MOST Analysis

Mission Statement

Positivity is not about being positive all of the time. Positivity, in this sense, is about developing the emotional resilience necessary not to get stuck in a negative place for too long and to have the tools to rebound from emotional triggers constructively. As a continuation of mindset work, this module will introduce tools that participants can use to develop greater emotional resilience while improving self-efficacy. One of the most significant improvements to emotional resilience comes from applying a positivity-focused approach to our personal inventory.

It’s a natural human tendency to ruminate over our past mistakes, failures, and setbacks. Our brains are wired for survival before anything else; part of that survival is avoiding repeat behavior that may jeopardize the fulfillment of our basic needs. In our brain, this translates to, “I must keep all of my past errors top-of-mind so I don’t repeat them.” The obvious flaw in this well-intended mindset is that remembering our mistakes or shortcomings is not enough to prevent a recurrence. Additionally, being vigilant toward the negative aspects of our past only erodes our confidence today by increasing stress and depleting our self-efficacy. By understanding this negatively biased propensity of thought, we have the power to take action and change this natural tendency by adopting a new approach.

Regardless of how many perceived weaknesses, defects, or past mistakes a person has, there are always many more past wins, successes, and innate strengths to acknowledge. A simple exercise of listing out one’s past wins and successes on a comprehensive accomplishments list is a transformation exercise that starts promoting positivity. Once a habit of positive recognition is established, we are empowered for greater confidence and improved self-efficacy—these restored positive emotions fuel our creativity, mental performance, and personal drive.

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Objectives

01. Define positivity, understand what it means and the benefits of having a positive outlook on life.
02. Define happiness, understand the different kinds of happiness and how each is attained, as well as the pitfalls of each.
03. Understand the role of brain chemistry and its effect on the sensations of happiness.
04. Participants are to understand their happiness & emotional set point and what can be done to increase their natural set point.
05. Participants are to recognize the role of cognitive biases in their life, the effect on their happiness, and equip them to overcome the anti-happiness effect of them.
06. Participants are to understand the function of the RAS and learn how they can influence the RAS to perform better.
07. Understand the Default Mode Network (DMN), how it operates and can change, and to understand how neuroplasticity can enable us to make significant and permanent change.
08. Understand the nature of emotions and how they spread internally and externally.
09. Understand the concepts of fear and worry and how they can inhibit positivity and happiness.
10. Understand the concept of Negative Self-talk and our inner-critic, and learn how to overcome the inner-critic and reduce/illuminate the negative self-talk.
11. Participants are to spot the tendency toward social comparison and be able to limit or reverse the thoughts when they catch themselves doing so.
12. Understand that positivity is a trait and happiness is an emotional norm that we can cultivate. Participants are to take ownership of their positivity and level of happiness.

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Strategies

01. What is Positivity: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
02. What is Happiness: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
03. Brain Chemistry of Happiness: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
04. Happiness and Emotional Set Point: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
05. Cognitive Biases Affecting Happiness: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
06. Reticular Activating System & Inattentional Blindness: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
07. Default Mode Network & Neuroplasticity: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
08. Positivity is Infectious: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
09. Thieves of Positivity – Fear and Worry: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
10. Thieves of Positivity – Negative Self Talk: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
11. Thieves of Positivity – Comparison: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.
12. Positivity and Happiness Interventions: Each individual department head to undertake departmental SWOT analysis; strategy research & development.

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Tasks

01. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze What is Positivity.
02. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze What is Happiness.
03. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Brain Chemistry of Happiness.
04. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Happiness and Emotional Set Point.
05. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Cognitive Biases Affecting Happiness.
06. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Reticular Activating System & Inattentional Blindness.
07. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Default Mode Network & Neuroplasticity.
08. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Positivity is Infectious.
09. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Thieves of Positivity – Fear and Worry.
10. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Thieves of Positivity – Negative Self Talk.
11. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Thieves of Positivity – Comparison.
12. Create a task on your calendar, to be completed within the next month, to analyze Positivity and Happiness Interventions.

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Introduction

“Positivity” is not about being positive all of the time – that is not attainable and would not be productive. In this program, positivity focuses on developing participants’ emotional resilience necessary to offer their best contribution regardless of the environment and circumstances around them. Positivity is about bouncing back from losses or negative situations without getting stuck in a negative emotional state or downward spiral. To bolster one’s positivity and emotional resilience, one must overcome the effects of negative biases and survival instincts that no longer serve them. Building on the benefits of accepting responsibility, this phase helps participants achieve higher levels of resilience by learning to focus on their past wins and successes. Acknowledging past achievements – from childhood to present day – is a powerful way to develop the self-esteem and confidence needed to lean into the next difficult challenge.

In most ways, our perception defines our reality. That holds for individuals as well as organizations and the opportunities they perceive and engage. Recent science demonstrates that an individual’s perception and beliefs will influence the outcomes of an experiment regardless of whether that individual is the experimenter or the object of the experiment.

With perception strongly correlated to experiences and outcomes, individuals and organizations need to understand perception biases that can influence a person’s reality and positively or negatively affect results.

The term Positivity doesn’t describe an expectation or propensity to be “positive” all the time. More so, as developed in Cultivating Potential, positivity refers to an individual’s and organization’s ability to experience a full range of challenging situations and emotions without tending in a negative direction or being stuck in a counter-productive cycle.

Regardless of other factors, resilience is one of the greatest assets for weathering the inevitable challenges and obstacles that present themselves. Growth requires setbacks, and innovation requires some momentary failures. Resilience is what fuels the ability to progress through and beyond these setbacks and failures. An organization’s capacity to adapt to changes, pursue opportunities, and expand into new markets is founded on the leaders’ and individuals’ resilience.

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Positivity v negativity and the impact on potential

How likely are you to reach your maximum potential in your current frame of mind? What are your current feelings? Is it a positive or negative mental state?

When you’re in a bad mood, your thinking shuts down. There is no evidence of possibility when the mind is concentrated on the negative. The mind isn’t particularly inventive. We are unable to function. Our minds are shut down. Constrained. Bound. It’s as if a gloomy shroud has been draped over our heads. Blinkers are used to cover the eyes. The ability to focus and see things clearly is hampered. It can feel as if you’re carrying the weight of the entire world on your shoulders. In this frame of mind, what are your chances of realizing your full potential?

Being in a positive frame of mind has the ability to expand the mind. Possibility, creativity, and perspective are all available to the mind. It has a light feel to it in both senses of the word. We have sharp vision and a sense of light. We can move, we’re light on our feet, agile, and responsive, and our perspective broadens. We have the ability to dance, play, move, and work. We’re considerably more likely to accomplish whatever we’ve put our minds to when we’re in a good mood. Anyone can accomplish their full potential if they are in this state of mind.

At different times, we all experience both states of thought. That isn’t a problem at all. If you want to reach your full potential, you must maintain a positive mindset for the majority of the time. It’s easier than you might think to break free from a negative mindset. Before I explain how, consider how each frame of thought makes you feel.

Words like heavy, dark, procrastination, fear, worry, fogginess, lethargy, and sluggishness are frequently used to characterize a bad state of mind. Everything is a labor of love. This is what we’ll call low quality.

You feel light, nimble, dynamic, courageous, clear, and optimistic when you’re in a positive frame of mind. You act, you move forward, and everything appears to be simple. This is what we’ll refer to as “excellent quality.”

You could use a variety of other words, but you get the idea. You are aware of the differences in how the two states of mind feel. This is extremely beneficial since just realizing this might help you be in a more positive frame of mind.

When you’re paying attention to unpleasant thoughts, you’ll get a low-quality feeling. It functions as a warning that you’ve had a bad idea, that you’ve believed it, and that it’s impacting you and, most likely, your performance. This does not need to be the case. When you hear the alarm, it’s a signal that it’s time to replace your negative thoughts with good ones.

Why do we pay so much attention to negative thinking if it’s so simple? Our conditioning, after all, is a learned way of thinking. We’re not aware that it’s an option. We don’t seem to have a choice in the issue. We are blissfully unaware that we are only one thinking away from a completely different experience.

When you’re not aware of it, a negative mindset is easy to fall into and difficult to escape. It’s easier to get out of it once you realize it for yourself. At the very least, acknowledging that you’re in a bad frame of mind provides you a sense of separation from it.

You can hunt for a good thought in any experience, and if you locate one, your experience will alter. Look for a pleasant emotion, a positive thinking when you find you’re stuck in a ‘negative’ feeling.

Realizing your full potential is a mental condition. Which mental state would you choose?

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Positivity: The Best Way To Start Unlocking Your Potential

Preaching Positivity

Without a positive mindset, you won’t be able to overcome self-limiting beliefs and pursue your passion and purpose in life. You’re not going to be able to do it. Positive thinking breeds positive thinking. That’s all there is to it. We overcome difficulties in our sector and elsewhere by maintaining a positive outlook.

You’ve probably heard the saying that success in business and life is 90% attitude, self-image, and self-discipline, and 10% knowledge. Do you have a pleasant attitude at work every day? What about the members in your team? Are you boosting their morale? Do they have a positive outlook?

Self-Limiting Beliefs and How to Overcome Them

Isn’t it true that we all have them? Because of this and that, we persuade ourselves we can’t do something. We make excuses for ourselves: there’s a roadblock; this isn’t the proper time; or I’m not as good as such and so. Do any of these words ring a bell? I’m confident they do.

After you transcend your self-limiting beliefs, amazing things will happen. You’ll see a positive change in your firm as a result, and you’ll notice your employees’ feelings shift in a new, promising direction as well. Your team will see you in a new light, and you will see them in a new light as well. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

Pursuing Your Dreams And Goals

Money isn’t everything in life. (I’m sure you’ve heard something similar.) Money is straightforward: it comes in and it goes out. Isn’t it true that we all take the same amount with us on our last day?

We spend far too much of our time at work to appreciate what life has to offer.

Everyone has their own set of challenges. These roadblocks make it difficult for us to live our lives with passion and purpose. But keep in mind that there’s always a new challenge to overcome – it’s a vicious circle. After you overcome one self-limiting notion, a new one emerges, presenting you with a new task.

It’s not enough to only think positively; you also need to act positively. You’ll always have self-limiting beliefs, but you can overcome many of them by staying loyal to yourself and adjusting your mentality in the right direction. To adopt a positive mindset, something bigger than yourself and money must be at risk. Your life’s purpose and passion come first. Of course, none of these great consequences will occur overnight, so why not start today?

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Promoting Positivity in the Workplace Has a Positive Impact.

Your company’s bottom line could suffer if you don’t focus on positivity in the workplace. Employee disengagement costs companies in the U.S. an $550 billion per year. Even if you believe your team is working to its maximum potential, you could be losing out on a lot of opportunities.

But how can you get your employees to be more engaged? The solution is simple enough to be overlooked.

When it comes to increasing productivity, one of the most successful areas to concentrate on is workplace happiness. Consider this: when was the last time you were at your most productive? Positive emotions are often the most powerful productivity tool that motivates you to do your best work.

So, how can you make sure your staff are having a good time at work? As a manager, there are a few essential tactics you can use.

Continue reading to learn more about workplace positivity and how you can build a happy environment in your company.

Workplace positivity equals productivity.

It is an undeniable fact that when you foster optimism in the workplace, productivity rises. Do you have any doubts? Consider the following advantages of workplace positivism.

Increase your business’s creativity.

Negative attitudes and perspectives are the adversary of innovation, especially in the workplace. A happy, motivated employee is far more likely to put in the effort, which could result in new ideas and solutions that boost your bottom line.

An employee in a hostile work environment, on the other hand, may adopt the “why bother?” attitude, leaving them on your payroll with little more than the bare minimum to show for it. On your end, this becomes a “why bother?” scenario as well.

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Enhance the chemistry of collaboration.

When everyone in the office has a positive attitude, it is much easier to build relationships with one another. This chemistry encourages collaboration since everyone feels more at ease discussing and contributing ideas.

Furthermore, your staff will enjoy each other’s company and may even be inspired to perform at their best. This simply cannot be accomplished with a group of unhappy employees who dread going to work every day.

Employees that are happier are more motivated.

