A Life Worth Living: Andy Cope

Posted on May 15, 2013 by

This is the first in a regular series of interviews looking at the approach different people take to creating A Life Worth Living. This interview is with Andy Cope, author of a number of books including The Art of Being Brilliant and The Art of Being a Brilliant Teacher. Andy is currently studying for a PhD in “Happiness” and delivers workshops and seminars via his company The Art of Brilliance. Enjoy the interview.

Andy Cope

Andy Cope

1. What prompted you to write your book “The Art of Being Brilliant” and who is it aimed at? What has been the response to your book?

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‘The Art of Being Brilliant’ is basically all the best bits from my PhD research. I’’ve been studying ‘happiness’ and ‘flourishing’ (basically, I’’ve been seeking out happy people and bottling their secrets) and some simple principles were crying out to be shared. I’’m delighted to say that the response has been brilliant. ‘The Art of Being Brilliant’ has reached a global audience and I’m working on book 2

2. What led you to undertaking studies in positive psychology?

I studies ‘Psychology’ at Uni. and it was interesting, but always about ill people. I learned about disorders, anxiety and depression. And then I came across the relatively new field of ‘Positive Psychology’ which was pitched at the opposite end of the spectrum. And, bizarre as it sounds, we’d never really studied happy people. And that piqued my interest. I noticed that too many people were in a default whinge/moan/pessimistic mindset. Why is that? And wouldn’t it be cool to find people who were different? And find out what they were doing?

So I did!

3. You are working on a PhD in “Happiness” – what topic specifically is your PhD looking at?

I’m looking at what I call ‘flourishing’. In a nut shell, I’ve been studying people who are happy and upbeat and (and this is important) whom other people are noticing are more happy and upbeat. In short, those who shine and who impact positively on those around them

And my research is targeted at those who are working in the public sector. I thought this would be particularly challenging, in times of re-structuring, low morale and budget cuts. Yet, some people remain happy and upbeat!

4. If you could change the world in any way you wanted what 3 things would you change?

Just 1 thing. I’d change education. There aren’t enough words in this article that allow me to do justice to the changes I’d make. Suffice to say, I’d pretty much tear up the current model and start again. We’re preparing children for a world that no longer exists!

5. Who is the most inspiring person you have ever met and why?

Crikey! Good question!

I’ve been fortunate to meet a good selection of awesome people. I’d better go for my colleague and co-author, the fabulous Mr Andy Whittaker (cos he’ll probably read this!). He’s the nicest bloke on the planet and has really inspired me by proving that when you play to your strengths, anything’s possible

6. How do you spread your message of happiness?

We have a really cool workshop called ‘The Art of Being Brilliant’. Plus various books and CDs. But the best way to spread the message is to take it into schools and train kids to deliver it across their community

7. Tell me about your 2%ers event?

A ‘2%er’ is my shorthand way of describing the people I’ve been studying. It isn’t actually scientifically correct but is merely meant to imply that happy, positive, upbeat people are a minority group. 2%ers are people who are significantly happier than average

And we have gatherings of 2%ers. Basically we cram 400 happy people into a room and deliver some workshops for them. It gives me a chance to try out some new material on a friendly audience

8. I believe we should all do something every day to make us feel proud. (Cue Heather Small) What are you most proud of?

My family. The biggest results I’ve had with ‘positive psychology’ have been at home

9. What has been you greatest life lesson to date?

The biggest discovery of my PhD (and the most obvious!) is that 2%ers actively and consciously choose to be positive. I describe this as common sense but not common practice. I also describe it as simple but not easy (there’s a very important difference!)

10. Tell me about your involvement with schools and why you choose to work with them?

We delivered ‘The Art of Being Brilliant’ in businesses for a number of years before we twigged that teachers and children need these messages too! So we re-jigged the content and we now deliver what we call our ‘embedded model’, where we take a year group through the messages and task them with designing their own curriculum that they take across school (and the wider community). Young people get such a hard time in the press and this is an attempt to redress the balance by getting teenagers to inspire their communities.

Quite simply, the earlier you can embed positivity and happiness in your life, the better your life chances

And we choose to deliver in schools because it’s absolutely the right thing to do! In fact our business model is set up in such a way that we charge quite hefty fees to deliver in businesses and we use the surplus to subsidise our work in schools.

11. Is it easier to teach happiness to young people or adults? In other words can you teach old dogs new happiness tricks?

Our’s is an incredibly simple message. Adults get it. And younger children (age 9 to 12) get it

Teenagers are more of an issue. Quite often, we find that teens are already indoctrinated into negative mind-sets and some of them can be very difficult to work with. Invariably, these habits have been learned from home. Sadly, if you’re a British teenager, it’s not cool to be your best self. We are working hard to change this culture in the schools that invite us in.

12. Who or what is the greatest source of happiness in your life?

My children

13. Which 3 books would you take to a desert island?

Charlie & the Chocolate Factory (Roal Dahl)

Success Intelligence (Robert Holden)

‘Spy Dog’ (by me…and I’d take this book along just to remind myself that I can write books)

14. Who is the happiest person you have ever met and what have you learned from him/her?

In 2005, I interviewed Britain’s happiest man. Not only did he put his happiness down to a conscious choice. He also made that choice after a terrible tragedy when many people would have given up on life. We hear so much about ‘post traumatic stress disorder’. This guy showed that adversity can make you stronger (which is called ‘post traumatic growth’, btw). You don’t have to dwell on bad stuff.

15. When was the last time you experienced an explosion of joy (controlled or otherwise)?

I was driving home from doing a talk. And the night sky was filled with stars. I pulled the car over, got out and gazed at the sky. I can’t never remember seeing so many stars! And that got me thinking that here am I, a flickering dot of life on a tiny rock in the solar system. How cool is that!

16. Can you remember the happiest moment of your life and what made you happy?

Sounds corny, but I reckon the happiest moment of my life was when my wife and newborn daughter came home from hospital. Sophie was premature so things were a bit dicey for a while. Getting my girls home was a huge relief and an immense source of happiness that has lasted 18 years.

17. Have you tried any of the Happiness Experiments? What was your experience?

We’re just recording a series where we experience a range of ‘happiness remedies’ and report back. So watch this space. We’re experimenting with meditation, getting drunk, being grateful, watching a funny film, walking in the countryside, doing random kindness, etc. It’s meant to be light-hearted reporting but with a serious message

18. Do you have any Happiness Experiments of your own to recommend?

I tend to give a ‘top tip’ that I found useful when re-training myself to be more positive. Wake up in the morning being really grateful that you haven’t got toothache. Genuinely appreciate it. It works really well on cold, dark winter mornings. Or, on a bigger scale, appreciate that your kidneys are working and your heart’s still beating. And get out of bed like you mean it! (I think this is a twist on the often-quoted ‘attitude of gratitude’)

19. The aim of The Happiness Experiment blog is to show people ways to live a happier and more meaningful life. What brings meaning to your life?

For me, meaning comes from having goals that connect with the world. So to continue to grow ‘The Art of Being Brilliant’ and to get it embedded in the school curriculum, gives me a very strong sense of purpose and meaning. Because it means more and more young people will get to connect with being their best selves. That means I can’t wait to get out of bed in the morning and I have more energy than I’ve ever had in my life

20. If I were to ask you to think about “a life worth living”? What constitutes a life worth living for you?

One in which I feel loved. And one in which I feel I’m adding some value. I rather like this story from our book…

Posted by Shona Lockhart on 15th May 2013

Carpe diem, memento mori and other life lessons

Posted on April 29, 2013 by

Carpe diem, memento mori and other life lessons

I was forced (or should I say encouraged) to take Latin at school because I was good at languages and was told it would help me in the future with my language studies. I never enjoyed Latin much as it is a dead language and learning language by rote was not my method of choice. I prefer to learn a language the natural way, as a child does, by listening and repeating and finally mastering the ability to speak. During my school years there were not many Romans running around with whom I could converse. Cave canem, carpe diem, tempus fugit, endless verb declensions, my memories of Latin lessons and Latin are hazy at most. However I always enjoyed history and learning about Roman life was endlessly fascinating and this compensated for the hours of learning set Latin prose in order to pass an exam. I recently visited the amazing Life and Death: Pompei and Herculaneum exhibition at the Bristish Museum which depicts daily life in these towns before Mount Vesuvius errupted with catastrophic consequences. Little did I know as a reluctant Latin learner that my connection to the Romans would persist in later life when I became a mosaic artist. The exhibition looks at the detail of the Romans lives at the time, showing typical interiors of dwellings which were often decorated with mosaic floors. The overwhelming impression I gained from the exhibition was that although the Romans lived short lives, with few living beyond the age of 40, they lived life to the full and embodied the phrase I had learned long ago: Carpe Diem (seize the day). I recently stumbled upon this article by Jeremy McCarthy which examines the meaning of Carpe Diem and its implications for our lives. It’s an important life lesson and one which the inhabitants of Pompei and Heculaneum had grasped long ago. Neil Pasricha’s TED talk and his wonderful blog 1000 awesome things remind us not to lose our awe and appreciation for all the wonderful things life has to offer. (I struggle with the word awesome but it is a great award winning blog.) Neil Pasricha reminds us that amongst the challenges and tragedies we will all inevitably face at some point in our lives there is much to be appreciated and enjoyed. He encourages us all to embrace our inner 3 year old, the child who always viewed life with a sense of wonder and awe. That sounds to me like pretty good advice to me.

