Mudita: Delight in the Happiness and Success of Others
young person being congratulated with a high fivePhoto Credit: rawpixel from Pixabay
Mudita is a Sanskrit word that refers to the joy (rather than envy or resentment) we feel when others experience happiness and good fortune. The opposite of the German word Schadenfreude, this post... Read More...
Your Own North Star: Finding Life Purpose and Passion
December 31, 2018
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bright star in sky, metaphor of using north star as guide toward life purposePhoto Credit: anieto2k

Just as the literal North Star provides direction and helps us stay on course, so does our inner North Star. It’s the part of us that knows our purpose.

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Bouncing Back When Things Get Difficult: The Psychology of Resilience (Positive Psychology Series #5)
October 9, 2018
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resilience as demonstrated by woman lifting weightsPhoto Credit: CrossFit Fever
How much do you agree with the following statement? “Setbacks don’t discourage me. I don’t give up easily.” Psychologists who study resilience have found that some people are able to succeed... Read More...
Play to Your Strengths: The Science of Character Strengths (Positive Psychology Series #4)
Wordcloud of character strengths like wisdom, justice, love and courageMade at Wordclouds.com
According to psychologists, understanding and utilizing our character strengths and virtues is a key component of living a good life. Rather than feeding the tendency to notice what’s wrong,... Read More...
The Study of Authenticity (Positive Psychology Series #3)
People showing authenticity by jumping into air freelyPhoto Credit: Antoine Gady

What is authenticity? What does the research say about its relationship to well-being? How can we cultivate more of it? Learn more here from social psychologist, Elizabeth Hopper, PhD.

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Look on the Bright Side: The Science of Optimism (Positive Psychology Series #2)
November 14, 2017
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Ticket stub with text Yes - a word for optimismPhoto Credit: Quinn Dombrowski

Most studies show that being optimistic is good for us: optimists have better mental health and may even live longer.

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Positive Psychology: The Theory and Science – Part I
Positive Psychology diagram showing how A positive reinforces B positivePhoto Credit: Jurgen Appalo
Rather than removing pathology, the field of Positive Psychology focuses on ways to cultivate qualities like optimism, gratitude, generosity and resilience. This is the first in a series of upcoming... Read More...
Feeling Stressed? Awe Might Be What You Need
Awe, Photo titled 'Seashell' by Moyan BrennPhoto Credit: Moyan Breen
I still remember feeling awestruck when I saw the Pacific Ocean for the first time as a child. I remember how incredible it felt looking at the waves and realizing that they stretched so much farther... Read More...
Money and Happiness: An Interview with Dr. Elizabeth Dunn
If you want happiness...photo by Erno HanninkPhoto Credit: Erno Hannink
Imagine if your job was to think about, and study, what makes people happy. This job actually exists and it belongs to Dr. Elizabeth Dunn, an associate professor of psychology at the University of... Read More...
20 Quotes in Memory of Dr. Wayne Dyer, Self-Help Psychologist
September 5, 2015
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Wayne Dyer Tribute: "You are in partnership with all other human beings, not a contest to be judged better than some and worse than others."Photo Credit: Marti W
He came from humble beginnings, raised in foster homes and an orphanage, and died a giant. On August 29, 2015, Wayne Dyer, PhD., prolific author and public speaker in the field of self-help... Read More...