Employees who work in a happy environment are more motivated to go above and beyond the standards of their job titles. This has the potential to take your company to new heights.

Consider this: how can you progress as a company if everyone in your company does the bare minimum of their job title? True advancement necessitates the kind of innovative thinking that can only come from satisfied employees.

Encouraging Emotional Intelligence as a leader.

Leading by example is one of the most effective things you can do as a leader: if your colleagues witness you keeping your cool under pressure, they’ll learn to apply those good feelings to their own job. If you treat your staff in a nasty, disrespectful, tone-deaf, or dismissive manner, that energy will persist and contaminate your workplace culture.

Furthermore, if you’re a supervisor who isn’t particularly sympathetic, you may observe a higher rate of employee turnover. The typical cost of training new staff for a business is roughly $2000, which eats into your profits.

“How can I treat my staff well without feeling like a doormat?” you might wonder. It’s a fine line to tread, but there are ways to be a nicer boss while still remaining “the boss.”

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Make resources available for employee development.

Great leaders don’t simply toss their employees to the wolves; they guide them to greatness. This entails assisting them rather than expecting them to solve difficulties on their own.

You should also urge your personnel to learn more, and when appropriate, provide financing or incentives. You could, for example, print a course catalog from a nearby community college and encourage your staff to enroll in a course on the company’s cost. Have faith that it will be worthwhile for you.

Make an effort to lead.

If you see yourself as a delegator rather than a doer, you must change your perspective. Great bosses are not only bosses, but also leaders. Instead of sitting on the sidelines and waiting for things to happen, get down in the trenches with your squad and be a driving force.

Let’s imagine you’re working on a project with your team that requires your approval. Give specifics instead of imprecise remarks and expecting them to read your thinking. This will take more effort on your behalf, but it will significantly improve the amount of positivity in the office.

Pay attention to your employees.

One of the worst things you can do as a supervisor is make your staff feel as if they aren’t being heard. After all, why bother going to work if no one cares about what you have to say?

If you want to boost workplace optimism, you should pay attention to what your employees have to say. Furthermore, you should make it clear that you value their opinions. Keep a close eye on your verbal and nonverbal communication to ensure you’re giving the correct message.

This entails not just establishing a “open door” approach for employee feedback, but also taking these remarks seriously and acting on them. Employees will be considerably more driven to achieve at (or even beyond) their potential if they feel like their voice matters in the company.

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Other Ways to Increase Workplace Productivity

There are a few additional strategies to create optimism in the workplace besides being the greatest boss you can be. You can begin developing a successful action plan by remembering these suggestions.

Make your employees’ physical and mental health a priority.

You’re not going to gain much out of working with a team of unhealthy people, whether they’re mentally or physically ill. Not just noting how your employees are feeling, but also doing everything you can to convey that you care is an important element of creating optimism in the workplace.

Try taking a more relaxed approach to your “9 to 5” weekday, for example. If you realize an employee is having trouble, offer to let them go a few hours early without penalty. This will demonstrate to them that you appreciate them as a live, breathing person who may require mental rest from time to time.

You can also give your staff tools to make them happier and healthier at work. Plan outings or parties for your employees to show them that you care about their well-being. Some businesses even provide fitness rooms and other leisure spaces where employees can vent their frustrations.

Organize activities that will help your team bond.

Remember that a team that plays together stays together. Organizing team-building events that allow your staff to take a break and enjoy some healthy fun as a group is one method to promote a more positive work atmosphere.

You can take this in a variety of directions, such as forming a sports team or planning a picnic in a nearby park. The most important thing is to encourage your employees to spend more time together having fun rather than being at work.

Encourage a positive corporate culture.

A strong goal statement and company culture directive can bring a group of employees together and make them feel like they’re a part of something bigger. Create a vision for how you want your workplace to be, and make sure everyone on your team understands what’s expected of them in order to make it a reality.

This not only boosts employee morale, but it also promotes a positive work environment. You can end up with some negative Nancys who drag everyone down with them if you don’t emphasize your expectations for your team.

Provide Formal Recognition.

Don’t dismiss an employee who goes above and above. Make sure you’re aggressively recognizing and utilizing your top performers to lead by example for the rest of your staff.

This is in addition to the relatively dated “Employee of the Month” program. Isn’t it a little corny and uninspired?

Instead, why not demonstrate your appreciation by getting your staff a gift? Or give them a shout-out in an all-company email? Whatever you do, make sure you don’t go unnoticed for a good deed.

Show your gratitude.

Apart from publicly acknowledging employee accomplishments, simply expressing your gratitude to everyone contributes to a pleasant work atmosphere.

Make sure you’re always giving positive feedback and encouragement, as well as expressing gratitude for all your staff do. When it comes to encouraging happiness in the workplace, even a tiny “thank you” can go a long way.

Now is the time to create a more positive work environment.

Improving your company’s prospects and, as a result, your bottom line, requires cultivating a good and healthy work atmosphere. Negativity will only cause you harm and sabotage your own and your team’s potential. Take the measures to create a more positive work environment now now that you know more about boosting positivity in the workplace.

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Executive Summary

Chapter 1: What is Positivity?

“Positivity” does not imply being happy all of the time — that is impossible to achieve and would be counterproductive. In this class, we’ll focus on positivity and building emotional resilience so that individuals can provide their best effort regardless of the atmosphere or circumstances. Positivity is defined as the ability to bounce back from losses or unpleasant situations without becoming trapped in a negative emotional state or spiraling lower. Negative biases and survival instincts that no longer serve them must be overcome in order to boost one’s positivity and emotional resilience. This phase builds on the benefits of accepting responsibility by teaching participants to focus on their past wins and successes, allowing them to reach higher levels of resilience. Recognizing past accomplishments, from childhood to now, is a great approach to build the self-esteem and confidence needed to take on the next difficult endeavor.

“It’s not just about being all positive all the time. Life is about having a full range of human emotions and experiences. It’s about being able to navigate those more powerfully.” – Louis Alloro, co-Founder of The Flourishing Center

Positivity entails thinking positively, seeking answers, anticipating positive outcomes and achievement, and focusing on and making life more enjoyable. It’s a joyful, worry-free state of mind that focuses on the positive aspects of life.

A Good Condition Of Mind Is Referred To As Positivity

• You don’t take things personally while you’re in this frame of mind.
• You are fully immersed in the current moment.
• You are unconcerned about the future.
• You put your energy towards doing and accomplishing rather than dwelling on the past or problems.
• It refers to a pleasant, tolerant, and good-natured state of being.

“The state or quality of being positive” according to the Collins definition.

It is defined by the Cambridge dictionary as “the attribute of having an optimistic attitude.”

Your Emotions and Positivity

Joy, love, and inspiration are all feelings connected with positive. A person in this state of mind strives to avoid negative and unhappy feelings and emotions by choosing constructive and positive feelings and emotions.

This may seem difficult at first, but with some practice, it becomes achievable.

Your Thoughts and Positivity

Thoughts of courage, self-esteem, and assurance are related to optimism.

Such a person’s mentality prefers to think in terms of “I can,” “It is feasible,” and “I am doing my best to better myself and my life.”

Positivity’s Influence

Positivity is made up of various components, each of which has a unique, but overwhelmingly good, impact on our lives. Self-focused positive thinking, for example, is beneficial to one’s well-being and can help to mitigate the impacts of stress (Taylor & Brown, 1994). So, to increase this component of optimism, try employing tactics like self-compassion and self-kindness. Improving our sentiments of self-worth and self-confidence is likely to be useful as well (Miller Smedema, Catalano, & Ebener, 2010).

Positive thinking and optimism about the future tend to improve our well-being, social interactions, and stress management (Taylor & Brown, 1994). Similarly, positive thinking that is focused on the current moment, such as how much control we have over stressful events, helps us manage better (Crum, Akinola, Martin, & Fath, 2017).

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Chapter 2: What is Happiness?

What Exactly Is Happiness?

Joy, pleasure, contentment, and fulfillment characterize happiness as an emotional state. While there are many distinct definitions of happiness, it is frequently described as involving positive emotions and a sense of fulfillment in life.

When most people talk about happiness, they may be referring to how they feel right now, or they may be referring to a broader sense of how they feel about life in general.

Because happiness is such a broad phrase, psychologists and other social scientists commonly refer to this emotional state as “subjective well-being.” Subjective well-being, as the name implies, is concerned with an individual’s overall personal feelings about their current situation.

The following are two important aspects of happiness (or subjective well-being):

• Emotional equilibrium: Everyone has positive and negative emotions, feelings, and moods. Happiness is usually associated with having more pleasant feelings than negative ones.

• Life satisfaction: This refers to how satisfied you are with many aspects of your life, such as your relationships, work, accomplishments, and other key factors.

Happiness Indicators

While everyone’s definition of happiness is different, there are some major indicators that psychologists look for when evaluating and analyzing happiness.

The following are some key indicators of happiness:

• Feeling as if you’re living the life you’ve always desired

• Believing that your life is in good shape.

• Encouraging you to believe that you have (or will) achieve your goals in life.

• Being content with your life

• Having a more positive attitude than a negative attitude

It’s crucial to remember that happiness isn’t a continual state of ecstasy. Happiness, on the other hand, is a general feeling of having more pleasant emotions than negative ones.

From time to time, happy people experience the full gamut of human emotions, including anger, frustration, boredom, loneliness, and even grief. They have an underlying sense of optimism that things will get better, that they will be able to deal with what is occurring, and that they will be able to be happy again, even while they are in discomfort.

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Chapter 3: Brain Chemistry of Happiness

What Are the Benefits of Happy Chemicals?

While you may not think twice about walking and talking at the same time or smiling at a joke while watching TV, your brain is busy calculating every move to help you control your thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

Brain chemicals that alter your happiness are at the root of these sentiments.

What Role Do Neurotransmitters Have In Mood?

Neurotransmitters are substances in the brain that convey signals from one neuron to the next. A neuron is a type of cell that sends signals to other cells, muscles, and glands. Neurons are made up of a body, an axon, and dendrites.

Every second of every day, these hormones work together to manage your mood, perception, and outlook on life.

When you have an idea or a feeling, you are going through a complicated process. The axon is where chemicals attach to receptor sites after an electric signal in the neuron travels through it. The signal is either accepted or rejected by a second neuron. Reuptake is the process by which the first molecule can take back some of the remaining molecules.

The end outcome is what causes us to feel emotions like happiness, joy, grief, wrath, or enthusiasm.

What Are Happy Chemicals And What Do They Do?

Dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins, four major brain chemicals, all play a role in happiness.

• Dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter generated by the hypothalamus, a tiny brain area that aids in pleasure perception. It’s a key aspect of your reward system, which means your brain releases dopamine when you accomplish something enjoyable or satisfying, or when you finish a task. Dopamine aids movement and motivation as well.

• Serotonin. Another neurotransmitter created when you feel satisfied or important is serotonin. It also aids with sleep, hunger, and mood regulation. Many antidepressants are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which help to increase serotonin levels.

• Oxytocin. Oxytocin is a love and connection hormone produced by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland. The brain produces oxytocin, often known as the cuddle hormone, during sex or maternal behavior such as childbirth or breastfeeding.

• Endorphins. Endorphins are opioid peptides that act as neurotransmitters and are produced by the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. When you do something you enjoy, such as have sex, laugh, or exercise, they cause you to feel good. They also cause pain alleviation, which is the same chemical reaction that happens when you take pharmaceutical opioids. Endorphins generate a euphoric feeling that helps to hide pain.

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Chapter 4: Happiness and Emotional Set Point

Set Point for Happiness

In psychology, there is a concept known as a happy set point, which states that we all have one. A happiness set point is a word that describes our overall degree of happiness, and it is different for everyone. We all have different set points, and it’s likely that some people appear to be happy than others because their set points are inherently higher.

Humans are creatures that stick to our routines. We have a remarkable ability to adapt to our surroundings and are very resilient.

Our happiness threshold is determined by our genetics and conditioning. While we all experience emotional ups and downs at different times in our life, these are only transient. Whatever life throws at us, we eventually return to the same level of contentment.

When you consider all of the conditions that can lead to the same set point, it’s fairly astonishing. For example, you may win the lottery and, despite the immediate elation, you’ll soon return to your established position. If your happiness threshold is low, the brilliant skies after a lottery victory will quickly transform to black clouds.

Emotional Set Points: What Are They?

John Harvey Gray coined the phrase “Emotional Set Point” to describe the emotional memories that form during infancy and early childhood. We will be haunted by these recollections for the rest of our lives. They develop as a result of our interactions with the individuals in our lives. Parents, siblings and sisters, other family members, other children, and teachers are among them. Positive and negative emotional set points exist. Love, confidence, and contentment are all examples of positive emotional set points. The negative types include anger, despair, and anxiety. We may not be aware of the triggers that led to our emotional set points as we travel through life. They’re still there, though!

How do you know what your Emotional Set Point is?

The average of all your daily emotional highs and lows is the Emotional Set Point. You wander up and down the emotional scale as you experience various moods or feelings during the day. From happiness, gratitude, and love to rage, anxiety, sadness, and guilt.

Emotions are a natural aspect of your human guiding system that provides input on your overall mood. They are a reminder to be aware of what you are doing or thinking. To get you to think about whether a thought you’re having right now is aligned with what you want. You’re in tune with your desires if you’re experiencing an emotion that makes you feel good. And the other way around.

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Chapter 5: Cognitive Biases Affecting Happiness

Cognitive biases aren’t a new concept. Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman first proposed them in the 1970s, and researchers in the fields of cognitive science, social psychology, and behavioral economics have been studying them ever since. Biases are very important in life because they help us better understand and respond to situations, which is especially important in today’s fast-paced environment.

Biases distort our thinking, causing us to see the best in ourselves while seeing the worst in others. They have an impact on our views, as well as the actions and judgements we make on a daily basis in a variety of domains, including social behavior, cognition, behavioral economics, education, management, healthcare, and even business and finance.

The Power of Disconfirming Evidence and Confirmation Bias

Our tendency to cherry-pick information that validates our previous opinions or notions is known as confirmation bias. Confirmation bias describes how two people with opposing viewpoints on a subject might both see the same information and feel justified by it. When it comes to deeply held, ideological, or emotionally charged beliefs, this cognitive bias is most prominent.

Failure to analyze information objectively can result in significant errors. We can learn to recognize it in ourselves and others if we grasp this. We should be wary of data that appears to confirm our beliefs right away.

Understanding how confirmation bias works can help us understand why we feel others “cannot see sense.” In their book The Web of Belief, Willard V. Quine and J.S. Ullian explained this bias as follows:

The want to be correct and the desire to have been correct are two distinct desires, and the sooner we can distinguish them, the better. The thirst for truth is the desire to be correct. There is nothing but positive to be said for it on all points, both practical and theoretical. On the other side, the urge to be correct is the pride that precedes a collapse. It prevents us from realizing we were mistaken, and hence stymies the advancement of our knowledge.

What Is Negativity Bias and How Does It Affect You?

The negative bias refers to our proclivity for not only registering but also dwelling on unfavorable inputs. This negativity bias, also known as positive-negative asymmetry, means that we feel the sting of a rebuke more deeply than the delight of praise.

This psychological phenomena explains why terrible first impressions are so difficult to overcome and why prior traumas can persist for so long. We are more prone to notice unpleasant things in practically any contact and remember them more vividly later.

As humans, we have a proclivity to remember painful events more vividly than positive ones.

• Insults are remembered better than compliments.
• Have a stronger reaction to negative stimuli.
• You tend to think about negative things more than pleasant ones.
• Negative occurrences elicit a stronger reaction than pleasant events.

For instance, you can be having a fantastic day at work when a teammate makes an offhanded remark that irritates you. After that, you spend the rest of the day stewing over his words.

When someone asks how your day was when you come home from work, you say it was terrible, even though it was actually rather wonderful notwithstanding that one negative experience.

This negative bias causes you to pay considerably more attention to the negative events that occur, making them appear much more important than they are.

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Chapter 6: Reticular Activating System & Inattentional Blindness

Our brains are extremely intricate. At any given time, we can filter through billions of bits of data. And we have to organize the information in some way so that we don’t short circuit. That’s where the Reticular Activating System comes in.

The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a network of nerves in our brainstem that filters away irrelevant information so that the crucial information can get through.

The RAS is what causes you to learn a new term and then hear it all over the place. It’s why you can tune out a crowded room full of people chatting but jump to attention instantly when someone mentions your name or something that sounds like it.

Your RAS develops a filter for whatever you’re focusing on. It then sorts through the information and displays only the parts that are relevant to you. Of course, none of this occurs when you are awake. Without you consciously doing anything, the RAS programs itself to work in your favor.

It can operate as a gatekeeper (filter) for what you see in the world:

• Sight (both literal and metaphorical)
• Smell
• Sound (including internal thoughts)
• Taste
• Touch

Similarly, the RAS seeks out information that supports your beliefs. It filters the environment through the parameters you set for it, and those parameters are shaped by your ideas. You will most likely be awful at giving speeches if you believe you are. You most certainly function efficiently if you believe you do. The RAS influences your actions by assisting you in seeing what you want to see.

Some people believe that you can train your RAS by connecting your subconscious thoughts to your conscious thoughts. It’s known as “intent setting.” This means that if you concentrate hard on your objectives, your RAS will expose the people, information, and chances that will assist you in achieving them.

If you care about something, such as optimism, you will become more conscious of it and seek it out. If you’re serious about acquiring a pet turtle and have set your mind to it, you’ll seek out the correct information to assist you.

When viewed in this light, The Law of Attraction appears to be less magical. If you concentrate on the negative aspects of life, you will attract negativity into your life. Focus on the positive aspects of life, and they will find you because your brain is looking for them. Your Reticular Activating System is shaping the world you see around you, not magic.

Many articles and shady YouTube videos advise various methods for training your RAS to achieve what you desire, but most people find the following strategy to be the most practical:

1. Consider the aim or scenario you wish to impact first.

2. Now consider the experience or outcome you wish to achieve in relation to that objective or situation.

3. Make a mental movie of how you want that objective or situation to turn out in the future. Take note of the noises, dialogues, sights, and details in that mental movie. Play it over and over in your head.

Of course, things aren’t always as simple as they appear, but I believe our Reticular Activating System (RAS) may be honed. It’s all about picturing what we want and then allowing our subconscious and conscious minds to collaborate to make it a reality.

Can I adjust my brain to focus and attract the things that matter to me if I can hear my own name in a throng of thousands?

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Chapter 7: Default Mode Network & Neuroplasticity

What Exactly Is The Default Mode Network, And How Does It Work?

Researchers discovered the concept of a default mode network after unexpectedly noticing unusual amounts of brain activity in experimental participants who were intended to be “at rest”—that is, they were not engaged in a specific mental task, but simply resting peacefully (often with their eyes closed). Although Hans Berger clearly expressed the idea that the brain is constantly active (even when we aren’t engaged in a distinct mental activity) in the 1930s, it wasn’t until the 1970s that brain researcher David Ingvar began to accumulate data showing that cerebral blood flow (a general measure of brain activity) varied according to specific patterns during resting states; for example, he observed high levels of activity in the frontal lobes of participants at rest.

As neuroimaging techniques improved, data accumulated that revealed activity during resting states followed a predictable pattern. Because asking individuals to relax in a peaceful state is considered the control condition in many neuroimaging investigations, these data were easy to come by. Raichle, Gusnard, and colleagues produced a series of publications in the early 2000s that aimed to pinpoint the brain areas that were most active during these rest states. The term “default mode” was first used to refer to this resting activity in one of these publications, a phraseology that led to the brain areas that showed default mode activity being classified as part of the default mode network.

As a result, the default mode network is a group of brain regions that appear to display lower levels of activity when we are performing a specific task, such as paying attention, but higher levels of activity when we are awake and not performing any specific mental exercise. These are the periods when we might be daydreaming, recalling memories, imagining the future, watching the environment, pondering others’ motives, and so on—all of which are common activities when we find ourselves “thinking” without a specific purpose in mind. Furthermore, new research has begun to uncover correlations between default mode network activity and mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia (more on this below). Furthermore, therapies such as meditation have been studied for their ability to influence activity in the default mode network, implying that this could be part of their mechanism for promoting well-being.

What Is Neuroplasticity and How Does It Work?

The ability of the brain to alter and adapt as a result of experience is known as neuroplasticity. It’s also referred to as “brain plasticity.” When people remark that the brain has plasticity, they aren’t implying that the brain is equivalent to plastic.

The brain’s malleability is characterized as the ability to be “easily affected, trained, or controlled.” Neuro stands for neurons, which are the nerve cells that make up the brain and neurological system. Neuroplasticity is defined as the ability of nerve cells to change or adapt.

Neuroplasticity Types

There are around 100 billion neurons in the human brain. Neurogenesis, or the formation of new neurons, was thought to halt shortly after birth by early researchers.

Neurogenesis, or the formation of new neurons, was thought to halt shortly after birth by early researchers.

The brain’s astonishing ability to restructure pathways, make new connections, and, in some cases, even create new neurons is now known as neuroplasticity.

Neuroplasticity can be divided into two categories:

• Structural plasticity is the brain’s ability to modify its physical structure as a result of learning.
• Functional plasticity is the brain’s ability to shift functions from a damaged portion of the brain to other undamaged areas.

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Chapter 8: Positivity is Infectious

Emotions Are Contagious In The Same Way That Colds Are

You know to keep your distance when you observe someone coughing and sneezing. What if you observe someone who is depressed or irritable? Emotions are contagious, and you can catch them like a cold.

Emotions are contagious, it’s true. According to studies, other people’s moods may be as contagious as their illnesses. You can catch someone else’s delight — or misery.

Emotional contagion (EC) is a term used by researchers to describe when one person’s emotions spread to another. It encompasses a wide range of emotions, including anger, sadness, and fear, as well as happiness, enthusiasm, and joy.

Mimicking other people’s facial expressions and body language, a natural instinct that emerges early in life, is a common way to catch emotions. According to studies, when we imitate someone’s expressions, our brains generate reactions that cause us to experience the same sentiments.

It’s a cycle: watching someone frown makes you frown, and you now feel unhappy because you frowned. It happens so quickly that you may not even notice it.

When you see a grumpy spouse, friend, or coworker, you may unconsciously become grumpy as well.

What Kinds Of Emotions Are You Most Likely To Pick Up From Others?

Both positive and negative emotions can be caught:

• The downside: Studies show that being around someone who is stressed might make you feel more stressed. Other research has revealed the same thing to be true in the case of depression. Sadness, fear, rage, and tension are all negative contagious emotions that can be harmful to your general health. Negative emotions may increase the risk of heart disease and other health problems in the long run.

• The bright side: It’s possible to capture someone else’s good mood and happiness. Simply being in the company of positive people may be motivational, energetic, and inspiring. You’re more relaxed and less stressed. We’ve all heard that laughter spreads like a virus, and that a good chuckle is excellent for your health.

Laughter

Laughter has the potential to be the most contagious of all emotional states. Although laughing is one of our most defining characteristics, little is known about the mechanisms that cause it. Laughter isn’t just about expressing amusement. Embarrassment and other social discomforts can set it off. It’s possible that laughter evolved to help people bond in huge groups. The grooming process in primates releases chemicals that aid in the formation of social ties; humans eventually evolved to live in groups larger than the grooming procedure allowed. Laughter, like speech, allows us to swiftly and readily bond with a huge group of people.

Laughter’s Health Benefits

Despite the fact that laughter is not usually controlled, it offers several health benefits. Laughter can help to strengthen the immune system, relax muscles, improve circulation, and prevent heart disease. It can also help with mental health; laughter can help with anxiety, stress release, mood improvement, and resilience.

Endorphins, feel-good neurotransmitters with narcotic-like effects, are released by a hearty giggle, and endorphins are one of the reasons why laughing is so contagious. Laughter has numerous health benefits, including improved blood flow and mental and physical resilience. In fact, it’s similar to a strenuous workout.

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Chapter 9: Thieves of Positivity – Fear and Worry

Fear and concern are defensive responses from a part of ourselves that seeks to keep us safe. When there is a possibility of a negative future consequence, the feelings of fear and worry arise. The emotions of fear and worry enter our lives in an attempt to keep us from advancing toward that undesirable destiny. Regrettably, they frequently hinder us from taking any action, resulting in an unfavorable future.

Fear and worry cause stress, which can send us into fight-or-flight mode. The higher brain function we need to manage our position and move to a better place is impeded in this place. In the terrified state, the creativity, motivation, and executive function that enable us to navigate the thing we dread become less available. This is how parasite emotions work: they reduce our capacity and limit our ability to act. This has unexpected repercussions or adds to the fear element, which feeds the cycle.

“On the other side of fear is everything we want in life.” Canfield, Jack

We must do things we have never done before in order to obtain or become something new. This necessitates our travel to a new location that is outside of our comfort zone. Anything new could bring new threats that we haven’t seen before, resulting in unanticipated repercussions.

Fear and worry are both figments of our imagination. We are visualizing a future that does not yet exist when we predict our thoughts to a future outcome we do not want. As a result, these emotions, which are a result of our own thinking, are under our control or influence.

Fear that is productive might help us see the steps we need to take to become the person who can attain the goal. These feelings can provide the motivation we need to push ourselves further. Fear of financial ruin encourages us to work harder, which is beneficial. It is a positive thing that our fear of not earning a promotion or losing our job helps us stay focused and put in extra effort. Fears of seeming silly, wasting money, and failing drive us to “play it safe” and avoid risk despite the possibility of losing any prospective benefit.

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Chapter 10: Thieves of Positivity – Negative Self Talk

There is a case for negative self-talk having a positive effect, just as there is for fear and worry. It can be beneficial if it serves as a source of inspiration to act and alter things. This is when the inner coach, the critic, comes into play.

Negative Self-Talk, On The Other Hand, Is Almost Always Self-Critical And Damaging

The stream of thoughts and discourse in your head is known as self-talk. It can play many roles, including inner critic, inner cheerleader, inner child, and inner grownup. Self-talk is something that everyone goes through on a regular basis. Past events, underlying beliefs, and skewed cognitive processes are all linked to it. Negative ideas and feelings can drive self-talk, which can have a significant impact on self-esteem and world view. Negative self-talk has a significant impact on self-esteem and maladaptive behaviors, which can exacerbate problems such as addiction and mental illness.

Negative Self-Talk Examples

People have certain common habits when it comes to negative thinking and self-talk. Negative self-talk can take many forms, including:

Personalizing

With no evidence, you blame yourself for anything unpleasant that happens. You always seem to be berating yourself. For example, if a friend or coworker is upset, you might assume it’s because you’ve done something to irritate them. “I’ve messed up again, and now my friend is mad at me, and I’ve caused their poor mood,” negative self-talk that personalizes a situation can go.

Catastrophizing

Your thoughts are always drawn to the worst-case scenario. For example, if you make a minor error on a work report, you may expect to be fired, unable to pay your rent, and eventually wind up on the street. The voice in your head that says, “I can’t do anything properly, and now I’ll be homeless and poor because of it,” is negative self-talk that catastrophizes.

Filtering

You only pay attention to the unpleasant aspects of your life and ignore the positive aspects. For example, suppose you had a terrific day when most things went well, but the deli made a mistake with your order, and instead of focusing on the positive aspects of your day, you stew about it. “Nothing nice ever happens to me,” is an example of negative self-talk related to filtering. Life is unjust, and I have no control over it.”

The Critic Within

If you’re like most people, you’re all too familiar with your inner critic. It’s the voice in your head that continuously judges, doubts, belittles, and tells you that you’re not good enough. It says things to you that are nasty and negative—things you would never say to anybody else. I’m a complete moron; I’m a fraud; I never do anything correctly; I’ll never succeed.

Whether you like it or not, what you say to yourself counts. The inner critic isn’t a benign presence. It stifles, restricts, and prevents you from living the life you genuinely desire. It takes away your peace of mind and emotional well-being, and if left untreated for a long time, it can even lead to major mental health issues such as depression or anxiety.

The inner critic can serve a variety of functions that appear to be beneficial on the surface: It can make you feel as if you’re striving to do the right thing by wanting to improve or achieve more. However, choosing self-criticism over positive self-talk for these reasons is the same as choosing punishment over reward. While punishment might temporarily dissuade certain activities, rewards are often more effective in moulding new and long-term behavior.

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Chapter 11: Thieves of Positivity – Comparison

Psychology’s Social Comparison Theory

We all compare ourselves to others in our social circles, whether it’s our appearances to celebrities we see in the media or our abilities to those of our coworkers. Social comparison theory is one explanation for our inclination to create comparisons between ourselves and others in psychology.

Let’s take a closer look at how social comparison theory works and how the comparisons we make shape our self-perceptions.

Background

In 1954, psychologist Leon Festinger proposed the social comparison theory, which argued that people have an inbuilt desire to evaluate themselves in comparison to others. People make many types of judgements about themselves, and social comparison, or examining the self in relation to others, is one of the most common ways we do so.

Consider a high school kid who has recently enrolled in band class to learn how to play the clarinet. She will compare her performance to that of other students in the class as she examines her abilities and growth.

She can begin by comparing her abilities to those of the other clarinetists in the section, noting those who are better and those who are worse. She can also compare her skills to those of other pupils who play different instruments.

We engage in this comparison process, according to psychologist Leon Festinger, as a means of establishing a baseline by which we can make accurate assessments of ourselves.

A music student, for example, would compare herself to the class’s best student. If she discovers that her abilities fall short of those of her peers, she may be motivated to achieve more and develop her skills.

Social comparison is an evolutionarily wired urge that is rarely as advantageous in today’s society as it was for our forefathers, according to research.

Social Media Can Make You Feel Inferior

Many people use images and social media posts to paint a positive picture of their lives. They are competitive and want to be viewed as having a good relationship, a successful career, gifted children, exciting hobbies, or the cutest baby in the world. Members of social media can curate their lives by just sharing the highlights of their lives. It can provide the wrong image to their friends and followers, making more individuals feel compelled to strive to live up to the lives they mistakenly assume others lead.

People naturally want to be perceived in their best light. Even still, it’s debatable where some social media users draw the line. Friends and followers of an account may forget that social media is not the same as real life. People can easily describe their life as inexhaustibly positive and thrilling, leaving others feeling inadequate. It’s crucial to keep in mind that any social media account can be hacked. They may be like a sports highlight reel, displaying all of the accomplishments and proud moments while deleting and obscuring the rest.

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Chapter 12: Positivity and Happiness Interventions

Happiness is a mood – Positivity is a mindset.

Happiness is a transient emotion. Happiness, like any emotion, is temporary, thus no matter how fantastic something happens, the good sensations will only last so long. Positivity, on the other hand, is a perspective on life. It’s a mindset that you can adopt no matter how difficult things get. You may always choose to search for the good (even if the “good” is simply a life lesson that will ultimately make you stronger) and hope for a brighter tomorrow, no matter how you’re feeling or what you’re going through.

Happiness may be out of your control – Positivity is a choice you can always make.

It’s tough (if not impossible) to be joyful when you’re having a bad day or something dreadful has occurred to you. Happiness can sometimes be controlled by your choices in life, but there are many factors beyond our control that contribute to sadness. We can always choose to be positive. It’s a choice to be positive, no matter how horrible things are. You may be unhappy, but if you keep an optimistic attitude, you can trust that better things are on the way and that every experience can teach you something.

Happiness is generally short-lived – Positivity can be ever-present.

Consider the last time you were honestly, joyfully, and uncontrollably happy. How long did it go on for? An hour? A day? Was it a week? Happiness, no matter how wonderful the reason for it, does not endure long. It’s fantastic and amazing when it happens, but it’s an emotion, not a state of mind. But positivity isn’t like that. It’s an attitude, which means you can have it around indefinitely as long as you work on it and practice it. Happiness comes and goes, but positivity can endure a lifetime.

Happiness is part of a disposition that can be inherited – Positivity is life-changing skill that can be learned.

Happiness is a feeling, but certain people are more prone to experience it because of their genetic makeup. Some people are born with a sunny disposition and are more inclined to be happy and cheery. Unfortunately, some people are less likely to have inherited those characteristics, making happiness a more elusive experience. However, there’s no need to be discouraged since, regardless of your personality, you can master the art of positivity with practice and patience. It isn’t always simple, but it is far more feasible than altering your DNA!

Happiness all the time would be miserable – Positivity all the time leads to contentment.
Can you imagine what it would be like if you were always happy? In theory, that sounds fantastic, but in practice, there would be nothing to compare it to, so it would be unremarkable. In fact, if you were suddenly granted everything you’ve ever wanted and never again felt any emotion other than bliss, you’d probably be very annoyed. Being optimistic all of the time, on the other hand, is one of the most effective strategies I’ve discovered to live a happier, more accepting existence. It’s a skill that will improve every element of your life, making pleasant moments even happier and painful moments even less so.

Happiness is a goal that might not be achieved – Positivity is a mindset one can adopt with certainty.

You might not be able to attain what you think will bring you satisfaction, no matter how hard you try — the perfect lover, career, etc. — because, let’s face it, life is like that sometimes. You can’t always get what you want, no matter how hard you want it. And there’s no guarantee that after you receive that thing, it’ll make you happy (or for how long it’ll make you happy). No matter what life throws at you, a good attitude is a mindset you can choose with certainty. And, no matter how terrible things become, positivity will only make things better.

As you can see, there are numerous distinctions between happiness and positivity. It’s vital to note that they’re not the same thing, despite how frequently they’re used interchangeably in popular culture. Happiness may keep you chasing after things for decades, waiting for the day when everything feels just right. Through all of life’s ups and downs, positivity will always meet you right where you are, on a good day or a terrible day. You’ll always be on the lookout for anything if you spend your life seeking bliss. However, if you concentrate on developing the art of positivity, you’ll be able to make the most of whatever situation you find yourself in.

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Curriculum

Cultivating Potential – Workshop 3 – Promoting Positivity

1. What is Positivity
2. What is Happiness
3. Brain Chemistry of Happiness
4. Happiness and Emotional Set Point
5. Cognitive Biases Affecting Happiness
6. Reticular Activating System & Inattentional Blindness
7. Default Mode Network & Neuroplasticity
8. Positivity is Infectious
9. Thieves of Positivity – Fear and Worry
10. Thieves of Positivity – Negative Self Talk
11. Thieves of Positivity – Comparison
12. Positivity and Happiness Interventions

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Distance Learning

Introduction

Welcome to Appleton Greene and thank you for enrolling on the Cultivating Potential corporate training program. You will be learning through our unique facilitation via distance-learning method, which will enable you to practically implement everything that you learn academically. The methods and materials used in your program have been designed and developed to ensure that you derive the maximum benefits and enjoyment possible. We hope that you find the program challenging and fun to do. However, if you have never been a distance-learner before, you may be experiencing some trepidation at the task before you. So we will get you started by giving you some basic information and guidance on how you can make the best use of the modules, how you should manage the materials and what you should be doing as you work through them. This guide is designed to point you in the right direction and help you to become an effective distance-learner. Take a few hours or so to study this guide and your guide to tutorial support for students, while making notes, before you start to study in earnest.

Study environment

You will need to locate a quiet and private place to study, preferably a room where you can easily be isolated from external disturbances or distractions. Make sure the room is well-lit and incorporates a relaxed, pleasant feel. If you can spoil yourself within your study environment, you will have much more of a chance to ensure that you are always in the right frame of mind when you do devote time to study. For example, a nice fire, the ability to play soft soothing background music, soft but effective lighting, perhaps a nice view if possible and a good size desk with a comfortable chair. Make sure that your family know when you are studying and understand your study rules. Your study environment is very important. The ideal situation, if at all possible, is to have a separate study, which can be devoted to you. If this is not possible then you will need to pay a lot more attention to developing and managing your study schedule, because it will affect other people as well as yourself. The better your study environment, the more productive you will be.