Mosaic: Carpe diem from Life and Death: Pompei and Herculaneum exhibition at the Bristish Museum

Running with the Dead

by JEREMY MCCARTHY on APRIL 23, 2013 in FACTS OF LIFE

Photo Credit: Chad McDonald viaCompfight

The headquarters of my company (Starwood Hotels and Resorts) recently relocated to a beautiful part of Stamford, Connecticut. Our new offices happen to be located adjacent to a cemetery, where I sometimes go running on my lunch break.

I’m not sure what the etiquette is of running through a cemetery where I have no relationship to any of those interred there, and I would hate to do anything that those there to mourn the loss of a loved one might consider disrespectful. But so far, I have not seen any visitors to the graves. It is only me, a handful of caretakers, and hundreds of tombstones. This solitude is what makes it a nice run. It is quiet and green (but especially quiet.)

The tombstones make an interesting backdrop for my run. I pay particular attention to the dates as I run by, especially on the tombs of those who died at a young age. It reminds me of my own mortality and helps me to focus on what is important during this brief window of time I have to walk upon this earth.

Psychologists call this “mortality salience” and it can be a huge motivator of human behavior. But not always in a positive way. “Terror management theory” suggests that most of human activity is based on our futile efforts to deny, forget, or overcome the impermanence of life.

Photo Credit:Jeremy Farmer via Compfight

When we become aware of our own mortality, we often respond with avoidance, suppression, or attempts to boost our own feelings of significance. Sometimes this means aligning ourselves to a particular culture or world view (such as religious beliefs that contain comforting themes such as “purpose,” “God’s will,” “afterlife,” and “eternity.”) The downside of clinging to these beliefs is they make us less receptive to others who share different beliefs, creating conflict and discord between people.

This led Elizabeth Kubler-Ross to suggest that if we could overcome this defensive reaction to our own mortality, we could create more peace in the world:

If all of us would make an all-out effort to contemplate our own death, to deal with our anxieties surrounding the concept of our death . . . perhaps there could be less destructiveness around us. (Kubler-Ross, 1969, p. 27)

Recent research suggests that the more mindful someone is, the more open they are to contemplating their own mortality. And rather than then being motivated to suppress or deny the impermanence of life, they are able to draw meaning from it in a positive way (Niemic, et al., 2010.)

In Oliver Burkeman’s new book, “The Antidote,” he talks about accepting one’s own morality as a pathway to wellbeing. According to Burkeman, Roman emperors had a servant march behind them whispering “memento mori” (remember you are soon to die) so that awareness of their own mortality was always at the forefront. This awareness gave them a sense of humility as well as a reminder to savor life while they could.

According to Paul Wong, an expert on the meaning of life, the acceptance of death (as opposed to avoidance) helps us to appreciate the “fragility and finitude of life” and to “deliberate wisely regarding our priorities and ultimate life goal.” This gives us a greater passion for living and allows us to live in a more authentic way.

Another analysis of recent scientific studies found that “thinking about death can lead to a good life.” An awareness of mortality can improve physical health and help us re-prioritize our goals and values. Even non-conscious thinking about death — say walking by a cemetery — could prompt positive changes and promotes helping others.

Reading this, I couldn’t help but be reminded of the days immediately following 9/11 in New York City. The entire population, although mourning, was infused with a glow of altruism and compassion the likes of which I have never seen before or since. Perhaps a side effect of being confronted with our mortality in such a brutal way.

Photo Credit: Patrick Hoesly via Compfight

Every animal is biologically programmed for self-preservation, but only humans are aware that they will eventually perish. We fight for survival while struggling with the simple awareness that failure is inevitable.

This is a harsh and sobering thought. But by keeping it in mind it helps us remember what is important, appreciate what we have, and cherish who we’re with.

My runs through the graveyard are a powerful reminder of my own mortality and a gentle motivator for my run. While running, I contemplate the impermanence of life, and often think of this passage from Neil Pasricha’s TED talk:

The cashiers at your grocery store, the foreman at your plant, the guy tailgating you home on the highway, the telemarketer calling you during dinner, every teacher you’ve ever had, everyone that’s ever woken up beside you, every politician in every country, every actor in every movie, every single person in your family, everyone you love, everyone in this room and you will be dead in a hundred years. Life is so great, but we only get such a short time to experience and enjoy all those tiny little moments that make it so sweet. And that moment is right now; and those moments are counting down; and those moments are always, always, always fleeting.

Memento mori.

Neil Pashrisha’s TED talk

Article by JEREMY MCCARTHY published on APRIL 23, 2013 in FACTS OF LIFE

Posted by Shona Lockhart on 29th April 2013

The Happy List 2013

Posted on April 28, 2013 by

Hot off the press! The Independent on Sunday has published its annual Happy List (as an antidote to The Times Rich List which was published last Sunday). Have a read of this inspiring list of people and decide which list you would rather appear in. I know which one I’d choose.

The Independent on Sunday Happy List 2013

It’s back! Our antidote to those greed-is-good rich lists returns for a sixth successful year. On the next pages Jemma Crew names 100 inspiring people who have selflessly enriched the lives of others in the past year

JEMMA CREW

SUNDAY 28 APRIL 2013

Today, The Independent on Sunday publishes its sixth annual Happy List, naming 100 outstanding people whose volunteering, caring, fundraising, mentoring, charity founding or selflessness makes Britain a more contented, supportive, better-adjusted and happier place.

They include the couple who have welcomed more than 1,000 troubled young men into their home; the woman who has raised £1m for cancer sufferers and their families; the 13-year-old poet who communicates by blinking; the man who has served breakfast to the homeless for the past 10 years; the nun who provides shelter for sex workers in central London; and the cousins who saved a man’s hand by preserving it in a bag of frozen Brussels sprouts.

There is also the man who makes toys for animals out of fire hoses; the woman who has helped thousands of disabled people enjoy the arts; the pensioner who has volunteered for the Royal British Legion for 66 years; and the sick teenager who sold his treasured football memorabilia to help an ill friend. All these, plus sports people, community stalwarts, mentors and some innovators who have transformed derelict spaces, preserved Britain’s heritage, and founded organisations to provide support to the most vulnerable.

The Happy List began six years ago as an antidote to all those rich lists that worship the super-wealthy, the financially successful, inheritors of millions, and the over-bonused. This list celebrates a different set of values, honouring those who give back, rather than take, those who help others without thought of enriching themselves, and, in many cases, at considerable personal cost. The list has grown in influence and has now become a stand-alone idea in its own right, inspiring Bristol to become the first city to create a “Happy List” of its own. A campaign will launch soon to get other cities to follow Bristol’s example.

As last year, the list is made up exclusively of the unsung, people whose extraordinary efforts have gone unrecognised outside their own circles and communities. Many of them do their good work in a town, village, or limited area. They have been selected not only because what they do is inspiring, but because they are representative of the hundreds of thousands of people who make Britain a happier place by volunteering, fundraising or caring.

The final list is the result of weeks of research, appeals across social media, and scores of nominations from individuals and organisations.

Acorn Bank Watermill Volunteers

Heritage lovers

Richard Harland, Ray Gill and Bob Price form the trio who painstakingly restored and now maintain an ancient mill at Temple Sowerby, Cumbria. For five years they have helped to rebuild the wooden structure, and the mill is now able to grind flour for the first time in over 70 years.

Daphine Aikens

Food bank founder

Mother of two who started a food bank in London two years ago to stop local people from going hungry. Daphine juggles her home life in order to volunteer four days a week, as well as evenings and Saturdays. Her nominator says: “Her compassion is tireless; she is a true inspiration.”

Patricia Almond

Campaigner

Has inspired people to keep the Isle of Wight countryside clean through her litter campaign. Patricia produces litter-picker kit-bags – made out of recycled Cowes Week sailcloth. She encourages residents to “think litter” and keep the island tidy, so that it continues to attract visitors.

Richard Baber

Toy maker

For seven years Richard has volunteered at Paignton Zoo, Devon, crafting toys for the animals – including footballs for elephants, hammocks for baboons, and piñatas for monkeys – out of old fire hoses. He also helped construct 850 bird boxes, and supports the zoo’s free weekly bird show.

Denise Bernard

Restorer

Denise’s determination to restore The Florence Institute in Toxteth, Liverpool, which closed in the 1980s, is the reason it stands tall today. Denise and her community, helped by lottery funding, have transformed “the Florrie” into a youth and social club that is used by 250 children weekly.

Suzie Birchwood

Dance mentor

A neurological condition that developed while she was training for a career in ballet left Suzie wheelchair-bound in 2001. So she set up ActOne ArtsBase in St Albans, Hertfordshire, which provides dance classes, holiday projects and a nightclub for disabled and vulnerable children.

Gary Bishop

Homeless helper

Gary has worked in the voluntary sector for 20 years, and in 2008 founded the Justlife Centre in Manchester, which helps the homeless and others. He advises primary care trusts, housing associations and social enterprises across the country.

Ellis Blake and Ariana Webley

Life savers

Cousins, then 20, who saved a man after he was attacked with a machete at a Birmingham bus stop. The girls fetched towels to stop the bleeding and preserved his severed hand in a bag of frozen Brussels sprouts. They were honoured by the West Midlands Police Authority last year.

Adam Bojelian

Poet

When Adam was born with cerebral palsy, doctors told his parents he had 24 hours to live. But 13 years later the Edinburgh youngster, who communicates by blinking, has gone on to be hailed as one of the nation’s most promising poets, winning awards for his work.

Ally Boyle

Role model

When the area commander for Strathclyde Fire and Rescue was diagnosed with a bone marrow disorder in 2008, he formed a partnership with the Anthony Nolan Trust that has saved at least six lives and led to more than 4,000 potential donors joining the bone marrow register.

