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Happy children in front of a chalkboard.

Positive Education Summit

One of the best things about being the editor-in-chief of Live Happy is meeting amazing professionals who are dedicated to increasing the wellbeing of others. This was particularly true at an international meeting that I attended recently and report on here:Applying positive psychology principles to education gave birth to the term positive education and to the Positive Education Summit held in the UK earlier this month. Summit leaders Martin Seligman, Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania, and James O’Shaughnessy, Managing Director, Floreat Education in the UK, gathered delegates from around the world to share their experience, research and insights on positive education. A special meeting with British government officials at No. 10 Downing St. kicked off the summit and then continued at Wellington College, which hosted the three-day event.Support for positive education dominated presentations made by the delegates. University of Pennsylvania professor Angela Duckworth shared research that links character strength and student grade-point average, energy and class participation. David Levin, KIPP co-founder and superintendent, KIPP New York, talked about how teachers at his school lace lessons with questions aimed at building character and self-esteem. Stephen Meek, principal of Geelong Grammar School in Victoria, Australia, shared his school’s fully integrated model in which staff and faculty receive well-being training, and classes have well-being teachings interwoven into them. