my mind. Have you ever tried to shove away an unwanted feeling? Who hasn’t! No...
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The Art of Distractibility, Part IV: Recharge with Positive People

After an unbelievably tough day, I slump through the door. I should get to work on my assignments or chores, or at least eat a healthy dinner, but I feel way too defeated to do any of that. I just want to relax! I grab a bag of chips, flop on the sofa, and lose...
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The Art of Distractibility, Part III: Fortify with Good Thoughts

I wake up, an underslept mess because I was tossing and turning all night, pestered by regrets and worries. The morning starts in a confused fog of bad feelings and muddy thinking. I’m sullen towards everyone I see, and I’m angry at myself. I want to get things done! I want to get along with...
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The Art of Distractibility, Part II: Turn Towards Positive Thoughts

It’s my birthday. My friends serenade me as my mom brings out the birthday cake, the candles glowing. I’m about to blow them out and make a wish when the negativity hits. My birthday will be over soon, and then it’s back to chores and assignments. What if I don’t get what I wish for?...
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The Art of Distractibility, Part I: Monkey Mind to Masterpiece

Sitting with my interview file on my lap, I try hard to pay attention to my interviewer. I know it’ll be important to respond that what she’s saying, but my thoughts keep wandering. Do I look okay? Can she hear the waver in my voice? Will she smell that “everything” bagel I ate for breakfast?...
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Unleash Your Inner 7-year-old for More Creativity

Do you ever wish you were more creative? Research has shown that adults can be primed to become more creative simply by being asked to think like children. There are many kinds of creativity, including flexible thinking, elaboration of existing ideas, fluency of ideas, and originality. For the purposes of the study, college students were...
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Well-being: Fertilizer for Flourishing?

People often count on random positive events to help get them through the day. But close to half of our well-being can be affected by intentional activities, like setting goals, making choices, and developing self-regulation. So does this mean that good things in your life are not all random? Well, as a matter of fact,...
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Your Easy-As-Pie Resilience Recipe, Step 4: Attack What Holds You Back (Taste What’s Missing)

You take pride in your one-of-a-kind Resilience Pie, so you want the result to be the best that you can make it! Your high-quality ingredients and skills will go a long way to making it good, but how can you rocket your Resilience Pie to masterpiece level? You’ve got resilience factors within and all around...
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Unleash Your Artistic Optimist, Part VIII: Be a Clear-Eyed Optimist

When I was a kid, I watched a lot of musicals. In the movie musical South Pacific, the leading lady sings about being a cockeyed optimist. My grandma has always described herself as a cockeyed optimist, too – someone who is determined to see the bright side of everything. As an adult, I wonder, “Is...
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