I Have a LOT to be Grateful For.
Hi There,
Have you read DRIVEN’s July blog article about Stanley? Who’s Stanley, you ask? Well, in addition to being considered a business pioneer in NYC, Stanley is also my father. And this July, I’m tipping my hat to some of his foundational philosophies, adopted by yours truly! I’m proud to report that these habits and practices were embraced as far back as my single digit years.
It's a plain fact that Stanley is (still) ahead of his time! Besides engaging in the “sport” of jogging since before it was cool, he was also practicing Positive Psychology before it even had a name! If you aren’t familiar with it, Positive Psychology began as a new domain of psychology in 1998 when Martin Seligman chose it as the theme for his term as president of the American Psychological Association.
A definition I like is, “the scientific study of what makes life most worth living, focusing on both individual and societal well-being.”
In a nutshell, Positive Psychology focuses on the positive events and influences in life, including:
-Positive experiences (like joy)
-Positive states and traits (like gratitude)
-Positive institutions (like an organization’s culture)
When I was little, Stanley and I had a bedtime ritual. At the end of each day, we’d play the “counting game”. Stanley would list the activities of the day, and it was my job to assign a right or left finger to the events. The right hand represented the “good events” scorecard. The southpaw meant thumbs down.
Whichever hand had 5 fingers raised first determined the day’s success. Wouldn’t you know it? I always happened to have a good day! Looking back, I realize that my daddy manipulated the outcome each time. So, no matter how bad the day, I dozed off with Stanley’s positive spin.
Besides adopting, I’ve been adapting this practice to my own way of life. When I hit 12, I recited my then daily mantra to “Old Stan” on a walk: The 5 reasons I was grateful.
1. I was born and reside in the US— a comparatively safe place.
2. I was born to parents who had planned to have me.
3. I was born reasonably intelligent.
4. I am blessed with good health.
5. I’m not afraid of hard work.
And as life continues to evolve, so does my Gratitude Practice. These days, it’s naming three things I’m grateful for daily. The evolution is that the gratitudes can’t repeat. This twist has sealed my fate as an eternal optimist.
So, if you like the sound of practicing Positive Psychology, I invite you to try on a gratitude practice for size. And if you do, tell me about it. I’d love to try your version!
Cheers!
-Deborah
Deborah Goldstein
DRIVEN Professionals / Forbes / Linkedin
info@drivenpros.com | LinkedIn
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