Take Back Control

PERMAnently take back control of your future

Phil Larson

Phil Larson

Coaching for regular folks. Community and Business Activist, Team and Network Development, Community Pastor

In my recent workbook Strong Spiritual Mind Emotion, I did not have space enough to cover all key topics.

Positive psychology takes you through the countryside of pleasure and gratification, up into the high country of strength and virtue, and finally to the peaks of lasting fulfillment, meaning and purpose.

Seligman, 2002 Get a lot more in his book Flourish

This week, take a few moments to review your Positive Emotion habits.

The media, politics, religion, and wars are certainly not giving out many positive vibes. Yes, a balanced religion promotes positivity alongside correction of negatives. So does a balanced media and politic. I’m not sure wars can distribute much positivity, although when they ultimately provide security and protection, they can.

So what are your positive emotion habits?

For my question of the week, I asked, “What one thing that costs nothing makes you happy?”

Now happiness usually has a time limitation of effect. Continued application of positive happiness brings an underlying sense of joy and develops our resiliency against the negatives.

Again, what are your positive emotion habits?

Time with family?

Water sports?

Nature walks?

Golf?

Devotional reading ?

Meditation and mindfulness?

Exercise?

Positive affirmations?

Fishing?

Coffee shop with friends?

Notice, I exempt such typical items liking alcohol or marijuana or pornography. Yes those have become quite typical negative emotion builders that disguise as happiness. They don’t build, they assuage or mask and defer good emotions along with bad.

What is it that brings you happiness that costs you nothing and builds your joy long term?

That is a bigger question.

Sometimes, we derive happiness from accomplishment at our work or a sport. But what makes you happy even when you fail to hit the mark of accomplishment? That is something that feeds the soul in good times and bad.

Here’s the quick 3 minute video that popped up on the Meaningful Momentand provoked me this morning.