RT - positive psychology, signature strengths

Karen facilitated a couple of wonderful exercises on the topics of happiness and signature strengths.

The morning group discussed happiness and typical aspects of happy people. The afternoon group introduced signature strengths.

The positive psychology and signature strengths information found at www.authentichappiness.com. The handout used can be found at http://www.happinesshypothesis.com/strengths-self-rating-scale.doc.

The process today varied from the written instructions for identifying one's signature strengths. In our group the participants were instructed to just identify their top 5 signature strengths from the list; each participant was called upon to share their list of strengths and were asked to elaborate on (a) how they have expressed these strengths, and (b) looking to the future, will be using these strengths.

The positive nature of the activity made it very non threatening.

BLAISE PASCAL QUOTES

A few quotations attributed to Blaise Pascal (1623 – 1662) French mathematician, physicist and theologian:

People almost invariably arrive at their beliefs not on the basis of proof but on the basis of what they find attractive.

I would have written a shorter letter, but I did not have the time.

It is not permitted to the most equitable of men to be a judge in his own cause.

It is a funny sort of justice whose limits are marked by a river; true on this side of the Pyrenees, false on the other.

Justice is as much a matter of fashion as charm is.

Thinking too little about things or thinking too much both make us obstinate and fanatical.

Those who are clever in imagination are far more pleased with themselves than prudent men could reasonably be.

True morality makes fun of morality.

What amazes me the most is to see that everyone is not amazed at his own weakness.

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.

Justice without force is powerless; force without justice is tyrannical.

It is man's natural sickness to believe that he possesses the Truth.

RECREATION - book - man's search for meaning

A book to read and re-read. Vicktor Frankl helps to make it quite clear that attitude is everything. No matter what the circumstances, we have a choice on how we react. They may even have our bodies but they can't take our minds.

The experiences of camp life show that man does have a choice of action. We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms--to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way.

FAMILY - Sara the producer

Here's some of Sara's work for Legos.

RECREATION - book - what the dog saw

Just finished "What the Dog Saw" by Malcom Gladwell. Also the author of the Tipping Point and others. This one is a collection of his New Yorker writings. He is great at looking at his topics laterally. Each essay looks at interesting people in ways that compares and illustrates the topic in ways that surprise you.

INTRODUCTION

I hope to compartmentalize this blog into different categories such work/recreational therapy, family, recreation/interests, etc. so that if someone wants to jump to one category or another, they can easily.