02/08/2010: "Whatever is True"

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things." Philippians 4:8

These are good words from The Good Book. They came to mind when I was reviewing my last few blog posts and I noticed that there was a lot of sighing, crying and scrambling going down on the page.

Dr. Barbara Fredrickson works in the field of positive psychology and is the author of a new book called Positivity. She has identified ten positive emotions: joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, pride, amusement, hope, inspiration, awe and love.

According to Dr. Fredrickson, positive emotions open our minds. Positive people literally see more of the world around them and are more likely to find innovative solutions to problems. Positive people are healthier, more productive and generous. They bounce back from adversity more quickly, make better managers and live longer.

Most of us experience positive emotions more frequently than negative ones. The problem is that negative emotions are stronger than positive ones; they make a greater impression on us and stick around longer. So we need a lot more positive feelings to overwhelm the negative ones -- 3 to 1 is the positivity ratio that tips the balance.

You can find out your positivity ratio by visiting www.positivityratio.com and taking the positivity test.

I'm feeling better already.

Three morals in this post:

1. Feeling good is good for you.
2. Positive people are more open to new experiences and new ideas.
3. Fundamental truths stand the test of time and science.

Yours with creativity and imagination,
Darlene