How Wal-Mart is Creating a Meaningful Workplace
People want to have meaningful work, to feel like the work they do makes a difference. But they also want to work in a meaningful workplace. Meaningful workplaces are those
Dare to Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go. – T.S. Eliot Human beings are creatures of habit. Change makes us nervous,
Experiencing Meaning at Work
“The job of leadership today is not just to make money, it’s to make meaning.” – John Seely Brown People seek meaning in their lives; they want to feel like
How to be Happy
Small positive actions can add up to make a big difference in the happiness you feel. Below is a video that covers a whole list of little things that you
Celebrate What's Right
According to Dewitt Jones, a photographer for National Geographic, “celebrating what’s right with the world keeps us open to possibilities and gives us energy.” When he is on a
Just Do It!
Today is the one-year anniversary of my blog! I have enjoyed writing and am proud that I’m still going. I have to say I was very nervous about starting
Beat the Holiday Blues by Practicing Positivity
The holidays are a festive time of year when families come together and everyone is happy. Or not. The truth is that for many people the holidays can be a
Find Happiness by Focusing on the Future
According to Martin Seligman, the father of positive psychology, “living in the future” is the secret to a long, healthy, and happy life. People who spend time thinking about the
Yoga, Neck Pain, and Being Intentionally Positive
The need to be intentionally positive came to me very clearly the other day in my yoga class. It was the day before Thanksgiving, so our teacher asked us to
"Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"
I’m sure many of you saw the news last week about the cruise ship Carnival Splendor. An engine fire left the ship dead in the water and without electricity
Positive Priming For a Competitive Edge
I just dropped my son off to take a high school entrance exam. In the car on the way there I told him to think of something that made him
Use Your Strengths at Work
Are you using your strengths at work every day? The happiest, most successful people know what their strengths are and use them often. So once you have identified your strengths,
"I Think I Can"
One of my favorite books growing up was The Little Engine That Could. I just loved repeating with my mother when she read it to me, “I-think-I-can, I-think-I-can, I-think-I-can” as
Better Together
Shared joy is a double joy; shared sorrow is half a sorrow. ~ Swedish Proverb I’m going to my college reunion next week. I won’t tell you how many
3 Steps to Forgiveness
“Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one getting burned.” ~ Buddha Forgiveness is associated with
Positivity Through Partnerships
“Two heads are better than one.” An old cliché maybe, but so true. Michael Eisner has written a book called Working Together about successful business partnerships. He highlights numerous partnerships
Money Can Buy Happiness?
Most studies of the link between money and happiness have shown that money does not buy happiness. Americans are no happier today than they were in 1940 and we certainly
On Becoming an Optimist
Being an optimist increases your positivity and can help you to be more successful. So what if you tend to be more of a pessimist? No worries! Optimism can be
Optimistic versus Pessimistic Thinking
Optimistic people anticipate a bright future, expecting to achieve their goals. Because of this, they are more willing to take risks and make changes. Optimism can be self-fulfilling because people
Learning Critical for Realizing Potential
“To become what we are capable of becoming is the only end in life.” – Robert Louis Stevenson People long to identify and fulfill their purpose in life. Maslow called it
Celebrate (and Engage) Workers
With the Labor Day weekend coming up I have been thinking a lot about what food to take on our family camping trip. I have also been thinking about how
Giving Back Makes you Healthier and Happier
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. – Winston Churchill I’ve talked before about how practicing acts of kindness increases
Use Assessments to Identify Strengths
An important step for increasing organizational positivity is to focus on people’s strengths. In order to do this, leaders first need to help their employees identify their strengths. Below
Improve Your Odds of Survival by 50%
According to a recent study done by professors at BYU, “social connections – friends, family, neighbors or colleagues – improve our odds of survival by 50 percent.” And actually the odds are
3 Reasons to Focus on Strengths
Focusing on strengths is an important step toward creating a more positive work environment. Below are three specific reasons why a strengths-based approach to managing people leads to higher levels