Study tools & rules

Try and make sure that your study tools are sufficient and in good working order. You will need to have access to a computer, scanner and printer, with access to the internet. You will need a very comfortable chair, which supports your lower back, and you will need a good filing system. It can be very frustrating if you are spending valuable study time trying to fix study tools that are unreliable, or unsuitable for the task. Make sure that your study tools are up to date. You will also need to consider some study rules. Some of these rules will apply to you and will be intended to help you to be more disciplined about when and how you study. This distance-learning guide will help you and after you have read it you can put some thought into what your study rules should be. You will also need to negotiate some study rules for your family, friends or anyone who lives with you. They too will need to be disciplined in order to ensure that they can support you while you study. It is important to ensure that your family and friends are an integral part of your study team. Having their support and encouragement can prove to be a crucial contribution to your successful completion of the program. Involve them in as much as you can.

Successful distance-learning

Distance-learners are freed from the necessity of attending regular classes or workshops, since they can study in their own way, at their own pace and for their own purposes. But unlike traditional internal training courses, it is the student’s responsibility, with a distance-learning program, to ensure that they manage their own study contribution. This requires strong self-discipline and self-motivation skills and there must be a clear will to succeed. Those students who are used to managing themselves, are good at managing others and who enjoy working in isolation, are more likely to be good distance-learners. It is also important to be aware of the main reasons why you are studying and of the main objectives that you are hoping to achieve as a result. You will need to remind yourself of these objectives at times when you need to motivate yourself. Never lose sight of your long-term goals and your short-term objectives. There is nobody available here to pamper you, or to look after you, or to spoon-feed you with information, so you will need to find ways to encourage and appreciate yourself while you are studying. Make sure that you chart your study progress, so that you can be sure of your achievements and re-evaluate your goals and objectives regularly.

Self-assessment

Appleton Greene training programs are in all cases post-graduate programs. Consequently, you should already have obtained a business-related degree and be an experienced learner. You should therefore already be aware of your study strengths and weaknesses. For example, which time of the day are you at your most productive? Are you a lark or an owl? What study methods do you respond to the most? Are you a consistent learner? How do you discipline yourself? How do you ensure that you enjoy yourself while studying? It is important to understand yourself as a learner and so some self-assessment early on will be necessary if you are to apply yourself correctly. Perform a SWOT analysis on yourself as a student. List your internal strengths and weaknesses as a student and your external opportunities and threats. This will help you later on when you are creating a study plan. You can then incorporate features within your study plan that can ensure that you are playing to your strengths, while compensating for your weaknesses. You can also ensure that you make the most of your opportunities, while avoiding the potential threats to your success.

Accepting responsibility as a student

Training programs invariably require a significant investment, both in terms of what they cost and in the time that you need to contribute to study and the responsibility for successful completion of training programs rests entirely with the student. This is never more apparent than when a student is learning via distance-learning. Accepting responsibility as a student is an important step towards ensuring that you can successfully complete your training program. It is easy to instantly blame other people or factors when things go wrong. But the fact of the matter is that if a failure is your failure, then you have the power to do something about it, it is entirely in your own hands. If it is always someone else’s failure, then you are powerless to do anything about it. All students study in entirely different ways, this is because we are all individuals and what is right for one student, is not necessarily right for another. In order to succeed, you will have to accept personal responsibility for finding a way to plan, implement and manage a personal study plan that works for you. If you do not succeed, you only have yourself to blame.

Planning

By far the most critical contribution to stress, is the feeling of not being in control. In the absence of planning we tend to be reactive and can stumble from pillar to post in the hope that things will turn out fine in the end. Invariably they don’t! In order to be in control, we need to have firm ideas about how and when we want to do things. We also need to consider as many possible eventualities as we can, so that we are prepared for them when they happen. Prescriptive Change, is far easier to manage and control, than Emergent Change. The same is true with distance-learning. It is much easier and much more enjoyable, if you feel that you are in control and that things are going to plan. Even when things do go wrong, you are prepared for them and can act accordingly without any unnecessary stress. It is important therefore that you do take time to plan your studies properly.

Management

Once you have developed a clear study plan, it is of equal importance to ensure that you manage the implementation of it. Most of us usually enjoy planning, but it is usually during implementation when things go wrong. Targets are not met and we do not understand why. Sometimes we do not even know if targets are being met. It is not enough for us to conclude that the study plan just failed. If it is failing, you will need to understand what you can do about it. Similarly if your study plan is succeeding, it is still important to understand why, so that you can improve upon your success. You therefore need to have guidelines for self-assessment so that you can be consistent with performance improvement throughout the program. If you manage things correctly, then your performance should constantly improve throughout the program.

Study objectives & tasks

The first place to start is developing your program objectives. These should feature your reasons for undertaking the training program in order of priority. Keep them succinct and to the point in order to avoid confusion. Do not just write the first things that come into your head because they are likely to be too similar to each other. Make a list of possible departmental headings, such as: Customer Service; E-business; Finance; Globalization; Human Resources; Technology; Legal; Management; Marketing and Production. Then brainstorm for ideas by listing as many things that you want to achieve under each heading and later re-arrange these things in order of priority. Finally, select the top item from each department heading and choose these as your program objectives. Try and restrict yourself to five because it will enable you to focus clearly. It is likely that the other things that you listed will be achieved if each of the top objectives are achieved. If this does not prove to be the case, then simply work through the process again.

Study forecast

As a guide, the Appleton Greene Cultivating Potential corporate training program should take 12-18 months to complete, depending upon your availability and current commitments. The reason why there is such a variance in time estimates is because every student is an individual, with differing productivity levels and different commitments. These differentiations are then exaggerated by the fact that this is a distance-learning program, which incorporates the practical integration of academic theory as an as a part of the training program. Consequently all of the project studies are real, which means that important decisions and compromises need to be made. You will want to get things right and will need to be patient with your expectations in order to ensure that they are. We would always recommend that you are prudent with your own task and time forecasts, but you still need to develop them and have a clear indication of what are realistic expectations in your case. With reference to your time planning: consider the time that you can realistically dedicate towards study with the program every week; calculate how long it should take you to complete the program, using the guidelines featured here; then break the program down into logical modules and allocate a suitable proportion of time to each of them, these will be your milestones; you can create a time plan by using a spreadsheet on your computer, or a personal organizer such as MS Outlook, you could also use a financial forecasting software; break your time forecasts down into manageable chunks of time, the more specific you can be, the more productive and accurate your time management will be; finally, use formulas where possible to do your time calculations for you, because this will help later on when your forecasts need to change in line with actual performance. With reference to your task planning: refer to your list of tasks that need to be undertaken in order to achieve your program objectives; with reference to your time plan, calculate when each task should be implemented; remember that you are not estimating when your objectives will be achieved, but when you will need to focus upon implementing the corresponding tasks; you also need to ensure that each task is implemented in conjunction with the associated training modules which are relevant; then break each single task down into a list of specific to do’s, say approximately ten to do’s for each task and enter these into your study plan; once again you could use MS Outlook to incorporate both your time and task planning and this could constitute your study plan; you could also use a project management software like MS Project. You should now have a clear and realistic forecast detailing when you can expect to be able to do something about undertaking the tasks to achieve your program objectives.

Performance management

It is one thing to develop your study forecast, it is quite another to monitor your progress. Ultimately it is less important whether you achieve your original study forecast and more important that you update it so that it constantly remains realistic in line with your performance. As you begin to work through the program, you will begin to have more of an idea about your own personal performance and productivity levels as a distance-learner. Once you have completed your first study module, you should re-evaluate your study forecast for both time and tasks, so that they reflect your actual performance level achieved. In order to achieve this you must first time yourself while training by using an alarm clock. Set the alarm for hourly intervals and make a note of how far you have come within that time. You can then make a note of your actual performance on your study plan and then compare your performance against your forecast. Then consider the reasons that have contributed towards your performance level, whether they are positive or negative and make a considered adjustment to your future forecasts as a result. Given time, you should start achieving your forecasts regularly.

With reference to time management: time yourself while you are studying and make a note of the actual time taken in your study plan; consider your successes with time-efficiency and the reasons for the success in each case and take this into consideration when reviewing future time planning; consider your failures with time-efficiency and the reasons for the failures in each case and take this into consideration when reviewing future time planning; re-evaluate your study forecast in relation to time planning for the remainder of your training program to ensure that you continue to be realistic about your time expectations. You need to be consistent with your time management, otherwise you will never complete your studies. This will either be because you are not contributing enough time to your studies, or you will become less efficient with the time that you do allocate to your studies. Remember, if you are not in control of your studies, they can just become yet another cause of stress for you.

With reference to your task management: time yourself while you are studying and make a note of the actual tasks that you have undertaken in your study plan; consider your successes with task-efficiency and the reasons for the success in each case; take this into consideration when reviewing future task planning; consider your failures with task-efficiency and the reasons for the failures in each case and take this into consideration when reviewing future task planning; re-evaluate your study forecast in relation to task planning for the remainder of your training program to ensure that you continue to be realistic about your task expectations. You need to be consistent with your task management, otherwise you will never know whether you are achieving your program objectives or not.

Keeping in touch

You will have access to qualified and experienced professors and tutors who are responsible for providing tutorial support for your particular training program. So don’t be shy about letting them know how you are getting on. We keep electronic records of all tutorial support emails so that professors and tutors can review previous correspondence before considering an individual response. It also means that there is a record of all communications between you and your professors and tutors and this helps to avoid any unnecessary duplication, misunderstanding, or misinterpretation. If you have a problem relating to the program, share it with them via email. It is likely that they have come across the same problem before and are usually able to make helpful suggestions and steer you in the right direction. To learn more about when and how to use tutorial support, please refer to the Tutorial Support section of this student information guide. This will help you to ensure that you are making the most of tutorial support that is available to you and will ultimately contribute towards your success and enjoyment with your training program.

Work colleagues and family

You should certainly discuss your program study progress with your colleagues, friends and your family. Appleton Greene training programs are very practical. They require you to seek information from other people, to plan, develop and implement processes with other people and to achieve feedback from other people in relation to viability and productivity. You will therefore have plenty of opportunities to test your ideas and enlist the views of others. People tend to be sympathetic towards distance-learners, so don’t bottle it all up in yourself. Get out there and share it! It is also likely that your family and colleagues are going to benefit from your labors with the program, so they are likely to be much more interested in being involved than you might think. Be bold about delegating work to those who might benefit themselves. This is a great way to achieve understanding and commitment from people who you may later rely upon for process implementation. Share your experiences with your friends and family.

Making it relevant

The key to successful learning is to make it relevant to your own individual circumstances. At all times you should be trying to make bridges between the content of the program and your own situation. Whether you achieve this through quiet reflection or through interactive discussion with your colleagues, client partners or your family, remember that it is the most important and rewarding aspect of translating your studies into real self-improvement. You should be clear about how you want the program to benefit you. This involves setting clear study objectives in relation to the content of the course in terms of understanding, concepts, completing research or reviewing activities and relating the content of the modules to your own situation. Your objectives may understandably change as you work through the program, in which case you should enter the revised objectives on your study plan so that you have a permanent reminder of what you are trying to achieve, when and why.

Distance-learning check-list

Prepare your study environment, your study tools and rules.
Undertake detailed self-assessment in terms of your ability as a learner.
Create a format for your study plan.
Consider your study objectives and tasks.
Create a study forecast.
Assess your study performance.
Re-evaluate your study forecast.
Be consistent when managing your study plan.
Use your Appleton Greene Certified Learning Provider (CLP) for tutorial support.
Make sure you keep in touch with those around you.

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Tutorial Support

Programs

Appleton Greene uses standard and bespoke corporate training programs as vessels to transfer business process improvement knowledge into the heart of our clients’ organizations. Each individual program focuses upon the implementation of a specific business process, which enables clients to easily quantify their return on investment. There are hundreds of established Appleton Greene corporate training products now available to clients within customer services, e-business, finance, globalization, human resources, information technology, legal, management, marketing and production. It does not matter whether a client’s employees are located within one office, or an unlimited number of international offices, we can still bring them together to learn and implement specific business processes collectively. Our approach to global localization enables us to provide clients with a truly international service with that all important personal touch. Appleton Greene corporate training programs can be provided virtually or locally and they are all unique in that they individually focus upon a specific business function. They are implemented over a sustainable period of time and professional support is consistently provided by qualified learning providers and specialist consultants.

