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POSITIVE

PROACTIVE

PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL​

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​​​Half full or half empty? This binary question has often been used in popular culture to gauge one's perspective on life. Depending on the response given, the individual is viewed as an optimist or a pessimist. Though oversimplified, by for example ignoring factors such as a person need for water, this perspective "litmus test" does align with research findings. Our perspective on any given topic does change the way we experience life.

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Our brains tend to focus on what we perceive as missing, rather than what is there. Due to this neurological reality, it is not always easy to appraise a glass as half full when our gaze tends to be aimed towards the invisible void above the liquid. Yet, upon further thought, we realize that as a glass is a container,  one of its physical properties is that it is refillable. Furthermore, with a quick reminder of the 3 states of matter - gas liquid solid - we can also realize that our glass is actually always full; be it with a life-giving beverage or the air that always surrounds and sustains us. 

 

Similarly, when we look at our lives, thinking more spherically can help us see all the things that are actually blessings in disguise or, blessings in broad daylight. It is this shift of therapeutic focus, from "have nots" to "haves" that is the basic premise of positive psychology. According the man credited as the  principal founder of this approach, Dr. Seligman point to this emergent field of science as one concerned with understanding and building the factors that allow individuals, communities, and societies to flourish. By practicing gratitude, confirming the existence of hope, and reframing our stories, we can embark on a journey towards joy and contentment. Let us draw from what we are doing right and transferer those personal strengths and effective strategies to resolving life's challenges!