Graham Brewis

Addicts’ lifeline

Graham had a promising career in finance when his alcohol dependency led him to become homeless. In 2007, after rehab, and aware of the financial difficulties affecting addicts, he set up Clean Slate, a Newcastle service that provides advice on benefits, debt, and budgeting.

Melanie and Donny Bryan

Community entrepreneurs

Melanie, from Wigan, Greater Manchester, won £147m of public sector contracts for charities, social enterprises, and small businesses last year alone, while Donny runs a landscaping social enterprise that works with the elderly and disabled.

Inigo Calderon

Sportsman

A professional footballer who gives back, this Brighton and Hove Albion player has just won an award for his pioneering work off the pitch. As well as helping out the club, Inigo has designed and delivered educational workshops for job-seekers, apprentices and schoolchildren.

Jack Carroll

Comedian

Cerebral palsy sufferer Jack, 14, wants to be a professional comedian. When the youngster from Hipperholme, West Yorkshire, performed his first gig in 2010, the YouTube footage attracted more than 30,000 hits. He hopes to use comedy to encourage people to talk about disability.

Shahida Choudhry

Gender campaigner

Birmingham social worker who started the 280,000-signature petition for Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl shot by the Taliban, to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Shahida also started the Women’s Networking Hub, which campaigns against gender inequality.

Neil Cliffe

Marathon runner

After being diagnosed with cancer in 1981, Neil, then 45, had a life-saving operation and went on to run 17 marathons and 54 half-marathons, raising £1m to build an outpatient care centre. The facility provides free care to more than 3,000 patients in Greater Manchester.

Penny Clow

Befriender and advocate

Penny has volunteered for the London-based Prisoners’ Families and Friends Service for 38 years, befriending relatives of prisoners. She set up the Court Project, which provides advocacy and emotional support. She stepped down, aged 70, in December 2012.

Daniel Colbeck

Mentor

Volunteer for Addaction’s Manchester resettlement project, which helps ex-offenders with substance misuse problems re-adjust to life after prison. Daniel supports his clients by helping them find safe accommodation and sourcing external support.

Alan Cornwell

Volunteer

Representative of the countless volunteers who work, unsung, at Britain’s top gardens, Alan has given many hours a week for 13 years to Wakehurst Place, West Sussex, where he performs a range of horticultural tasks and is responsible for the formal lawn edges and paved areas.

Duncan Craig

Counsellor

Founder of Survivors Manchester, an organisation that offers support to men and boys who have been the victims of any form of sexual assault or rape. A true inspiration to others who have suffered abuse in the past, Duncan promises: “We will never turn anyone away.”

Caroline Criado-Perez

Pioneer

Co-founder of The Women’s Room, a database of women experts set up after Radio 4’s Today programme failed to include women in discussions about contraception and breast cancer. More than 2,000 women have volunteered to help get the voices of women heard.

Richard and Sarah Curd

Loving parents

Richard and Sarah’s son Oliver was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer in 2006. After he died, the East Sussex couple set up a trust in his name which provides holiday accommodation, where ill children and their families can spend quality time, and has raised over £100,000.

Trish Davidson

Campaigner

Founder of Unchosen, a charity in Bath that promotes films, documentaries and interviews aimed at combatting human trafficking in the UK. The organisation relies on voluntary staff who update the website with information on film showings, and highlight news stories about human trafficking.

Anita Devi

Educator

Education consultant from Northampton who focuses on special educational needs. Anita recently set up the Support 4 Learning iHub for people with learning difficulties. She delivers workshops all over the country, trains volunteers and supports individuals in difficult work situations.

Peter Ditchburn and John Worsnop

Nature lovers

The pair have spent 20 years volunteering at nature reserves in the North Pennines, performing tasks as varied as inspecting mine shafts, giving interviews, writing newsletters and leading volunteer parties and guided walks. They won Natural England’s 2013 Volunteer of the Year Awards.

Neil Dowden

Food giver

Neil has served cooked breakfasts to the homeless for more than 10 years, and, apart from a small annual fundraising event, foots the bill himself. He feeds more than 200 people a month in Charing Cross, London, and also organises a Christmas lunch in his local church hall.

David and Cameron Dunn

Flood rescuers

Father and son who saved a pensioner stranded by floodwater in Keynsham, Somerset, last November. David drove his Land Rover into the river, climbed on to its roof and pulled the man through the driver’s window to safety. Cameron, 13, filmed the rescue.

Vernon Neve-Dunn

Rugby coach

Chairman of Southwark Tigers RFC – the first inner-city rugby club for children. Vernon has been the head coach since 2000 and sourced funding so that the children could play for free. According to his nominator: “The club makes Britain a better, more well-adjusted and happier place.”

Theresa Early

Theatre lover

Director of Theatre Peckham which, for 25 years, has kept local children off the streets and channelled their energy into acting, singing and dancing. More than 400 individuals attend weekly classes and take part in regular theatre productions. Sir Ian McKellen was so impressed that he became a patron.

Flo and Jim Essex

Fundraisers

Couple from Yeovil, Somerset who, at 82 and 87, have raised over £160,000 for charity by, among other things, lying on a bed of nails to mark 60 years of marriage, and speeding downhill in shopping trolleys. When illness ruled out a holiday, they gave £1,000 they’d saved to charity.

Marian Faulkner

Stress reliever

Volunteer for Body & Soul, a charity in east London that supports people with HIV. Marian offers massage to reduce stress and combat pain, and has, says her nominator, “successfully broken down cultural barriers” over the last 13 years through her work with the organisation’s youngest members.

Isla Firth

Role model

When Isla was two she lost an eye due to a rare form of cancer. The seven-year-old from Normanton, West Yorkshire, has since raised hundreds of pounds for the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust and even starred in a DVD to show others how easy it is to put in their artificial eyes.

Margaret Fitter

Life enhancer

Margaret’s shop in Helston, Cornwall raised around £1m for cancer sufferers in 12 years. The former nurse has helped mothers who couldn’t afford childcare and arranged for a terminally ill woman to be a zookeeper for the day. Margaret, 74, retired in January and the shop was forced to close.

The Folio Society

Publishers

Produces books that are outstanding not only in literary content but also in physical form, where typography, illustration, paper, printing and binding all contribute to the final edition. In an era of electronic reading and cheap printing, the London-based society continues to deliver beautiful books.

Alan Ford

Nature lover

A lifelong wildlife enthusiast and one of west Kent’s longest-standing volunteers. Alan has monitored species from dormice to newts, constructed nest boxes, regularly leads guided walks and moth evenings, and is a great promoter of Kent Wildlife Trust’s work throughout the county.

Doug Francis

Artist

Creative director at ArtSpace LifeSpace, an artist-led initiative that offers “a creative solution to problem properties” in Bristol by transforming vacant and underused spaces into venues for the creative arts. Doug says: “I believe that creativity makes the world a better place.”

Richard ‘Beef’ Frankland

Youth worker

North London-based youth worker for Prospex, which helps socially disadvantaged youngsters achieve their potential. “Beef”, with 30 years’ experience, has been involved with the organisation since 2001. His nominator says: “He brings more joy and happiness to kids than is imaginable.”

Pat and Stuart Gates

Caring couple

Loving foster carers who have welcomed nearly 100 children into their Swansea home during the last three decades. Since becoming involved with Foster Swansea in 1985, the couple have provided a home full of hope and love to 98 children. The couple retired at the end of 2012.

Milton Gayle

Devoted coach

This Jamaican-born tennis coach and player has been involved in south London tennis since the 1970s. Working in the capital’s most deprived areas, Milton has coached thousands of children and helped others stay away from gang culture. Winner of the 2012 Barclays Unsung Tennis Hero Award.

Ramona Gibbs

Life saver

Last July Ramona, then six, pushed her younger sister Trixie out of the way of a car that mounted the pavement outside their Bristol home. She suffered liver and lung damage, a broken leg and rib, and internal bleeding, and spent 16 days in hospital. Trixie escaped with only a scratch.

Tom Gilzean

Fundraiser

This 92-year-old fundraiser was just 10 when he fell through a roof, earning himself a stay in hospital. The experience stuck, and since 2000 he has raised over £400,000 for charities, including the Sick Kids Friends Foundation, by sitting on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile with his collection tin.

Leanne Grose

Achiever

Amputee from Truro, Cornwall who lost a leg from bone cancer. After discovering a lack of fitness provision for individuals with impairments, Leanne designed her own fitness DVD for amputees, the elderly and the overweight. She has also had the child she was told she couldn’t have.

Growing Communities

Sustainable growers

Community organisation that started a fruit and vegetable box scheme and the Stoke Newington farmers’ market in north London 10 years ago. It supports small farmers, trains volunteers to grow produce on its market-gardens, and has inspired six London communities to follow suit.

Joe Hallett and Paul Davies

Victim supporters

Joe and Paul started Always a Chance, a charity helping those affected by violent crime, after two of their friends were shot and killed on holiday in Florida in 2011. The charity supports victims, funds work with the young unemployed, and has raised around £150,000.

David Hamilton

Volunteer driver

David, a retired teachre, has spent the last 15 years taking patients from their homes to Victoria Hospice, Fife – working around the clock when needed. He also drives patients to medical assessments, and takes families of critically ill patients to the hospice at short notice.

Fiona Hamilton-Fairley

Educator

Runs the Kids Cookery School, a London charity that teaches disadvantaged children about food and how to cook. Fiona manages the team and co-ordinates workshops in schools and community centres. The school has taught more than 32,000 children and families since 2000.

Polly Harrar

Supporter

Founder of the Sharan Project, London, which gives support and advice, and creates a forum for vulnerable women, particularly of South Asian origin, who have left home forcefully or voluntarily. Polly provides assistance and advice on key life skills.

Richard Healy

Innovator

The brains behind Rolling Base, a converted single-decker bus that visits some of the most disadvantaged areas around the London Borough of Barnet. The interactive play facility has reduced crime by providing a safe space for young people to enjoy.

Stephen Heath

Advice giver

Stephen leads a team of volunteers from Face to Face, a charity for the homeless based in Fylde, Lancashire. They run a drop-in centre which provides food, clothes and practical advice. The charity also runs a Rent Guarantee Bond Scheme, and offers accommodation to those in need.

Paddy and Carol Henderson

Food bankers

The couple started the Trussell Trust in 1997 after receiving a legacy left by Carol’s mother, and set up the first food bank in their back garden in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Since then it has grown to feed hundreds of thousands of hungry Britons and won Charity Times Charity of Year in 2012.

Jonjo Heuerman

Fundraiser

Jonjo was inspired to raise money for the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK after his grandmother Lyn died of bowel cancer in 2008. The 11-year-old from Kent has raised over £100,000 on charity walks since 2011, and recently walked 66 miles across London from Upton Park to Wembley.

Joel Hicks

Fundraiser extraordinaire

Since starting the charitable foundation Always With a Smile in 2006, Joel, from Leicestershire, has competed in more than 200 outrageous events – from the World Bog Snorkelling Championships to London’s Great Gorilla Run – raising thousands of pounds and making countless people smile.

Michelle Hodgson

Promoter of literature

Without any funding, Michelle organised a literature festival for Huddersfield, securing top authors such as Jodi Picoult and keeping most events free so they could be attended by everyone. Her nominator says: “Michelle is promoting reading and keeping a love of literature alive.”

Les Hoey

Dream maker

Since his daughter was diagnosed with cancer in 1992 Les has raised over £1m. The fundraiser from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, helps thousands of ill children meet their heroes, arranges for them to go to concerts, pantomimes and football matches, and organises an annual Christmas party.

Anne Holmes

Novelty fundraiser

Anne is a 70-year-old novelty marathon runner from East Kilbride. Last year the grandmother of five became the first person to do a half-marathon wearing high heels. She wore three pairs of stilettos and took four and a half hours to walk the 13-mile course, raising over £1,000.

Sue and Jim Houghton

Sports lovers

Husband and wife who won the 2012 BBC Sports Unsung Hero awards after spending 25 years transforming a run-down sports ground into a hub of community activity. The pitches, courts, bowling green and dance studio in Desford, Leicestershire, are now used by hundreds of local people.

Brian Hunter

Police volunteer

Part-time police officer who has clocked up a massive 17,600 hours on duty in Lincolnshire. For the last 32 years Brian has patrolled Market Rasen and the surrounding area every Friday night, and in recognition of his services was awarded the 2012 Diana Princess of Wales Community Award.

Grenville Jones

Singer

This choir leader is the founder of Golden Oldies, a charity that provides musical sing-along sessions for older people around Bath. Led by talented session leaders, hundreds of retired people take part, singing hits from the Thirties to the Seventies to remind them of when they were younger.

Isabel Jones

Joy giver

Isabel has “transformed the lives of autistic musicians, wheelchair dancers and blind painters” through the work of her Nottingham charity, Salamanda Tandem, formed in 1989. She has helped thousands of disabled people enjoy the arts, travelling the world to share her approach with others.

Ruth Laslett

Dentist

While the sound of a dentist’s drill usually fills people with dread, Ruth, from Tunbridge Wells, Kent, makes her patients smile. Her nominator says: “She is fabulously competent, unfailingly cheery and has terrific empathy with her patients – she takes the pain out of visiting the dentist.”

Tony Lea

Advocate

Set up Bufferzone, an independent advocacy service, in Cornwall six years ago. The charity helps a range of people with benefits, medical assessments, education, training and employment. Last year, Tony secured £16,000 from various sources which he used to support 187 people.

Liam Mackin

Trainer and motivator

The deaf-blind teenager from Worcester runs life-skill workshops for disabled young people, gives speeches, and set up his own company to train those who want to help the blind and partially sighted. He had two poetry books published by the age of 14 and has raised £150,000 for charity.

George Mannell

Keen gardener

Pensioner who has tended Chegwyn Gardens, St Agnes, Cornwall, for the last 20 years. George, 80, first started looking after the community garden in 1993. Since then he has introduced about 200 roses and thousands of daffodils, attracting visitors and raising thousands of pounds for charities.

Doris Mason

Carer supreme

Doris has been with Sheffield Carers’ Centre since 1994 and, at 83, is the centre’s oldest volunteer. She provides a telephone befriending service for carers, promotes the centre’s services and bakes cakes for support groups. For the last 50 years she has cared for her daughter who has cerebral palsy.

Tina Massie

Community enthusiast

It’s hard to find an area of life in Beaconsfield that this grandmother hasn’t been involved in. For 25 years the ex-lollipop and dinner lady has organised sports days, book fairs, summer balls, and helped create the Buckinghamshire market town’s donkey derby.

John McBride

The “barefoot runner”

A visit to the Korogocho slum in Nairobi, Kenya led John to run the last mile of the Great North Run barefoot to express solidarity with the shoeless children there. He ran the Olympic Torch Relay (also barefoot) and, instead of selling his torch, donated it to the slum to inspire the children.

Neil McDonald

Mountain rescuer

The father-of-two from Kintore, Aberdeenshire was climbing Mount Everest when he stumbled across a dying climber. Despite running low on oxygen, Neil battled strong winds and snow to drag the man to safety. His trip raised £119,000 for research into Type 1 diabetes, which affects his daughter.

Derek McEwan

Fundraiser

Set up the Catherine McEwan Foundation in 2003 in memory of his mother, who died of Crohn’s disease when he was 16. The Glasgow charity has raised more than £400,000 for people with the bowel disease through sponsored walks and runs, parachute jumps, race nights and the annual Red Hot Ball.

Colin McLaren

Generous teenager

Colin, 14, from Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, suffers from a genetic illness. Last year he donated his treasured football memorabilia to contribute towards the £500,000 needed to take his friend Vanessa, who is battling an aggressive cancer, to the United States for life-saving surgery.

One Day Ahead Team

Charity cyclists

Team of seven amateur cyclists from south London who successfully cycled the entire 3,479km (2,162 miles) of the 2012 Tour de France course, one day ahead of the main peloton. The team raised over £11,000 for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research UK and the Ben Trend Foundation.

Alan Phillips

Determined runner

Alan, 70, has completed the Bath half-marathon 14 times and the London Marathon eight times, raising money for charities such as Help for Heroes. He broke his leg in a serious car crash in 2003, but, undeterred, was pushed around the Bath course in a wheelchair.

Hannah and Beth Pihama

Vessel restorers

The Kent schoolgirls have given up most weekends to restore the Cambria, Britain’s last registered sailing cargo ship, helping paint the hull, refurbish the inside, and bake cakes. The vessel enjoyed its first full sailing season in 2012, offering respite breaks to young carers.

The Post-Decision Form-Filling Service

Advisers

Based in the east of England, Jan Savage, Catherine Gray and Jacquie Kingston are experienced volunteer advisers who support refugees in filling out travel documents, citizenship forms and passport applications. They also keep records of appointments and gather information.

Oliver Randell and Susanna Geoghegan

Conservationists

Oliver and Susanna are part of a team of volunteers who run the Batford Springs nature reserve, Hertfordshire. They have transformed 4.5 hectares into reed beds, wet woodland and chalk stream, and are representative of the thousands who actively help our wildlife.

Fred Richardson

Committed volunteer

A volunteer for the Royal British Legion in Lincolnshire for the last 66 years who, at the age of 92, continues to visit ex-servicemen, keeps the Poppy Appeal going, and is vice-chairman of his local branch. Fred was named as Gainsborough’s Citizen of the Year in 2012.

Vanessa Riddle

Cancer survivor

The 12-year-old from Troon, Scotland whose courage and tenacity won her 150,000 Twitter followers during her battle with neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer. After raising money for pioneering treatment in Germany, Vanessa was given the all-clear in January.

Magdalena Schamberger

Healthcare performer

Part of the Elderflowers – an Edinburgh team who use the performing arts to improve hospital life for elderly dementia sufferers and their families. The mother of one dresses up and carries a range of props to entertain, improve participant well-being and boost confidence.

Colin Seal

Artist

Colin is responsible for the murals on Sheringham seafront depicting the town’s seafaring history. Working with the Norfolk town’s Open Door community art group, he also devotes time to encouraging youngsters to gain pleasure from art through his workshops.

Remzije Sherifi

Refugee

Former refugee who fled civil war in Kosovo for a new life in Glasgow. “Rema” has been honoured for her volunteer work with Maryhill Integration Network, which organises health, learning, art and dance activities, and Migrant Voice, a free newspaper written by UK migrants.

Dame Stephanie Shirley

Philanthropist and entrepreneur

A former child refugee from Germany who founded Britain’s first women-only, work-from-home, software company. Britain’s only Ambassador for Philanthropy, “Steve” has donated much of her accrued wealth (over £67m) to more than 100 philanthropic projects.

Max Sinclair

Canal enthusiast

For half a century this man has inspired thousands of volunteers in his campaign to rescue the Droitwich canals in Wychavon, Worcestershire. Max, now 82, led helpers who bought diggers, built locks, made new towpaths, and cleared away 300,000 tonnes of mud.

Dom Smith

Entrepreneur

Dom, a York-based entrepreneur with cerebral palsy, is part of a team that encourages people with a range of difficulties to start in business. Disabled Entrepreneurs signposts opportunities for training and development and provides networking opportunities across the UK.

John Street

Dad

John runs Dads Do It Too, a Birmingham charity that provides parenting advice and helps dads and father figures fulfil their new roles. The organisation, started by John in 1998 with two other dads, provides weekly skills workshops and practical support to hundreds of families.

Lucy Sullivan

Brave student

The 24-year-old paramedic and Swansea University student was cycling home last November when she noticed a woman face down in the Arethusa Quay waters. She raised the alarm and then jumped into the icy water and towed the 62-year-old woman to the side.

Esther Sutton

Pub manager

Single mother who manages the Green Dragon in Croydon with, says her nominator, the minimum thought for personal enrichment and the maximum for improving the community. He adds: “I can’t think of anyone else in Croydon who focuses entirely on making it a happier place.”

Carl Taylor

Brave soldier

Corporal of 3rd Battalion, the Mercian Regiment, who risked his life to save three Afghan children hiding from Taliban fire in Afghanistan. He dashed 25 metres to rescue the boys, trapped behind a low wall. Carl, from Birmingham, was awarded the Military Cross.

Kevin ‘Jasper’ Taylor

Firefighter

This Hampshire firefighter demonstrates, says his nominator, “outstanding dedication and commitment to fundraising on behalf of the Fire Fighters Charity”, with which he has been involved for over 20 years. Jasper also organises an annual pensioners’ party in Southsea.

Charlie Thorn

Dedicated instructor

Hampshire swimming coach who, since he saw a boy drown when he was a teenager, has dedicated over 30 years to community sport. The single father of four also raised £22,000 in nine months in the 1990s for new changing rooms, is involved in the archery club, and has run a holiday play scheme.

Donna Trenholme

RAF volunteer

Donna has served in the RAF for 27 years and co-ordinates volunteers at RAF Leeming, North Yorkshire, organises events, and fits in voluntary tasks around her role as an Operations Warrant Officer. In recognition of her efforts, she was awarded the Wing Commander Bye Sword this year.

Waterstones staff (Warrington)

Thoughtful team

The kindness of staff at the Warrington branch of Waterstones touched William, 13, who has Down’s syndrome, and his father. His dad writes: “William was fascinated by an origami bird display. When the display was changed the staff gave us the birds for William.”

Ben Wells

Protector

Gave up training to be a doctor to deliver a project that combats human trafficking in Romania with the organisation Nightingales, where he has worked full-time since 2002. Ben provides work opportunities and pastoral support to young people at risk from traffickers.

Tim Westwell

Happy employer

Representative of the Britons who start a good business and grow it. He and Sebastian Pole started Pukka Herbs in a flat in Bristol 11 years ago. They now employ 50 people – making organic teas, skincare products, and supplements – and work with green growers around the world.

Gareth Wood

Rescuer

Gareth was heading home last November when he saw a man about to throw himself off a bridge over the M60. The St John’s Ambulance driver from Atherton, Greater Manchester balanced over the edge of the bridge to pull the man to safety, saving his life and preventing a potential crash.

Jim and Naomi Woolley

Pub managers

Managers of a “community pub hub” in Linslade, Bedfordshire, which has raised over £20,000 in the last 18 months through events including a firewalk and 15,000ft parachute jump. The Hare also arranges therapy for sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder and helps forces veterans.

Mandy Young

Sports provider

After her son was attacked by a gang in Corby, Northamptonshire, Mandy set up Adrenaline Alley, an urban sports park for people of all ages and disabilities. Since it opened in 2006, it has hosted more than 320,000 visitors and is known as the biggest, safest and best urban sports park in the UK.

Additional research by Mathew Di Salvo

Orinally published in the Independent on Sunday, 28th April 2013

Posted by Shona Lockhart, 28th April 2013

Brené Brown: What is hope?

Posted on April 13, 2013 by

This is a wonderful video by Brené Brown on the subject of hope and how we can all learn to be hopeful. Watch and learn:

Posted by Shona Lockhart, 13th April 2013

Pay it forward with coffee

Posted on April 2, 2013 by

Like many people I am a big fan of the film Pay It Forward featuring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt. One of the teachings of positive psychology is that doing something to help someone else is a sure fire way to increase our own happiness. Danny Wallace’s funny book Random Acts of Kindness also focuses on how by helping others we actually help ourselves too.

It was therefore with great interest that I read this article in the Independent yesterday, as someone addicted to coffee I cannot imagine a life without it (sad I know) so the idea of sharing coffee via the “suspended coffee” idea immediately caught my attention. Have a read of the article and let me know what you think. I think it is a stroke of genius but as someone who needs a daily caffeine hit I’m bound to think that.

Critics of the scheme such as Laura Northrup of The Consumerist argue against the difficulty in administering the idea and asks if people are means-tested to see if they merit a free coffee. While her arguments against the scheme are somewhat cynical in part, Laura makes the very valid point that anyone wishing to help people in need of a warm beverage could instead hand out small denomination gift cards for food outlets or actually volunteer at a soup kitchen or donate cans of food.

It’s worthwhile considering both options and deciding for yourself whether you wish to participate. Cynicism aside the intentions of the “suspended coffee” scheme appear to be good so it is worth considering. If you would like to explore alternative ideas for generosity you may wish to read Please Take One by Mike Dickson, a book packed with ideas for living a more generous life.

A nice, hot cup of goodwill: Buy a ‘suspended coffee’ and it’s banked for someone who needs it

Article in The Independent by Sarah Morrison SUNDAY 31 MARCH 2013

You can order an Americano, latte, cappuccino, or skinny gingernut latte with froth on top at your local café, but now there’s a new beverage in town: the “suspended coffee”. Make sure you have had your caffeine hit, though, because this one’s not for you. Every suspended drink ordered is reserved for someone who cannot afford to pay for their own. They get the coffee, you get the warm feeling inside.

The idea was born in Naples, and spread to Bulgaria, where 150 cafés have reportedly established it as a formal scheme. Now, thanks to social networks, it is not just cafés in the US, Russia, Canada, Australia, Asia and Continental Europe that have signed up to the goodwill initiative. You can place your order in coffee shops right across the UK.

It is based on good faith, both by the stores and the recipients. Anyone can enter a café and ask for a “suspended coffee”, and they are unlikely to be asked for credentials. As Hettie Clarke, manager at Coffee7, in Forest Gate in east London, said: “We’re not going to make judgements. If you can say, ‘here is a suspended coffee, from us to you,’ [you] feel like you’re doing good, but it’s not too in your face,” Ms Clarke added.

The initiative has a website in development and is working on creating an app for smartphones. Stores in Exeter, Glasgow, Hull and London have all joined the movement, according to the Facebook page, which has around 23,000 “likes”. Chains such as Pret A Manger and Costa Coffee have praised the idea online. A Starbucks spokesperson told The Independent on Sundaythat the “suspended coffee is a really interesting campaign and we’re looking into it”. Many see parallels between this and the good deeds which featured in the film Pay It Forward – and it’s gaining steam.

John Sweeney, a 28-year-old plumber from Cork, who set up the Suspended Coffees Facebook page, said he is being inundated with messages. “I didn’t go to bed until 4am and was up at 8.15am,” he said. “It’s not just an idea for the homeless. I’ve been in situations where I’ve been out of work, freezing, and would have loved nothing more than a cup of coffee, but couldn’t afford one.”

Other shops are expanding the idea to cover cookies and other food. The Facebook page has designed “Suspended Coffee Supporter” logos which shops can display on their doors. Of course, there is scepticism: what if generosity outstrips demand? Frances Brown Stewart, owner of Stewart’s Café in Glasgow, said she would donate any money left over at the end of each month to a good cause.

Article by Sarah Morrison originally published in The Independent on 31.2.2103

Posted by Shona Lockhart, 1st April 2013

A fascinating experiment: can smiling really reduce stress?

Posted on March 27, 2013 by

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. — Thich Nhat Hanh

The following article by the late Christopher Peterson Ph. D revisits a topic I have touched on in a previous Happiness Experiment blog post: the importance of smiling. Learning how to smile more was the first Happiness Experiment I wrote about when I began the blog last year and I think it is a topic worth looking at again as Dr Peterson’s article suggests. If something as simple as smile can help us to recover from stress I think it is an experiment worth trying. Take a look at this short Happiness Experiment No 1 video and read the article and decide for yourself whether you will give it a go.

Smiling and Stress

Smiling speeds recovery when a stressful experience is over.

Published on September 13, 2012 by Christopher Peterson, Ph.D. in The Good Life

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. — Thich Nhat Hanh

An interesting research report, by Tara Kraft and Sarah Pressman, will soon be published inPsychological Science. Their research speaks directly to well-being, psychological and physical, and the link between these two spheres. The researchers wondered about the effects of smiling on physiological recovery from stress.

The innovation of their research was that they deliberately manipulated whether participants were smiling or not — making this a true experiment — and further took steps to avoid “demanding” hypothesized responses from these participants*.

Kraft and Pressman (2012) studied 169 college students, telling them that their investigation concerned multi-tasking. Participants were hooked up to a monitor that assessed their heart rate in beats per minute throughout the entire experiment. Heart rate is a simple and reliable way to measure experienced stress — the higher the rate, the more stress someone is experiencing.

After a 10-minute acclimation period, participants were asked to spend two minutes doing a difficult task, using their non-dominant hand to trace a star-shaped design without going off a provided outline. Oh, and they could only see what they were doing while viewing a mirror image of their hand, which is to say a reversed image. Accuracy was emphasized, and participants were given false information about “average” performance: eight tracings in two minutes with fewer than 25 errors. In reality, participants could only manage two tracings and on average made more than 25 errors.

A five-minute recovery period ensued, followed by another stress-inducing task, submerging one’s hand in ice water for one minute, a painful but not harmful experience. Then there was another five-minute recovery period.

Are you following? Here comes the gist of the experiment. During the stress tasks (not the recovery periods), participants were assigned to different conditions. Those in the neutral expression control group were asked to hold the ends of chopsticks gently in their mouth while relaxing their face. Those in the standard smiling group did the same while using theirzygomaticus major muscles**, those involved in raising the corners of the mouth, thereby producing a facial smile. Those in the Duchenne smiling group held chopsticks cross-wise in their mouths while using their zygomaticus major muscles as well as their orbicularis oculi muscles, those involved in closing the eyelids, thereby producing the full-faced smile known as a Duchenne smile. Duchenne smiles are often characterized as genuine ones, and they predict marital satisfaction as well as longevity, presumably because their frequent display is a marker of a happy and satisfied life (Abel & Kruger, 2010; Harker & Keltner, 2001). Participants were provided coaching and shown photo examples of how they should look in each condition. Their fidelity to the instructions was later checked by raters watching videotapes.

Half of the participants in each of the two smiling groups were explicitly told to smile, which is how the researchers controlled for demand characteristics. These participants were aware that they should be smiling, whereas other participants were simply told how to hold their faces.

The experiment had five conditions: (1) neutral expression; (2) standard smiling without awareness; (3) standard smiling with awareness; (4) Duchenne smiling without awareness; and (5) Duchenne smiling with awareness. Their heart rate was monitored throughout, and the crucial analyses looked at reductions in heart rate following the multiple tasks as a function of condition.

Results were straightforward and as expected. Regardless of their awareness, smiling participants recovered more quickly from stress than those with neutral expressions, and those displaying Duchenne smiles recovered somewhat more quickly than those displaying a standard smile.

So, smiling speeds recovery from stress. How? The research did not directly test possible biological mechanisms, but perhaps smiling influences blood flow in the brain, thereby undoing the effects of stress. In any event, let me draw out some of the implications.

Smile while you are stressed, genuinely if possible. But faking — i.e., smiling with just your mouth — may still be worth your effort. Doing so does not reduce stress in the moment, but it speeds recovery when a stressful experience is over. That said, Kraft and Pressman cautioned that their finding applies to recovery from short-term stress. The long-term display of emotions one is not really feeling may actually take a toll (Goldberg & Grandey, 2007).

I just talked to a writer for a fitness magazine, who had heard about this study and was writing a story on it. He asked if smiling during a workout made it easier. My opinion was “Not exactly.” For starters, exercise raises one’s heartbeat, but I assume in a different way than the stressful tasks in Kraft and Pressman’s experiment. Much as I would like to believe that stress caused by multi-tasking constitutes aerobic exercise, I suspect it does not. And in any event, the research was about recovery from stress and not about the reduction of stress per se.

Still, smiling during exercise may make a workout more enjoyable, if only because it makes the smiling person more approachable by others. I have a strong opinion that workouts would be more enjoyable for most of us if these workouts were more social and not pursued in grim indifference to those sharing the same gym (Peterson & Xydis, 2011). Smiling opens doors, at gyms and elsewhere.

Late at night, when I am flipping through television shows, I sometimes come across an infomercial pushing some sort of exercise device or program. The people depicted are of course fit and attractive, but they also have a strange expression on their face, which I finally have identified. It is not exactly a smile. It is a display of smugness, as in “I am ripped and you are not,” which I find off-putting. I would be more inclined to purchase whatever is being urged on me if these folks were simply smiling.

I find it intriguing that Duchenne smiles can be deliberately created, which goes against their common interpretation as genuine and thus impossible to fake. However, I remember some years ago teaching a small seminar class in which I mentioned Duchenne smiles. I commented that they could not be faked. A student raised her hand. I acknowledged her, and she gave the whole class a wonderful Duchenne smile. I just stared back at her, speechless for a moment. Then I asked, “How did you do that? Are you faking?”

She smiled, again, radiantly, and said, “What makes you think I’m faking? I’m just smiling. I’m a theater major, by the way, and I have learned how to express emotions.”

What ensued was a fascinating discussion of method acting, and I think positive psychology, in its search for interventions that bolster well-being, could learn much from the strategies of Stanislavski, Strasberg, and others.

Cheers.

* What are called demand characteristics can plague studies of sentient human beings, who may try to figure out what is expected of them in an investigation and then act accordingly, confirming the research hypothesis for irrelevant reasons (Orne, 1962). Imagine a psychology laboratory to which potential participants report for a study. As participants wait in the hallway for the study to begin, they see a bulletin board on which are posted descriptions of past studies conducted by those who run the laboratory. Is it far-fetched to suppose that some potential participants read these descriptions, think about them, and once the study begins recognize the research paradigm as one intended to investigate the effects of X on Y? Is it far-fetched to think that the behavior of these participants is thereby influenced?

** According to Wikipedia, variations in the structure of these muscles produce dimples. Mario Lopez should be grateful for his zygomaticus major muscles, which have made him a celebrity.

References

Abel, E. L., & Kruger, M. L. (2010). Smile intensity in photographs predicts longevity. Psychological Science, 21 , 542–544.

Goldberg, L. S., & Grandey, A. A. (2007). Display rules versus display autonomy: Emotion regulation, emotional exhaustion, and task performance in a call center simulation. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 12, 301-318.

Harker, L. A., & Keltner, D. (2001). Expressions of positive emotion in women’s college yearbook pictures and their relationship to personalityand life outcomes across adulthood. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80 , 112–124.

Kraft, Tara L., & Pressman, Sarah D. (2012). Grin and bear it: The influence of manipulated facial expression on the stress response.Psychological Science.

Orne, Martin T. (1962). On the social psychology of the psychological experiment: With particular reference to demand characteristics and their implications. American Psychologist, 17, 776–783.

Peterson, C., & Xydis, K. (2011). Positive psychology for health and fitness professionals. Tucson, AZ: DSWFitness.

Article originally published on September 13, 2012 by Christopher Peterson, Ph.D. in The Good Life

Posted by Shona Lockhart, 27th March 2013

Are you in the arena?

Posted on March 20, 2013 by

THE MAN IN THE ARENA

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat. “

Excerpt from the speech “Citizenship In A Republic” by Theodore Roosevelt delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France on 23 April, 1910

Dr. Brené Brown was interviewed recently on Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul Sunday show. You can watch a small excerpt of the show in the video below and can access the full interview here. In the interview the two women examine Brené’s motivation to write her most recent book Daring Greatly whose title was inspired by the Theodore Roosevelt quote above. In this very frank interview these two inspiring women share several “Aha Moments” as they realise how much common ground they have on life lessons they have learned. The interview merits watching more than once to grasp the importance of Dr Brown’s research findings on vulnerability, courage, shame and authenticity. Having shared her own fears and vulnerabilities in public, Dr Brown’s TED talk went viral hitting over 8 millions views on You Tube. Brené’s conversation with Oprah examines why we are afraid to be vulnerable and why being willing to show our weaknesses and vulnerabilities can actually be our greatest strength and lead to a life of gratitude and joy which is lived wholeheartedly.

Posted by Shona Lockhart, 20th March 2013

Some positive Mother’s Day Inspiration: Tesco Mum of the Year Award 2013

Posted on March 13, 2013 by

One of the highlights of my Mother’s Day this year, apart from my teenagers cooking for me, was sitting down to watch the Tesco Mums of the Year Award on Channel 5. It is wonderful to find a programme which focuses on celebrating good news and positive role models in our society rather than the usual doom and gloom we are served up on a regular basis in the name of news. The remarkable women who won the various awards demonstrated amazing resilience in the face of adversity and have a strong sense of the importance of family and of caring for the community. The seven winners could all have been straight out of the best positive psychology text books and they all serve as wonderful role models of what is possible if you put your mind to it. Many of them have faced incredible challenges in their lives yet none of them show any signs of self-pity or regret. They have all chosen to live their lives to the full, to accentuate the positive and to give something back to their communities.

Tesco Magazine has published some wonderful profiles of the award winners which you can read below, but do try and watch the Channel 5 programme while it is still live. You will need to have tissues at the ready but you will not fail to be inspired.

Anna Kennedy

Anna Kennedy – Achieving Mum of the Year

Meet the mum who set up a school for autistic children after her own sons were turned away from mainstream education

Our judges said: ‘‘Anna’s singlehanded determination to help families living with autism, while also being a full-time carer to her two sons, is truly inspirational.’’

Anna, 52, from Uxbridge, remortgaged her own house so she could set up a school for autistic children after her two autistic sons were turned away from mainstream education. She has now expanded support for those with autism to include two schools, a college, a respite home and a website with over 50,000 international followers.

Caring for two autistic sons is a huge task, yet Anna does this and more every day. ‘When I was told by the authorities that Patrick (now 23) and Angelo (now 19) were the only children in our area with autism, I felt completely isolated and alone. It was only when I bumped into another parent one day and recognised the symptoms in her child, that I realised I wasn’t alone. Together, we started a support group in my home.’

The group grew rapidly and was soon attended by 275 families. When Angelo and Patrick were later turned away by 25 mainstream schools, Anna resorted to converting her garage into a classroom. However, the local authority granted her sons only five hours of home tuition a week. Angelo’s tutor was completely unable to cope with a severely autistic child and on her third day collapsed in tears.