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Support available

You will have a designated Certified Learning Provider (CLP) and an Accredited Consultant and we encourage you to communicate with them as much as possible. In all cases tutorial support is provided online because we can then keep a record of all communications to ensure that tutorial support remains consistent. You would also be forwarding your work to the tutorial support unit for evaluation and assessment. You will receive individual feedback on all of the work that you undertake on a one-to-one basis, together with specific recommendations for anything that may need to be changed in order to achieve a pass with merit or a pass with distinction and you then have as many opportunities as you may need to re-submit project studies until they meet with the required standard. Consequently the only reason that you should really fail (CLP) is if you do not do the work. It makes no difference to us whether a student takes 12 months or 18 months to complete the program, what matters is that in all cases the same quality standard will have been achieved.

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Support Process

Please forward all of your future emails to the designated (CLP) Tutorial Support Unit email address that has been provided and please do not duplicate or copy your emails to other AGC email accounts as this will just cause unnecessary administration. Please note that emails are always answered as quickly as possible but you will need to allow a period of up to 20 business days for responses to general tutorial support emails during busy periods, because emails are answered strictly within the order in which they are received. You will also need to allow a period of up to 30 business days for the evaluation and assessment of project studies. This does not include weekends or public holidays. Please therefore kindly allow for this within your time planning. All communications are managed online via email because it enables tutorial service support managers to review other communications which have been received before responding and it ensures that there is a copy of all communications retained on file for future reference. All communications will be stored within your personal (CLP) study file here at Appleton Greene throughout your designated study period. If you need any assistance or clarification at any time, please do not hesitate to contact us by forwarding an email and remember that we are here to help. If you have any questions, please list and number your questions succinctly and you can then be sure of receiving specific answers to each and every query.

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Time Management

It takes approximately 1 Year to complete the Cultivating Potential corporate training program, incorporating 12 x 6-hour monthly workshops. Each student will also need to contribute approximately 4 hours per week over 1 Year of their personal time. Students can study from home or work at their own pace and are responsible for managing their own study plan. There are no formal examinations and students are evaluated and assessed based upon their project study submissions, together with the quality of their internal analysis and supporting documents. They can contribute more time towards study when they have the time to do so and can contribute less time when they are busy. All students tend to be in full time employment while studying and the Cultivating Potential program is purposely designed to accommodate this, so there is plenty of flexibility in terms of time management. It makes no difference to us at Appleton Greene, whether individuals take 12-18 months to complete this program. What matters is that in all cases the same standard of quality will have been achieved with the standard and bespoke programs that have been developed.

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Distance Learning Guide

The distance learning guide should be your first port of call when starting your training program. It will help you when you are planning how and when to study, how to create the right environment and how to establish the right frame of mind. If you can lay the foundations properly during the planning stage, then it will contribute to your enjoyment and productivity while training later. The guide helps to change your lifestyle in order to accommodate time for study and to cultivate good study habits. It helps you to chart your progress so that you can measure your performance and achieve your goals. It explains the tools that you will need for study and how to make them work. It also explains how to translate academic theory into practical reality. Spend some time now working through your distance learning guide and make sure that you have firm foundations in place so that you can make the most of your distance learning program. There is no requirement for you to attend training workshops or classes at Appleton Greene offices. The entire program is undertaken online, program course manuals and project studies are administered via the Appleton Greene web site and via email, so you are able to study at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home or office as long as you have a computer and access to the internet.

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How To Study

The how to study guide provides students with a clear understanding of the Appleton Greene facilitation via distance learning training methods and enables students to obtain a clear overview of the training program content. It enables students to understand the step-by-step training methods used by Appleton Greene and how course manuals are integrated with project studies. It explains the research and development that is required and the need to provide evidence and references to support your statements. It also enables students to understand precisely what will be required of them in order to achieve a pass with merit and a pass with distinction for individual project studies and provides useful guidance on how to be innovative and creative when developing your Unique Program Proposition (UPP).

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Tutorial Support

Tutorial support for the Appleton Greene Cultivating Potential corporate training program is provided online either through the Appleton Greene Client Support Portal (CSP), or via email. All tutorial support requests are facilitated by a designated Program Administration Manager (PAM). They are responsible for deciding which professor or tutor is the most appropriate option relating to the support required and then the tutorial support request is forwarded onto them. Once the professor or tutor has completed the tutorial support request and answered any questions that have been asked, this communication is then returned to the student via email by the designated Program Administration Manager (PAM). This enables all tutorial support, between students, professors and tutors, to be facilitated by the designated Program Administration Manager (PAM) efficiently and securely through the email account. You will therefore need to allow a period of up to 20 business days for responses to general support queries and up to 30 business days for the evaluation and assessment of project studies, because all tutorial support requests are answered strictly within the order in which they are received. This does not include weekends or public holidays. Consequently you need to put some thought into the management of your tutorial support procedure in order to ensure that your study plan is feasible and to obtain the maximum possible benefit from tutorial support during your period of study. Please retain copies of your tutorial support emails for future reference. Please ensure that ALL of your tutorial support emails are set out using the format as suggested within your guide to tutorial support. Your tutorial support emails need to be referenced clearly to the specific part of the course manual or project study which you are working on at any given time. You also need to list and number any questions that you would like to ask, up to a maximum of five questions within each tutorial support email. Remember the more specific you can be with your questions the more specific your answers will be too and this will help you to avoid any unnecessary misunderstanding, misinterpretation, or duplication. The guide to tutorial support is intended to help you to understand how and when to use support in order to ensure that you get the most out of your training program. Appleton Greene training programs are designed to enable you to do things for yourself. They provide you with a structure or a framework and we use tutorial support to facilitate students while they practically implement what they learn. In other words, we are enabling students to do things for themselves. The benefits of distance learning via facilitation are considerable and are much more sustainable in the long-term than traditional short-term knowledge sharing programs. Consequently you should learn how and when to use tutorial support so that you can maximize the benefits from your learning experience with Appleton Greene. This guide describes the purpose of each training function and how to use them and how to use tutorial support in relation to each aspect of the training program. It also provides useful tips and guidance with regard to best practice.

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Tutorial Support Tips

Students are often unsure about how and when to use tutorial support with Appleton Greene. This Tip List will help you to understand more about how to achieve the most from using tutorial support. Refer to it regularly to ensure that you are continuing to use the service properly. Tutorial support is critical to the success of your training experience, but it is important to understand when and how to use it in order to maximize the benefit that you receive. It is no coincidence that those students who succeed are those that learn how to be positive, proactive and productive when using tutorial support.

Be positive and friendly with your tutorial support emails

Remember that if you forward an email to the tutorial support unit, you are dealing with real people. “Do unto others as you would expect others to do unto you”. If you are positive, complimentary and generally friendly in your emails, you will generate a similar response in return. This will be more enjoyable, productive and rewarding for you in the long-term.

Think about the impression that you want to create

Every time that you communicate, you create an impression, which can be either positive or negative, so put some thought into the impression that you want to create. Remember that copies of all tutorial support emails are stored electronically and tutors will always refer to prior correspondence before responding to any current emails. Over a period of time, a general opinion will be arrived at in relation to your character, attitude and ability. Try to manage your own frustrations, mood swings and temperament professionally, without involving the tutorial support team. Demonstrating frustration or a lack of patience is a weakness and will be interpreted as such. The good thing about communicating in writing, is that you will have the time to consider your content carefully, you can review it and proof-read it before sending your email to Appleton Greene and this should help you to communicate more professionally, consistently and to avoid any unnecessary knee-jerk reactions to individual situations as and when they may arise. Please also remember that the CLP Tutorial Support Unit will not just be responsible for evaluating and assessing the quality of your work, they will also be responsible for providing recommendations to other learning providers and to client contacts within the Appleton Greene global client network, so do be in control of your own emotions and try to create a good impression.

Remember that quality is preferred to quantity

Please remember that when you send an email to the tutorial support team, you are not using Twitter or Text Messaging. Try not to forward an email every time that you have a thought. This will not prove to be productive either for you or for the tutorial support team. Take time to prepare your communications properly, as if you were writing a professional letter to a business colleague and make a list of queries that you are likely to have and then incorporate them within one email, say once every month, so that the tutorial support team can understand more about context, application and your methodology for study. Get yourself into a consistent routine with your tutorial support requests and use the tutorial support template provided with ALL of your emails. The (CLP) Tutorial Support Unit will not spoon-feed you with information. They need to be able to evaluate and assess your tutorial support requests carefully and professionally.

Be specific about your questions in order to receive specific answers

Try not to write essays by thinking as you are writing tutorial support emails. The tutorial support unit can be unclear about what in fact you are asking, or what you are looking to achieve. Be specific about asking questions that you want answers to. Number your questions. You will then receive specific answers to each and every question. This is the main purpose of tutorial support via email.

Keep a record of your tutorial support emails

It is important that you keep a record of all tutorial support emails that are forwarded to you. You can then refer to them when necessary and it avoids any unnecessary duplication, misunderstanding, or misinterpretation.

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Individual training workshops or telephone support

Please be advised that Appleton Greene does not provide separate or individual tutorial support meetings, workshops, or provide telephone support for individual students. Appleton Greene is an equal opportunities learning and service provider and we are therefore understandably bound to treat all students equally. We cannot therefore broker special financial or study arrangements with individual students regardless of the circumstances. All tutorial support is provided online and this enables Appleton Greene to keep a record of all communications between students, professors and tutors on file for future reference, in accordance with our quality management procedure and your terms and conditions of enrolment. All tutorial support is provided online via email because it enables us to have time to consider support content carefully, it ensures that you receive a considered and detailed response to your queries. You can number questions that you would like to ask, which relate to things that you do not understand or where clarification may be required. You can then be sure of receiving specific answers to each individual query. You will also then have a record of these communications and of all tutorial support, which has been provided to you. This makes tutorial support administration more productive by avoiding any unnecessary duplication, misunderstanding, or misinterpretation.

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Tutorial Support Email Format

You should use this tutorial support format if you need to request clarification or assistance while studying with your training program. Please note that ALL of your tutorial support request emails should use the same format. You should therefore set up a standard email template, which you can then use as and when you need to. Emails that are forwarded to Appleton Greene, which do not use the following format, may be rejected and returned to you by the (CLP) Program Administration Manager. A detailed response will then be forwarded to you via email usually within 20 business days of receipt for general support queries and 30 business days for the evaluation and assessment of project studies. This does not include weekends or public holidays. Your tutorial support request, together with the corresponding TSU reply, will then be saved and stored within your electronic TSU file at Appleton Greene for future reference.

Subject line of your email

Please insert: Appleton Greene (CLP) Tutorial Support Request: (Your Full Name) (Date), within the subject line of your email.

Main body of your email

Please insert:
1. Appleton Greene Certified Learning Provider (CLP) Tutorial Support Request
2. Your Full Name
3. Date of TS request
4. Preferred email address
5. Backup email address
6. Course manual page name or number (reference)
7. Project study page name or number (reference)

Subject of enquiry
Please insert a maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)
Briefly outline the subject matter of your inquiry, or what your questions relate to.

Question 1

Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)

Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)

Question 3

Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)

Question 4

Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)

Question 5

Maximum of 50 words (please be succinct)

Please note that a maximum of 5 questions is permitted with each individual tutorial support request email.

