23 Nov Identify and utilise your strengths for more happiness & life success
When I made the shift from the more traditional “clinical psychology” to the newer “positive psychology” (20 years ago now!) one of the most exciting aspects was the greater emphasis on strengths as opposed to weaknesses.
That is, as a therapist most of my attention was directed towards fixing faults and failings.
As a positive psychologist I began to emphasise much more of the positive attributes in my clients.
The two are definitely NOT mutually exclusive; but too many still focus too much on what’s wrong, rather than on what’s right …
via Thrive Global by Ivan Hernandez
I’m not smart enough…I don’t have the experiences they’re looking for…I’m not qualified.
That’s what I told my mentor when he encouraged me to apply for psychology PhD programs. I was a Latinx first-generation college student from a working-class immigrant family. I thought there was absolutely no way I could get in.
Troubled that I held these beliefs, my mentor explained that it is precisely because of my diverse identity and lived experiences that I would benefit the scientific community.
Now, I’m a doctoral candidate studying the psychological factors that influence students throughout their education. I’ve learned that students from historically marginalized groups commonly encounter these types of limiting beliefs about who they are from society. The difference is that I had someone to support me to think in a different way.
My mentor’s words shifted the way that I thought about my background and identity. I started asking myself new questions …
… keep reading the full & original article HERE