Anna was a dance teacher and had no experience of running a business but decided to set up a school for her sons and other autistic children. ‘I knew there were other heartbroken parents like me, feeling desperate after being rejected by school after school,’ she says. ‘That’s when I realised I could create somewhere for those children.’ Read more about Anna in the full length article here.

Margaret Aspinall

Margaret Aspinall – Campaigning Mum of the Year

Margaret, 66, from Liverpool, lost her son in the Hillsborough tragedy and has spent the last 23 and a half years campaigning for the truth as part of the Hillsborough Families Support Group.

Our judges said: ‘‘Margaret’s utter determination to seek justice and her unbelievable strength in the face of such a tragedy make her a true inspiration.’’

The day Margaret’s 18 year-old son James died was the worst of her life. She knew he was in Sheffield to watch the match with his friend, while her husband Jim was there in another part of the stadium. When the television coverage started and showed footage of bodies being laid on the pitch she didn’t realise it was the same match until her sister-in-law explained that Hillsborough was in Sheffield.

She didn’t hear from her husband until that evening but he hadn’t seen James, so went looking for him in hospitals and people’s houses. At eight o’clock, Margaret got through to the coach company that had taken James and his friend and they said all passengers were accounted for. Jim drove home and the whole family went to meet the coaches returning to Liverpool.

‘We waited for every coach and when the very last one came in at midnight, I ran up to the driver and said, “Are there any more coaches?” He said, “My God, love, I’m so sorry, it was bedlam up in Sheffield. People were just jumping on to get home and we couldn’t turn them off.” And I said, “But I was told my son was accounted for. He went up with you and you’ve come back without him and his friend.’”

Margaret went to the local police station to report James missing and Jim drove back to Sheffield to try and find him. He rang home every half an hour to find out if there had been news and carried on driving if not. At four o’clock in the morning, he stopped calling. Read more about Margaret in the full length article here.

Melanie C

Melanie C – Celebrity Mum of the Year

Celebrity mum, Melanie C has global fame and girl power but still finds time to support multiple charities

Our judges said: ‘’Melanie is a high-profile celebrity but goes above and beyond to help others. Her commitment to charity work is an inspiration to us all.’’

As one fifth of iconic 90s girl band The Spice Girls, Melanie Chisholm has achieved worldwide success, and sold more than 12 million records as a solo artist. But despite her hectic workload, she has always found time to dedicate herself to charitable causes.

One of the charities Melanie is heavily involved with is the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, for which she became a patron a few years ago. The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is the only charity in the UK wholly dedicated to the defeat of lung cancer, funding research into the disease and providing support to those living with it. It also works to support members of the public who are trying to stop smoking.

‘My family has been touched by cancer and therefore I know just how important the work done by the Foundation and other cancer charities is to families all over the UK,’ explains Melanie.

In June 2012, the singer helped launch the charity’s Dream Walk, where thousands of women raised money by walking nine kilometres around Liverpool’s waterfront in their pyjamas. Read more about Melanie C in the full length article here

Ann Maxwell

Ann Maxwell – Charitable Mum of the Year

Meet the mum who set up a children’s epilepsy charity and has raised over £7 million despite suffering from cancer

Our judges said: ‘‘Ann has raised millions and worked tirelessly to improve the lives of children with epilepsy in the UK, whilst being a fantastic mum to her own children and dealing with serious health issues.’’

When Ann’s youngest son, Muir, was finally diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome (a rare form of epilepsy that causes profound learning difficulties, behaviour problems and severe developmental delay) she discovered there was a lack of support available. Ann, 50, from Dalkeith, Midlothian, pledged to help other families get the diagnosis and care they needed.

‘I’d spent a fair amount of time mourning the loss of the perfect child I thought I’d given birth to,’ says Ann. ‘Learning about Muir’s condition was an awakening. He began having seizures when he was four months old and I noticed his language regressing as a toddler, but the medical profession didn’t acknowledge he had special needs until he was three or four years old. After a clinical diagnosis they speculated that he had epilepsy but we didn’t get results from the genetic diagnosis (which at that point involved sending his DNA to Australia and took over two years) until he was 10. That’s late – it impacts on both treatment and prognosis.’

In 2003, she set up the Muir Maxwell Trust, now the most significant charity raising funds for paediatric epilepsy in the UK. ‘When Muir was finally diagnosed, he was one of 80 acknowledged cases in the world. Now, there are nearer 400 diagnosed cases in the UK alone – and this is mainly due to the genetic testing the trust has been able to fund.’

This DNA testing service is the first of its kind dedicated exclusively to testing children suspected of having epilepsy. In the UK, the tests are now run by the NHS and results are made available in just 40 days, which means that effective treatment can begin much more quickly. Read more about Ann in the full length article here.

Mireille Williams

Mireille Williams – Community Mum of the Year

Mireille saved her son’s preschool from closure by rallying her local community and turning it into a charity and viable business

Our judges said: ‘‘Mireille’s selfless determination shows what a difference one person can make to their local community.’’

Mireille, 36, from Bristol, enrolled her eldest son, Alexander, at Ridgewood Preschool in Yate, South Gloucestershire. Like many mothers, when the preschool needed extra support, she was happy to lend a hand. Yet after volunteering to be secretary, she became aware that a treasurer was desperately needed to take control of the finances. ‘I noticed all the equipment was old and tired and that the staff never received pay rises. Everything was second-hand or donated.’

When she took on the role of treasurer in 2010, she quickly realised that the school was in financial trouble. ‘I wasn’t qualified, but someone had to do it. As I looked at the books, I started to realise that the funds really didn’t balance. There was a huge deficit and no reserves,’ says Mireille. ‘If something wasn’t done quickly, the school would most certainly have to close.’

Instead of accepting this, Mireille decided to do everything she could to save it. She explored alternative funding, reduced staff hours and worked tirelessly to raise money. While her children were asleep in bed at night she would also go online to source the cheapest school supplies and so reduce outgoings as much as possible.

‘Losing the school would have been a disaster,’ says Mireille. ‘Seven teachers would have lost their jobs and 40 children – some with learning and social disabilities – would have been left with no education for the rest of the year. I just couldn’t let that happen.’ Read more about Mireille in the full length article here.

Claire Lomas

Claire Lomas – Courageous Mum of the Year

Meet the winner who though paralysed got married, had a baby, walked the London Marathon in 16 days and raised £200,000 for charity

Our judges said: ‘‘In the face of adversity, Claire not only found the strength to rebuild her own life, but also to raise hundreds of thousands for others. Claire, like all our winners, is truly an inspiration.’’

Claire, 32, from Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, was paralysed from the chest down after a riding accident at the Osberton Horse Trials in 2007. She was told by doctors that she would never walk again but didn’t let it affect her spirit.

Determined to stay fit, Claire worked tirelessly with physiotherapists to build her strength and stamina. ‘I discharged myself from hospital after only two months – they wanted me to stay in for six months – but I was determined to rebuild my life and do my own physio,’ says Claire. ‘I’d have spells of three or four days where I just couldn’t face the world but I never gave up.’

In 2008, Claire met husband Dan after signing up to internet dating and had a daughter, Maisie, in February 2011. But Claire also wanted to help others in the same situation and began to raise funds for the charity Spinal Research. ‘About 10 months after my accident, I’d become an ambassador for Spinal Research and fundraised for them for four years. I saw a clip of the robotic suit on the internet and I thought how amazing it would be to walk the London Marathon in it and how much money I could raise for Spinal Research.

‘The only trouble was the robotic suit cost £43,000. We fundraised and even got friends from the equestrian world to do a naked calendar! Paralysed ex-rugby player Matt Hampson donated money, event riders held a fashion show, and over two years the money came together. Read more about Claire in the full length article here.

Kate Hardcastle

Kate Hardcastle – Enterprising Mum of the Year

Kate, 36, from Huddersfield, created a community group to raise awareness of lesser-known charities, as well as running a company that dedicates 20 per cent of its time to charitable work.

Our judges said: ‘‘Kate has worked incredibly hard to create her own business, and has always ensured that helping those less fortunate remains a huge part of this.’’

When Kate realised that many UK charities weren’t getting the exposure they needed to raise funds or recruit volunteers, she decided to celebrate her thirtieth birthday by organising and performing in a one-off charity concert.

She wrote to a number of huge Motown stars to see if she could enlist their support. When Smokey Robinson sent a video message and Martha Reeves committed to fly over from the USA to perform, it exceeded her wildest dreams.

The concert was a sell-out success and Kate decided to set up an organisation that would continue to run events raising awareness for smaller charities that couldn’t do it themselves. The organisation, set up in 2007, was called Charity Dreamgirls. ‘I created the group as a way to give a voice to smaller charities,’ says Kate.

‘There are 180,000 charities in the UK – all competing for the public’s attention and money. If you are a smaller charity, how do you get yourself heard? I knew I could bring my skills from the corporate world to support them and create fun events people would want to get involved with.’ Read more about Kate in the full length article here.

Please remember to watch the Channel 5 programme while you can.