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Procedure

* List the questions that you want to ask first, then re-arrange them in order of priority. Make sure that you reference them, where necessary, to the course manuals or project studies.
* Make sure that you are specific about your questions and number them. Try to plan the content within your emails to make sure that it is relevant.
* Make sure that your tutorial support emails are set out correctly, using the Tutorial Support Email Format provided here.
* Save a copy of your email and incorporate the date sent after the subject title. Keep your tutorial support emails within the same file and in date order for easy reference.
* Allow up to 20 business days for a response to general tutorial support emails and up to 30 business days for the evaluation and assessment of project studies, because detailed individual responses will be made in all cases and tutorial support emails are answered strictly within the order in which they are received.
* Emails can and do get lost. So if you have not received a reply within the appropriate time, forward another copy or a reminder to the tutorial support unit to be sure that it has been received but do not forward reminders unless the appropriate time has elapsed.
* When you receive a reply, save it immediately featuring the date of receipt after the subject heading for easy reference. In most cases the tutorial support unit replies to your questions individually, so you will have a record of the questions that you asked as well as the answers offered. With project studies however, separate emails are usually forwarded by the tutorial support unit, so do keep a record of your own original emails as well.
* Remember to be positive and friendly in your emails. You are dealing with real people who will respond to the same things that you respond to.
* Try not to repeat questions that have already been asked in previous emails. If this happens the tutorial support unit will probably just refer you to the appropriate answers that have already been provided within previous emails.
* If you lose your tutorial support email records you can write to Appleton Greene to receive a copy of your tutorial support file, but a separate administration charge may be levied for this service.

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How To Study

Your Certified Learning Provider (CLP) and Accredited Consultant can help you to plan a task list for getting started so that you can be clear about your direction and your priorities in relation to your training program. It is also a good way to introduce yourself to the tutorial support team.

Planning your study environment

Your study conditions are of great importance and will have a direct effect on how much you enjoy your training program. Consider how much space you will have, whether it is comfortable and private and whether you are likely to be disturbed. The study tools and facilities at your disposal are also important to the success of your distance-learning experience. Your tutorial support unit can help with useful tips and guidance, regardless of your starting position. It is important to get this right before you start working on your training program.

Planning your program objectives

It is important that you have a clear list of study objectives, in order of priority, before you start working on your training program. Your tutorial support unit can offer assistance here to ensure that your study objectives have been afforded due consideration and priority.

Planning how and when to study

Distance-learners are freed from the necessity of attending regular classes, since they can study in their own way, at their own pace and for their own purposes. This approach is designed to let you study efficiently away from the traditional classroom environment. It is important however, that you plan how and when to study, so that you are making the most of your natural attributes, strengths and opportunities. Your tutorial support unit can offer assistance and useful tips to ensure that you are playing to your strengths.

Planning your study tasks

You should have a clear understanding of the study tasks that you should be undertaking and the priority associated with each task. These tasks should also be integrated with your program objectives. The distance learning guide and the guide to tutorial support for students should help you here, but if you need any clarification or assistance, please contact your tutorial support unit.

Planning your time

You will need to allocate specific times during your calendar when you intend to study if you are to have a realistic chance of completing your program on time. You are responsible for planning and managing your own study time, so it is important that you are successful with this. Your tutorial support unit can help you with this if your time plan is not working.

Keeping in touch

Consistency is the key here. If you communicate too frequently in short bursts, or too infrequently with no pattern, then your management ability with your studies will be questioned, both by you and by your tutorial support unit. It is obvious when a student is in control and when one is not and this will depend how able you are at sticking with your study plan. Inconsistency invariably leads to in-completion.

Charting your progress

Your tutorial support team can help you to chart your own study progress. Refer to your distance learning guide for further details.

Making it work

To succeed, all that you will need to do is apply yourself to undertaking your training program and interpreting it correctly. Success or failure lies in your hands and your hands alone, so be sure that you have a strategy for making it work. Your Certified Learning Provider (CLP) and Accredited Consultant can guide you through the process of program planning, development and implementation.

Reading methods

Interpretation is often unique to the individual but it can be improved and even quantified by implementing consistent interpretation methods. Interpretation can be affected by outside interference such as family members, TV, or the Internet, or simply by other thoughts which are demanding priority in our minds. One thing that can improve our productivity is using recognized reading methods. This helps us to focus and to be more structured when reading information for reasons of importance, rather than relaxation.

Speed reading

When reading through course manuals for the first time, subconsciously set your reading speed to be just fast enough that you cannot dwell on individual words or tables. With practice, you should be able to read an A4 sheet of paper in one minute. You will not achieve much in the way of a detailed understanding, but your brain will retain a useful overview. This overview will be important later on and will enable you to keep individual issues in perspective with a more generic picture because speed reading appeals to the memory part of the brain. Do not worry about what you do or do not remember at this stage.

Content reading

Once you have speed read everything, you can then start work in earnest. You now need to read a particular section of your course manual thoroughly, by making detailed notes while you read. This process is called Content Reading and it will help to consolidate your understanding and interpretation of the information that has been provided.

Making structured notes on the course manuals

When you are content reading, you should be making detailed notes, which are both structured and informative. Make these notes in a MS Word document on your computer, because you can then amend and update these as and when you deem it to be necessary. List your notes under three headings: 1. Interpretation – 2. Questions – 3. Tasks. The purpose of the 1st section is to clarify your interpretation by writing it down. The purpose of the 2nd section is to list any questions that the issue raises for you. The purpose of the 3rd section is to list any tasks that you should undertake as a result. Anyone who has graduated with a business-related degree should already be familiar with this process.

Organizing structured notes separately

You should then transfer your notes to a separate study notebook, preferably one that enables easy referencing, such as a MS Word Document, a MS Excel Spreadsheet, a MS Access Database, or a personal organizer on your cell phone. Transferring your notes allows you to have the opportunity of cross-checking and verifying them, which assists considerably with understanding and interpretation. You will also find that the better you are at doing this, the more chance you will have of ensuring that you achieve your study objectives.

Question your understanding

Do challenge your understanding. Explain things to yourself in your own words by writing things down.

Clarifying your understanding

If you are at all unsure, forward an email to your tutorial support unit and they will help to clarify your understanding.

Question your interpretation

Do challenge your interpretation. Qualify your interpretation by writing it down.

Clarifying your interpretation

If you are at all unsure, forward an email to your tutorial support unit and they will help to clarify your interpretation.

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Qualification Requirements

The student will need to successfully complete the project study and all of the exercises relating to the Cultivating Potential corporate training program, achieving a pass with merit or distinction in each case, in order to qualify as an Accredited Cultivating Potential Specialist (ACPS). All monthly workshops need to be tried and tested within your company. These project studies can be completed in your own time and at your own pace and in the comfort of your own home or office. There are no formal examinations, assessment is based upon the successful completion of the project studies. They are called project studies because, unlike case studies, these projects are not theoretical, they incorporate real program processes that need to be properly researched and developed. The project studies assist us in measuring your understanding and interpretation of the training program and enable us to assess qualification merits. All of the project studies are based entirely upon the content within the training program and they enable you to integrate what you have learnt into your corporate training practice.

Cultivating Potential – Grading Contribution

Project Study – Grading Contribution

Customer Service – 10%
E-business – 05%
Finance – 10%
Globalization – 10%
Human Resources – 10%
Information Technology – 10%
Legal – 05%
Management – 10%
Marketing – 10%
Production – 10%
Education – 05%
Logistics – 05%
TOTAL GRADING – 100%

Qualification grades

A mark of 90% = Pass with Distinction.
A mark of 75% = Pass with Merit.
A mark of less than 75% = Fail.
If you fail to achieve a mark of 75% with a project study, you will receive detailed feedback from the Certified Learning Provider (CLP) and/or Accredited Consultant, together with a list of tasks which you will need to complete, in order to ensure that your project study meets with the minimum quality standard that is required by Appleton Greene. You can then re-submit your project study for further evaluation and assessment. Indeed you can re-submit as many drafts of your project studies as you need to, until such a time as they eventually meet with the required standard by Appleton Greene, so you need not worry about this, it is all part of the learning process.

When marking project studies, Appleton Greene is looking for sufficient evidence of the following:

Pass with merit

A satisfactory level of program understanding
A satisfactory level of program interpretation
A satisfactory level of project study content presentation
A satisfactory level of Unique Program Proposition (UPP) quality
A satisfactory level of the practical integration of academic theory

Pass with distinction

An exceptional level of program understanding
An exceptional level of program interpretation
An exceptional level of project study content presentation
An exceptional level of Unique Program Proposition (UPP) quality
An exceptional level of the practical integration of academic theory

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Preliminary Analysis

Before taking part in workshop 3, set your intentions for what you want to gain from Promoting Positivity

The articles and studies below will provide you with some background information for the topics that we will be covering.

Online Article

“Life Satisfaction Theory and 4 Contributing Factors

6 Nov 2018 by Courtney E. Ackerman, MA., Positivepsychology.com

If you’re a bit confused about the many, many terms being thrown around related to happiness, wellbeing, and life satisfaction, you’re not alone!

There are so many ways to talk about this topic in positive psychology that it’s easy to get bogged down in ambiguity.

For laymen and those not involved in positive psychology research, the terms may seem interchangeable. However, there is a difference between these three terms and the constructs they represent.

If you’re interested in finding out exactly how they differ—and why life satisfaction is such an important topic in positive psychology—you’ve come to the right place.

Read on to learn more!

Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free. These science-based exercises will explore fundamental aspects of positive psychology including strengths, values, and self-compassion, and will give you the tools to enhance the wellbeing of your clients, students, or employees.

What is the Meaning of Life Satisfaction?

Life satisfaction is a bit more complex than it seems; the term is sometimes used interchangeably with happiness, but they are indeed two separate concepts. Life satisfaction is the evaluation of one’s life as a whole, not simply one’s current level of happiness.

There are a few different working definitions of life satisfaction, including wellbeing and life satisfaction researcher Ed Diener’s:

“[A]n overall assessment of feelings and attitudes about one’s life at a particular point in time ranging from negative to positive.” – (Buetell, 2006)

Another popular definition of life satisfaction comes from another highly regarded life satisfaction scholar, Ruut Veenhoven:

“Life satisfaction is the degree to which a person positively evaluates the overall quality of his/her life as a whole. In other words, how much the person likes the life he/she leads.” – (1996)

Finally, Ellison and colleagues define life satisfaction as:

“[A] cognitive assessment of an underlying state thought to be relatively consistent and influenced by social factors.” – (1989)

Although there are small differences between the definitions, the underlying idea is the same: life satisfaction refers to an individual’s overall feelings about his or her life. In other words, life satisfaction is a global evaluation rather than one that is grounded at any specific point in time or in any specific domain.

Is There a Difference Between Happiness and Life Satisfaction?

Although related, happiness and life satisfaction are not the same thing.

Happiness is an immediate, in-the-moment experience; although enjoyable, it is ultimately fleeting. A healthy life certainly includes moments of happiness, but happiness alone usually does not make for a fulfilling and satisfying life.

According to Daniel Gilbert, professor of Psychology at Harvard University, the meaning of happiness is “anything we pleased” (Gilbert, 2009). It is a more transitory construct than life satisfaction, and can be triggered by any of a huge number of events, activities, or thoughts.

Life satisfaction is not only more stable and long-lived than happiness, it is also broader in scope. It is our general feeling about our life and how pleased we are with how it’s going. There are many factors that contribute to life satisfaction from a number of domains, including work, romantic relationships, relationships with family and friends, personal development, health and wellness, and others.

Another difference between happiness and life satisfaction is that the latter is not based on criterion that researchers deem to be important, but instead on your own cognitive judgments of the factors that you consider to be most valuable.

This is also the main difference between wellbeing and life satisfaction; there are many scales that produce great measures of a person’s wellbeing, but wellbeing is generally more strictly defined and based on specific variables.

One of the most popular theories of wellbeing is the PERMA model developed by Martin Seligman, one of the “founding fathers” of positive psychology (Seligman, 2011). His model is based on the idea that there are five main factors that contribute to wellbeing: Positive emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishments.

This model successfully explains differences in wellbeing, but it often fails to truly capture life satisfaction because it is more objective and less customizable based on what each individual values.

Life satisfaction measures are generally subjective, or based on the variables that an individual finds personally important in their own life. Your life satisfaction will not be determined based on a factor that you don’t actually find personally meaningful.

You may also hear another term tossed about with life satisfaction and happiness: quality of life. Quality of life is another measure of satisfaction or wellbeing, but it is associated with living conditions like the amount and quality of food, the state of one’s health, and the quality of one’s shelter (Veenhoven, 1996).

