“GOD IS GOOD.”
Regardless of your religious affiliation, in my community, the correct response here is…
“ALL THE TIME.”
The phrase is an acknowledgement that in the most difficult of times, there is something greater on the other side. We could call this hope, call this optimism, even resilience. But I’d like to call it faith.
Read MoreAcross the globe, since time immemorial, the most common ritual among humans has been the shared meal. Even before the dawn of humanity, eating was a social act. Our hunter-gatherer predecessors were more successful when they worked together and felt more secure when they cooked and ate their food together (Sutton, 2001).
Most people can recall the kitchen in their childhood home—perhaps a holiday table surrounded by the people most important to them. Or a meal with a colleague where they bonded over the food they ate, shared recollections, or had a memorable conversation. Eating is a universal human act. People may not always like each other. They may not get along or have much in common. Yet, we all have to eat.
Preparing holiday meals takes time and effort—from the shopping and menu planning to the cooking and table setting. The process can become anxiety-provoking and overwhelming. Approaching the preparation of these meals with a positive mindset can make a world of difference. When I cook Thanksgiving dinner, I think about the opportunity I am creating to strengthen social bonds with family and friends. I reflect on the gratitude I have toward myself for hosting the dinner. I embrace other positive emotions like pride and love, which research suggests contribute to a more positive mindset (Fredrickson, 1998; 2001; 2009).
Read MoreIn Mexico, as well as in various countries around the world, there are endless proverbs articulating the relationship between food and well-being. El amor empieza en el estómago (Love starts in the belly). Barriga llena corazón contento (A full belly makes the heart happy). El agua separa a la gente del mundo y el mezcal las une (While water separates people around the world, mezcal brings them together). Las penas con pan son menos (Troubled times with bread are lesser).
Read MorePaul Rozin, PhD., Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, has researched human food choice from biological, psychological, and anthropological perspectives. He has studied the psychological significance of flavorings placed on foods in different cuisines, the cultural evolution of cuisine, the development of food aversions, the development of food preferences, family influences in preference development, body image, the acquisition of liking for chili pepper, chocolate craving, and attitudes to meat. Most recently, he has focused on the emotion of disgust, the entry of food issues into the moral domain in modern American culture, French-American differences in the food domain, among many other topics in his research CV.
Read MoreIn a Quaker-style memorial earlier this summer, members of Penn’s Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) alumni community gathered to honor and pay tribute to Katie Wittekind (C’18), who died in a biking accident this past Mother’s Day. Katie possessed great perspective, and she loved to dance. Among other things, she’s remembered for her warmth, wisdom, courage, light, lived values, infectious smile, and zest for life.
Read More“Good morning Paula, how are you today? What can I help you with in the here and now?” I had become accustomed to Nicole’s questions. For eight weeks, she had become an important fixture in our lives. Through her curiosity, compassion, and skills as a social worker, Nicole enacted the kind of psychological support that I needed after losing my husband.
Read MoreI applied to the Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania one year after receiving a brain cancer diagnosis. At this point, I wasn’t sure how the disease would progress or how quickly. My motivations and goal hierarchies honed in on improving all aspects of wellness in my control and letting go of the rest. Being diagnosed with a terminal illness changes your priorities—almost instantly.
Read MoreDr. Sonja Lyubomirsky has been studying how and why people can become happier for over 30 years. Her research includes cognitive, motivational, and behavioral processes in subjective happiness. In this interview she reflects on some of the origins of the research of happiness, her current work, and how we as teachers, leaders, and parents can influence happiness in ourselves and others.
Read MoreIn late 2021, a clip of Bill Gates explaining this new concept called the internet to a skeptical David Letterman was making the rounds on social media. In that clip from 1995, Gates explained that the internet was a gateway to information—where companies could do commerce and people could share stories. An incredulous Letterman exclaims to Gates and the amused studio audience, “It's wild what's going on” (Giller, 2018). Now, almost three decades later, it's just as wild. Moreover, we can choose to watch or we can choose to act.
Read MoreThe predatory forces driving the attention economy have pushed many of us into unhealthy patterns of digital technology use. I believe the negative impacts on both personal and societal well-being are mounting. Clearly seeing these negative impacts points us directly towards an immense source of well-being—to the well-being that accrues from abstaining from detrimental digital tech use. Imagine getting off some drug that was wreaking havoc on your relationships, your emotions, your ability to get things done, and your basic sense of self-respect. This would bring a tremendous amount of well-being, would it not?
Read MoreIn a recent address to students in the Master of Applied Positive Psychology program at the University of Pennsylvania, field pioneer Martin Seligman (personal communication, April 23, 2023) commented that if he had an opportunity to do his studies again, he would explore the intersection of positive psychology and artificial intelligence (AI). Seligman is hardly alone in his fascination with AI. For example, just days after its launch in November 2022, consumer-facing AI chatbot, ChatGPT, which in response to prompts can generate humanlike text and conversation, hit one million users (Buchholz, 2023). Two months later, the application soared to 100 million users, and industry estimates suggest that as of last month, the site had 1.8 billion all-time views (Ruby, 2023).
