Holiday Happiness?

Even though the holidays may bring on feelings of joy and happiness and celebration, for many, the holidays are the most difficult time of the year. Even if you tend toward optimism and love to celebrate at this time of year, you may secretly struggle with feelings of loss or stress, perhaps based on memories and experiences of years past.  Take time out this year to reflect on your relationships, past holiday experiences and your strengths.  Remind yourself of your strengths and be open to learning from your experiences.  Read through the strengths identified below, based on Seligman’s work on Positive Psychology.

Seligman’s work (Peterson and Seligman, 2004) proposes virtues and character strengths as a foundation for understanding the positive human experience.  Read through the virtues and strengths and identify the ones that are the closest match to your experience and self-knowledge.  Contemplate your strengths, how they support you and how they contribute to a more positive emotional experience.   Next week, I will discuss more on virtues, strengths and effective interventions for self growth and support.  For more information, go to the Happiness and Positive Psychology website:
http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/


Classification of Virtues and  Character Strengths (Peterson & Seligman, 2004)

1. Wisdom and knowledge
You resort to your cognitive strengths and like to learn and use knowledge.  There are times you think in a novel and creative way and turn this into productive outcomes.  You are curious and interested in ongoing experiences, are open minded by looking at things from all sides, like to master new skills, topics or areas of knowledge and you provide wise counsel to others.

2. Courage
You muster up emotional strengths that involve the exercise of will to accomplish your goals even in the face of opposition. You strive to be authentic, speak the truth and present yourself in a genuine way.  You don’t shrink from a challenge or threat, difficulty or pain and you are persistent and finish what you start.  You typically have a quality of excitement and energy in your life circumstances.

3. Humanity
You have strong interpersonal strengths that involve “tending and befriending” others. You enjoy being kind and doing favors and good deeds for others; you love and appreciate close relationships with others and you tend to be aware of the motives and feelings of self and others.

4. Justice
You feel strongly about precepts that underlie healthy community life and firmly believe in
treating all people the same according to notions of fairness and justice.  You use your leadership skills to organize group activities and see them to fruition.   You are a great team player.

5. Temperance
Your have strong  ability to protect yourself against excess; you forgive those who have wronged you, incorporate modesty into your experience by allowing your accomplishments to speak for you, you choose carefully by not saying or doing regretful things, you self-regulate your feelings and actions.

6. Transcendence
You rely on your inner experience that allows for forging connections to the larger universe and the meaning of human experience. You notice, and appreciate, beauty, nature, excellence, skill, art, performance in all areas of life.  You tap into gratitude and appreciation, expect the best and work at achieving it, like to laugh and bring smiles to others.   You have religious, spiritual beliefs about the higher purpose and meaning of life.

May today be the beginning of a Happier Holiday!

http://www.ppc.sas.upenn.edu/