Again, the difference between this related variable and life satisfaction is that life satisfaction is subjective and more inherently emotional. Someone who is homeless or terminally ill may well have a higher life satisfaction than a wealthy person in good health, because they may place importance on a very different set of variables than those involved in quality of life.

Life Satisfaction Theory and Psychology

There are two main types of theories about life satisfaction:

1. Bottom-up theories: life satisfaction as a result of satisfaction in the many domains of life.

2. Top-down theories: life satisfaction as an influencer of domain-specific satisfaction (Heady, Veenhoven, & Wearing, 1991).

Bottom-up theories hold that we experience satisfaction in many domains of life, like work, relationships, family and friends, personal development, and health and fitness. Our satisfaction with our lives in these areas combines to create our overall life satisfaction.

On the other hand, top-down theories state that our overall life satisfaction influences (or even determines) our life satisfaction in the many different domains. This debate is ongoing, but for most people it is enough to know that overall life satisfaction and satisfaction in the multiple domains of life are closely related.

The theories and discussions that are drawing more interest are those about how the mechanism of evaluating one’s life works. How do we decide that we are satisfied with our lives? How do we determine that we are not?

Researcher Jussi Suikkanen’s theory of life satisfaction is an intriguing one: a person is satisfied with her life when “a more informed and rational hypothetical version of her” would judge that her life fulfills her ideal life-plan (2011). This theory avoids one of the main issues that plagues the simpler version of this theory—that a person is happy when she judges that her life fulfills her ideal life-plan.

The reason this simpler version of the theory fails to truly capture life satisfaction is that it could inappropriately indicate life satisfaction in a person who is only temporarily or spontaneously happy but does not make any effort to consider how her life is going (Suikkanen, 2011). There’s certainly nothing wrong with being spontaneously happy, but it takes more than just feeling momentarily happy to have life satisfaction!”

To continue reading this article, please visit: www.positivepsychology.com

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Online Article

“3 Scientific Studies That Prove the Power of Positive Thinking

Three studies in peer reviewed journals found that positive thinking is good for the immune system, reduces anxiety, and increases positive emotions such as happiness. Positive thinking has been shown to be particularly beneficial when you are going ‘through the wire.’ When your life feels completely out of control, this powerful habit can set into motion a chain of events over which you have complete and total control. For example, positive thinking triggers positive emotions such as joy, interest, contentment, pride, and love.

Joy, for instance, creates the urge to play, be creative and push limits. Contentment triggers the urge to savor the present and integrate current circumstances into new views of self and the world. Through the assistance of positive emotions, people who think positively in challenging circumstances are more likely to take actions that build resources, healthy coping skills, and resilience.

What is positive thinking?

Positive thinking does not mean that you stick your head in the sand or view the world through rose colored glasses. Positive thinking encompasses the mental attitude of optimism, which searches for favorable outcomes in all situations. It relies on the emotional state of hope, which looks past the current circumstance and supports the building of emotional, social, and other resources for positive action.

Positive thinkers make the best out every situation, focusing on what they can control, letting go what they cannot, and search for ways to improve the situation and lessons to learn.

Good health: Why it pays to think positively

Opinions differ on what constitutes a good life, but no one dreams up a ‘living my best life’ scenario where her mental or physical health is on the decline. Here are the numbers to prove it: according to the Global Wellness Institute, the global health and wellness industry is now worth $4.2 trillion, and represents 5.3% of global economic output. The top four trends driving the growth of the health and wellness industry are clean eating, wearable devices, wellness tourism, and Amazon.com — the consumers’ top choice for skin care and supplements.

The numbers show that for most part, people tend to care about their health and are increasingly willing to pay to make it better. But why run after the latest gadget or wellness escape when research has proven that people who think positively are happier, healthier and live longer? One plausible reason is that positive thinking doesn’t always come naturally and is often not taught. The good news is that it’s not too late to learn how think positively and reap the benefits.

While practicing positive thinking can seem more difficult than filling up your shopping cart with feel-good-quick consumer goods, the results of positive thinking are well worth the effort. Research has found that positive thinking can aid in stress management and even plays an important role in overall health and well-being.

Study 1: Negative thinking signals the body’s immune response. A positive attitude can improve your immune system.

A meta-analysis of more than 300 studies covering 30 years of inquiry into the relationship between stress and the immune system found that stressful events can change immune system functioning. The type and duration of stress determines the type of change that occurs. Acute time-limited stress, such as public speaking or mental math, triggered an adapted boost of natural immunity that accommodates for the “flight or fight” response. Brief naturalist stressors, such as taking an exam, resulted in a shift in immune system function that mediates and regulates immunity, inflammation, and the process through which the body manufactures blood cells.

Chronic stress is an emotional pressure suffered for a prolonged period of time in which an individual perceives they have little or no control. It involves an endocrine system response in which corticosteroids are released. Such stress can include unemployment, traumatic injuries, chronic illness, or situations in which a person’s social identity is forcefully changed — e.g. being a caretaker for a loved one who falls ill. Across all demographics, researchers found that chronic stress triggered global immunosuppression — which is a decrease of almost all functioning immunity.

Science confirms what we already know. Stress is no bueno! But what’s the role of positive thinking? The researchers included a meta-analysis of global stress appraisals and intrusive thoughts of people in the middle of a stressor, which happened a year or less before immune assessments, or was currently living with a chronic stressor.

People who assessed their lives as ‘stressful’ or reported intrusive negative thoughts had a significant reduction in natural killer cells — whose job is to target and eliminate virus and tumor infected cells.

Key takeaway: These findings suggest that a person’s attitude toward a stressor may be a factor in immune response. But first, let’s all take a collective moment to gaze inward at our immune systems and cry: et tu, Brute? When we’re feeling low, and in desperate need all of our cells to rally, the immune system is standing on the sidelines waiting to hear from our playbook. There’s always good news wrapped up in the bad news. Since nearly all stress is self-reported, you are in control of what your immune system hears. Once again, is your glass half-empty or half-full? It’s no wonder that the self love movement leads with positive self talk. Indeed, if the molecules in your immune system respond to your thought patterns, it’s time to advance the practice of positive self talk to the top of our to-do lists.

Study 2: Positive thinking reduces anxiety. Visualizations and positive self talk reduces negative thinking and intrusive thoughts.

In this study, researchers from Kings College in London worked with 102 subjects diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, to determine whether positive visualization could supplant intrusive negative thoughts.

Participants were randomly assigned to three interventions: (i) practice in generating mental images of positive outcomes to worry topics ; (ii) practice in generating verbal descriptions of positive worry-related outcomes; or (iii) practice in generating positive images unrelated to any current concerns.

The main finding was that all three groups showed significant reductions in negative intrusions, with an insignificant reported difference between the three. All participants reported less worry and anxiety. Thus, it seems that replacing the usual flow of verbal worry with any alternative positive ideation was the factor behind observed changes.

Key takeaway: These findings suggest that any form of positive thinking is better than allowing negative thoughts to run amok. This is critical in that strong, negative emotions can last hours, sometimes days — putting our bodies in a heightened chemical state. Research finds that anxiety is an emotion that can last up to four hours. On the other hand it’s been shown that persistently thinking about a positive event lengthens feelings of joy, which can last up to six hours. Since the subconscious brain can’t tell the difference between what’s real and what’s imagined, visualizing positive events might be the scientific equivalent of a magic bullet that simultaneously reduces worry and increases joy.”

To continue reading this article, please visit: www.medium.com

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Online Study

“How power of positive thinking works

By Karen Feldscher, Harvard Chan School Communications,
December 7, 2016

This study looks at mechanics of optimism in reducing risk of dying prematurely.

Having an optimistic outlook on life — a general expectation that good things will happen — may help people live longer, according to a new study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

The study found that women who were optimistic had a significantly reduced risk of dying from several major causes of death — including cancer, heart disease, stroke, respiratory disease, and infection — over an eight-year period, compared with women who were less optimistic.

The study appears online today in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

“While most medical and public health efforts today focus on reducing risk factors for diseases, evidence has been mounting that enhancing psychological resilience may also make a difference,” said Eric Kim, research fellow in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and co-lead author of the study. “Our new findings suggest that we should make efforts to boost optimism, which has been shown to be associated with healthier behaviors and healthier ways of coping with life challenges.”

The study also found that healthy behaviors only partially explain the link between optimism and reduced mortality risk. One other possibility is that higher optimism directly impacts our biological systems, Kim said.

The study analyzed data from 2004 to 2012 from 70,000 women enrolled in the Nurses’ Health Study, a long-running study tracking women’s health via surveys every two years. They looked at participants’ levels of optimism and other factors that might play a role in how optimism may affect mortality risk, such as race, high blood pressure, diet, and physical activity.

The most optimistic women (the top quartile) had a nearly 30 percent lower risk of dying from any of the diseases analyzed in the study compared with the least optimistic (the bottom quartile), the study found. The most optimistic women had a 16 percent lower risk of dying from cancer; 38 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease; 39 percent lower risk of dying from stroke; 38 percent lower risk of dying from respiratory disease; and 52 percent lower risk of dying from infection.

While other studies have linked optimism with reduced risk of early death from cardiovascular problems, this was the first to find a link between optimism and reduced risk from other major causes.

“Previous studies have shown that optimism can be altered with relatively uncomplicated and low-cost interventions — even something as simple as having people write down and think about the best possible outcomes for various areas of their lives, such as careers or friendships,” said postdoctoral research fellow Kaitlin Hagan, co-lead author of the study. “Encouraging use of these interventions could be an innovative way to enhance health in the future.”

Other Harvard Chan School authors of the study included Professor Francine Grodstein and Associate Professor Immaculata De Vivo, both in the Department of Epidemiology, and Laura Kubzansky, Lee Kum Kee Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and co-director of the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness. Harvard Medical School Assistant Professor Dawn DeMeo was also a co-author.

To view the original study, please visit: www.news.harvard.edu

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Course Manuals 1-12

Course Manual 1: What is Positivity?

Positivity and a Positive Frame of Mind

Being positive does not imply dismissing problems or negative experiences. It entails acknowledging them, learning from them, improving, and applying what you’ve learned.

Though you may face bad feelings and unpleasant situations while in this frame of mind, you will not lose your spirit or give up.

It is critical that you aim to have more happy thoughts and feelings than negative ones. The balance should favor optimism over negativity.

We hear a lot of unpleasant stories and news. We are enabling negativity to govern our lives if we allow them to infiltrate into our conscious and subconscious minds.

This occurs frequently as a result of the bad information that enters our minds and that we encounter in our daily lives, such as on television, in newspapers, and on the Internet. We should oppose bad information and not allow it to control our thoughts, feelings, and lives.

Negative news sells, which is why we see it so frequently and in so many places. Anger and anxiety are powerful emotions that are triggered by bad news. If we allow these feelings to surface in us, they will quickly snowball into massive avalanches that will harm our lives and the lives of everyone around us.

Negative emotions and thoughts spread quickly. We must resist them and keep a safe distance from them.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t listen to, read, or watch the news. I’m advising you to cut back on your consumption and make sure it doesn’t damage your mood. You should not let it consume your thoughts. Fill your mind with optimism, happy thoughts, and positive feelings instead.

How to Increase Positivity in Your Life

To combat negativity, you must make an effort to increase positivity in your life.

In this regard, a little more optimism, love, and cheerful thoughts might be beneficial. Every day, do something constructive to better your life and the lives of others. All of these will help you maintain a regular level of positivity in your life.

Every evening, sit down and consider what kinds of ideas and feelings you had over the day. Were your thoughts and emotions more good or negative? Consider what you can do tomorrow to boost your positivity.

You will have a greater understanding of what positivity is and how to boost it in your life as you fill your day with more constructive, optimistic, and pleasant ideas and feelings, as well as positive activities to make life better every day.

Examples of Positivity

Here are some positive instances. Use these examples to help you develop a positive mindset.

• “Even if I sometimes fail, I always give it my all.”

• “My parents were far from perfect, but they did their best.”

• “I’m so fortunate to have such wonderful friends and family.”

• “That tennis match was a blast.”

• “Everything will work out.”

• “This year, I’m looking forward to the holidays.”

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