24 Feb Happiness is … finding positives
I hope you enjoy this tip I sent today to the recipients of my free weekly mailings at www.makingchanges.com.au. It is, I believe, highly relevant to those seeking happiness as well as to those seeking to promote happiness! Read on and enjoy…
Hi there again and welcome back to weekly tips from www.makingchanges.com.au. As many of you are well aware I gain inspiration for many of my messages from my wife and children; and this week is another example of that…with a slight twist. My inspiration this week is actually my son’s new kindergarten teacher.
The other night I was at a parent evening as my son just started school. Among other things, his teacher discussed their “reward and merit” system and noted that she can’t possibly reward every single boy every time he does something good or worthy of recognition.
While discussing this she noted “I could find a thousand reasons to reward each of the boys every day…”
Now remember, these are 5-6 year old boys she’s talking about…not (under any definition of the word) angels!
But it got me thinking. If we were to actively look for positives and reasons to reward others, not just in our children, but in our partners, loved ones, colleagues and everyone…then how many more “good things” would we see and how many more wonderful opportunities would we have to reward and reinforce?
One of the earliest psychologists, William James, was once quoted as saying “my experience is what I agree to attend to.” Think about it; we can effectively change our experience of the world not necessarily by changing the world but but deciding to attend to different aspects of the world.
This week’s tip, therefore, is to look for positives and actively take opportunities to reinforce and reward others for the good things they do.
PS: for those of you interested in getting help to do this you might like to consider some or all of the following options:
– cognitive therapy at www.makingchanges.com.au
– self-help versions of cognitive therapy at www.depressionmanuals.com.au
– positive psychology coaching and happiness courses at www.thehappinessinstitute.com
And don’t forget to pass this on to any friends or colleagues who you think might benefit.