Read MoreAfrican Americans are resilient and strong.
These six words—the first sentence of my final capstone as a student in the University of Pennsylvania Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program—were a foundation on which I was raised. As I look to my brothers and sisters, my sons and my daughters, my parents and grandparents, my aunties and uncles—only some of whom I’m actually related to—I hear and witness this story again and again. We are a people of cultural wealth (Yosso, 2005) and multiple strengths (Hurd, 1995; Littlejohn-Blake & Darlin, 1993; Mattis et al., 2003).
Read MoreWhen I entered the University of Pennsylvania Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) program back in 2009, it was because I felt a calling to apply more substance and salience to my work in television. I had recently left a job as a news anchor, and although I found great fulfillment in the work, the substrate left me…wanting. I was using my face and voice to disseminate information that, net-net, made people sick. I didn’t realize this consciously at the time. It took my education in positive psychology and my capstone on positive psychology and the media to crystallize with research most of us now know empirically: Watching the news engenders anxiety (McNaughton, 2001) and depression (Potts & Sanchez, 1993). Until then, however, it was just an instinct. An instinct that turned out to be correct.
Read MoreThe morning after a birthday party she threw for me fifteen years ago, I woke up in a hospital emergency room to learn that my girlfriend, Laura, was killed in a drunk-driving crash. Although I had no recollection of driving the car, and we’d planned for her to be our designated driver, I was responsible for her death. A year later, I pleaded guilty to negligent homicide and went to jail to serve a short sentence. There, I unexpectedly found the solitude and stillness to consider a future that would honor Laura’s memory.
Read MoreI knew love before I took my first breath in this life. I am told that my father could not wait to meet me. One of my first memories is walking with my dad, him holding my hand. Little did I know that this large, white, small-town soldier walking through the streets in a northwestern town in the United States at the end of the Vietnam War received disrespectful comments and disgusted stares because he held the hand of a “chink” child. I did not know this because I felt love and safety through the hand of my dad. The world was full of wonder, and I was wonderful. His touch told me so.
Read MoreThe Gallup organization routinely reminds us that the most productive and engaged employees have a "best friend" at work. What Gallup's researchers don't explain as clearly is how these special relationships are formed and how they translate into work performance. In 2022, I embarked on a fellowship with the Project on Positive Leadership at the University of Louisville to answer these questions by examining relationships from a unique perspective: their ethical underpinnings.
While many of us don't consciously consider things like ethical alignment or shared values when forming a new relationship, it turns out that moral exemplars do. In fact, the key finding from my MAPP Capstone, Moral Excellence: A Study of How Business Leaders Stay True to Themselves, was that moral exemplars intentionally cultivate relationships that remind them of their values. These special connections, which I refer to as Anchor RelationshipsTM act as a "reinforcing mechanism" reminding exemplars of their moral values when confronted with a conflict of interest.
Read MoreWhen Lisa Honig Buksbaum (C’13) was a young girl, she watched her parents rush her younger brother to the emergency room during recurrent asthma attacks. Decades later, while her own son healed from a lengthy illness, she was inspired to launch Soaringwords®, a nonprofit committed to inspiring children, families, adults, seniors, and health care professionals to take active roles in self-healing to experience greater physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
Recently, Lisa wrote her memoir, Soaring into Strength: Love Transcends Pain, recounting these and other significant moments in her life to help others discover their own inner strength in the face of illness, loss, and setbacks. In this interview, conducted by the MAPP Magazine editorial team, Lisa shares her motivation for writing this book and opens up about how grace and humor became sources of courage in the most challenging moments of her life.
Read MoreTwo years ago, we (Irem Gunay, C’12; Karen Deppa, C’15; and Felix Yerace, C’20) embarked on a journey of leading MAPP Magazine. We took over from the outstanding team of Carolyn Biondi and Courtney Daly, with Kellie Cummings facilitating our efforts as the MAPP Alumni Board Communications Chair. Carolyn, Courtney, and Kellie (all graduates of the MAPP Class of 2019) had positioned the publication for a bright future, and we hoped to build on the foundation they provided us. Over the last two years, we have worked to help grow the publication and position it for even greater success in the future.
Read MoreThe founders of the fledgling government adopted by the United States of America wrote a Declaration of Independence that identified the pursuit of happiness, along with life and liberty, as an “unalienable right.” Indeed, the framers appeared to assert that a new system of government was not only called for, but necessary, in order for happiness to be allowed to germinate and bloom. This government, a representative democracy, applies the rule of law equally to all citizens; protects its citizens’ human rights; requires the active participation of its citizens; and follows a procedure for choosing and replacing its representatives through free and fair elections. Two of these core tenets – active participation of citizens, and the administration of free and fair elections – come together in the voting process. This article addresses how my service as an election judge contributes to my well-being, and the strengths and skills needed for election workers to navigate the fraught environment created by election denialism.
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