Positive Psychology—The Science of Validation
While traditional Psychology asks the question, “What’s wrong with a person?”, Positive Psychology asks “What’s right with a person?”
It’s true that Traditional Psychology has made great inroads through the years helping the mentally ill get well through the discovery and treatment of underlying issue(s). Nevertheless, developments in Positive Psychology have uncovered a vast amount of data that shed light on natural strengths, abilities and capacities that reveal human potential.
And, quite simply, the exercise of such internal resources have often lead to the many accomplishments revered and enjoyed by humankind.
One of the main focuses of Positive Psychology is to help a person recognize what they’re doing right so they can learn how to thrive. Looking at what a person is doing right and validating what’s actually working in their life can help them gain a greater sense of happiness and fulfillment.
“If It’s Not Broken…”
One of my college professors would frequently say, “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it!” It’s a simple truth, but if we’re not clear on what we are doing right, we may waste precious energy on things that need not be corrected. Once we recognize what’s working, then we can streamline our efforts and better manage our precious, finite supply of energy.
Positive Psychology is a resource that can help us to discover the power within so that—once tapped—has the capacity to yield optimal results through focused effort. By using evidence-based tools, we can look inward to discover the natural strengths and wisdom we’ve been blessed with, then learn to use them to our advantage in reaching our goals. And, when we are at our best, this often benefits those close to us!
What’s Important to You?
Once you’ve discovered your natural strengths through Positive Psychology assessment, you may wonder how to best utilize them. You may even ask yourself, “What goals should I set for myself?
Positive Psychology offers well-designed interventions that can help the individual gain clarity on their Values: For instance…
- What’s important to you?
- What do you value?
- What things in life inspire you to jump out of bed in the morning?
- What draws you in with an attraction that’s organic and authentic to you?
- What motivates you?
- What energizes you?
The Value of Alignment
Recently I was watching an episode of Shark Tank, a popular television show where entrepreneurs pitch to sharks (entrepreneurial investors) to try to persuade them to invest in their companies. The sharks are millionaires and billionaires looking for solid companies (with proven sales) created and run by dedicated entrepreneurs they can trust with their money and work with.
Near the end of her presentation, one entrepreneur said, “I can’t wait to get to my desk in the morning.” This was a woman who absolutely loves what she does! And, although she had acquired a considerable amount of debt to finance her company (which, by the way, is not recommended by the sharks), she was confident her business would start making a profit and thrive.
This entrepreneur loves what she’s doing and believes in it because it aligns with her values. Because her company is a health food product, she can feel good about contributing to the greater good. To make things all work out, she uses her natural strengths and willingly puts in the time and effort to make her business succeed. She does this with an authentically-fueled excitement, enthusiasm and hope because she is writing her own story—a story that she believes in! This story is close to her heart—one that is very meaningful to her because she is composing An Authentic Narrative!
Action that Creates Traction
The power of an authentic narrative gives a person fuel to reach their goal. It gives them the traction they need to stop “spinning their wheels” and actually start moving toward success. An Authentic Narrative creates Positive Emotions, which energize a person—making them resilient to setbacks and yielding the staying power to follow through.
This is not just positive thinking. This is acting wisely through utilizing the personal resources within you. By “using what you’ve got,” you can use positive thoughts to create positive feelings. Positive feelings help drive your thought processes and provide fuel to push you toward your goal. Also, learning to properly leverage your own personal resources within can contribute to your well-being. The key to success is not just going with the flow, it’s going with the “positive” flow—which is already in you, waiting to be tapped!
A Positive Psychology Life Coach can help Clients discover their Values and Signature Strengths, and help them to set goals that align with their Values and Strengths so they can write their own Authentic Narrative.
This not only enhances their chances for successfully reaching their goals, but it adds meaning and joy to their journey!
Yours in Thriving,
Tom Ligi, Positive Psychology Consultant & Resilience Coach
Author of 7 Steps to Self-Confidence