Posted by Shona Lockhart on 13th March 2013

To flow or not to flow that is the question

Posted on March 12, 2013 by

Many experts in positive psychology argue in favour of focusing on flow as a means to happiness and well-being. The excellent article below by Bridget Grenville-Cleave provides you with 5 reasons to focus on flow as part of your well being armoury. I personally am hugely in favour of the concept of flow as I think that if you can become completed engaged with mastering the task before you all other concerns simply melt away. The only gripe I have with the theory of flow is that it can become so addictive. In my own case I get the greatest sense of flow when I am being creative. For months my creative energies were poured into setting up and writing this blog and I loved doing it, but in writing the Happiness Experiment blog I was excluding other pursuits which I also valued. I took a few month’s break from the blog to refocus and my creative energies have gone in to creating art (mainly mosaic art) to the exclusion of the blog – hence my recent silence here. This remains my dilemna with the concept of flow. I can completely buy in to the theory of becoming utterly absorbed in an activity, but when the activity absorbs you so much that normal activities such as food, rest, sleep etc. begin to seem an inconvenient disruption to your sense of flow then alarm bells start to ring! I was rescued from my creative abyss by a great little video clip by Jonathan Fields from The Good Life project which you can watch here:

Jonathan’s video clip gives two great tips to get yourself out of a “creative rabbit hole”- one is to use the practice of mindfulness to keep you aware of what you are focusing on and the second is to enlist the help of a friend to hold you accountable for all the other areas of your life which you also value and want to spend time on. Watch Jonathan’s video and read Bridget’s article and let me know if you have further suggestions for getting all the benefits of being in flow without the disadvantages of focusing too much on a single activity.

FIVE REASONS TO FOCUS ON FLOW

“The best moments in our lives are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times… The best moments usually occur if a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile. Optimal experience is thus something we make happen.” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1992, p.3)

Which pathways lead to well-being?

At the moment positive psychologists don’t yet agree on how many routes to well-being there are, or exactly what they are; what we do know is that there are many different ones, for example three in Authentic Happiness, five in the Seligman’s PERMA theory of well-being; six in Carol Ryff’s Psychological Well-being (PWB).

It’s sometimes said that no individual pathway is better than any other; which one you take is very much a matter of personal choice.

Some of us prefer a life filled with positive emotion, taking great pleasure from eating at 5-star restaurants, flaunting a pair of Christian Louboutins, or holidaying in Mauritius, and would be miserable without a regular dose of fun and frivolity. Some are more attracted to a life steeped in meaning and purpose, caring nothing if life’s luxuries are absent. Still others seek accomplishment, such as reaching the pinnacle of a chosen profession, as the main pathway to well-being.

Flow versus Fun

In our Positive Psychology Masterclasses, we frequently discuss with participants the relative merits of flow (also known as engagement or absorption) and positive emotions as routes to happiness. Based on our individual experiences we all have different perspectives. Some put their money firmly on positive emotion being a superior source of happiness. The work of Barbara Fredrickson on the Broaden-and-Build theory of positive emotions has opened our eyes to the possibility that positive emotions are more important than we have traditionally thought. They don’t just make us feel good, they do us good too. But the more I learn about it, the more I think that the importance of flow as a source of well-being is vastly understated.

For one thing, the enjoyment we derive from flow is an active and dynamic state. It’s about being able to control our inner experience, whereas the experience of positive emotion seems more passive, depending on events and experiences that are external to us. According to Csikszentmihalyi,

“…happiness is not something that happens. It is not the result of good fortune or random chance. It is not something that money can buy or power command. It does not depend on outside events, but, rather, how we interpret them…People who learn to control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives, which is as close as any of us can come to being happy.” (p2)

Additionally, positive emotions are typically fleeting: they don’t hang around for long. This may explain why we need a balance of around 3:1 in order to experience a positive upward spiral. Being able to feel positive emotions for any length of time looks like quite hard work!

There are many good reasons why we should focus more on flow as a route to well-being. Five of the best ones are highlighted below.

1. Exercising Control

Self-Determination Theory suggests that one of the fundamental building blocks of well-being is autonomy, being in control of your own life and make your own decisions and choices about what to do or not to do. Control is an important part of the flow experience too, although it seems that, paradoxically, it isn’t the actuality of having control that matters, but the possibility of exercising control, and the lack of worry about losing control.

2. Experiencing Freedom from Negative Thoughts

In flow, being able to control our inner experience isn’t about reframing negative thoughts into positive ones or changing our subjective experience of an event to make it more tolerable or less worrisome. Flow seems more aligned with the concept of mindfulness because it requires you to be able to direct your attention at will to the task in hand.

By paying focused attention to the task, whether it’s washing up, sweeping away last night’s snow fall, or writing your dissertation, there isn’t room in your consciousness for other distractions, worries, or negative thoughts. It isn’t that you ignore the source of negativity as such, but that for as long as the flow experience lasts, which might be minutes or even hours, you’re oblivious to negative thoughts and therefore free from them.

Focused child

3. Developing Mastery

We all want to feel that we’re good at doing what we do. Fulfilling our basic need for mastery or competence is another of the basic building blocks of well-being in Self-Determination Theory. According to K. Anders Ericsson, mastery of your subject or discipline requires around 10,000 hours (or roughly 10 years) of deliberate, effortful practice. As long as the challenge of the task slightly outweighs the level of skill, experiencing flow can lead to mastery. Attention and intrinsic motivation seem to go hand in hand: ensuring that the years of practice are as enjoyable as possible, even if they are hard work, makes perfect sense.

4. Facilitating Personal Growth and Connection with Others

Flow also leads to personal growth because it facilitates two contrasting psychological processes that enable the self to become more complex. On the one hand, it facilitates differentiation or separation from other people, that is, the feeling of being personally unique, capable, and skilled. On the other hand, flow facilitates integration, both of the self (harmony because your thoughts, feelings, intentions, and senses are aligned) and with other people (in terms of feeling more closely connected with them). It would seem that flow experiences not only enable us to learn and grow as individuals, but also help us to achieve the third psychological need of Self-Determination Theory, relatedness.

5. Building Confidence

Another reason why flow should be at the top of the list of happiness enhancers is that flow experiences help build confidence. This isn’t just the confidence that naturally occurs as a result of becoming more skilled and competent at a task. Flow requires us to focus our attention so completely on the task in hand that there’s no room left over to think about our own selves. We don’t worry about what we look like or what others are thinking of us. There is what Csikszentmihalyi calls “a loss of consciousness of the self,” where we are no longer preoccupied by who we are. If you spend a moment recalling any of your recent flow experiences, you’ll know what I mean.

The Soloist

Tips for Finding More Flow in Your Life

Control your attention. Minimize distractions and focus on your task, whatever it might be. If your mind wanders, bring it back to the task.
Manage the balance between skill and challenge.
- If the task is too easy, find ways to make it more challenging, for example by doing it more quickly (or more slowly) than normal.
- To transform otherwise dull low skill/low challenge activities like sitting in a waiting room, create ‘micro-flow’ experiences with specific rules and goals. Examples include solving puzzles in your head or composing haiku.
- If the task is too challenging, find ways to up your skill level. You could look for additional training, coaching or mentoring. Or you could break the task down into smaller steps which are more achievable. Or find ways to apply your top strengths to help you achieve it.
To achieve flow in conversation, focus intently on the other person and actively listen to what they are saying. Ask questions and allow plenty of time.
Talk to other people about how they find flow.
Finally, seek feedback on your performance on the task and act on it.

References

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience.. New York: Harper Perennial. Published in the UK in 1992 as Flow: the classic work on how to achieve happiness. London: Rider.

Fredrickson, B. (2009). Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive. New York: Crown.

Fredrickson, B.L. & Losada, N. (2005). Positive affect and the complex dynamics of human flourishing.American Psychologist, 60(7), 678-686.

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55, 68–78.

Ryff, C. D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(6): 1069–1081. Abstract.

Seligman, Martin (2004), Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment. New York: Free Press. London: Nicolas Brealey Publishing.

Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being. New York: Free Press. London: Nicolas Brealey Publishing.

Images

1. Flow courtesy of Eva Lottchen

2. Focussed courtesy of Vince Alongi

3. The Soloist by DG Jones

Bridget Grenville-Cleave, MAPP graduate of the University of East London, is a UK-based positive psychology consultant, trainer and writer. She is author of Introducing Positive Psychology: A Practical Guide (2012), and The Happiness Equation with Dr Ilona Boniwell. She regularly facilitates school well-being programs and Positive Psychology Masterclasses for personal and professional development. Find her on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter @BridgetGC. Website. Full bio. Her articles are here.

Posted by Shona Lockhart on 12th March 2013

Resilience: Giles Duley – becoming the story

Posted on November 3, 2012 by

Continuing with the subject of resilience, I was fortunate to attend the TEDxObserver event earlier this year – an inspiring day of stories and ideas. One of the most unforgettable speakers at the event was Giles Duley, who told the story of how his life as a photographer had changed from taking pictures of models, to taking pictures of people with personal stories to eventually becoming part of the story himself. Giles is an amazing example of someone with a strong resilient spirit and a belief that we can all use our talents and gifts to make a difference. Listen to his story and be inspired:

Posted by Shona Lockhart, 30th October 2012

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Using the science of positive psychology to create perfectly controlled explosions of joy

Category Archives: Happy you

A Life Worth Living: Andy Cope

Carpe diem, memento mori and other life lessons

Carpe diem, memento mori and other life lessons

Running with the Dead

The Happy List 2013

Hot off the press! The Independent on Sunday has published its annual Happy List (as an antidote to The Times Rich List which was published last Sunday). Have a read of this inspiring list of people and decide which list you would rather appear in. I know which one I’d choose.

The Independent on Sunday Happy List 2013

Brené Brown: What is hope?

Pay it forward with coffee

A nice, hot cup of goodwill: Buy a ‘suspended coffee’ and it’s banked for someone who needs it

A fascinating experiment: can smiling really reduce stress?

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. — Thich Nhat Hanh

Smiling and Stress

Are you in the arena?

Some positive Mother’s Day Inspiration: Tesco Mum of the Year Award 2013

To flow or not to flow that is the question

Resilience: Giles Duley – becoming the story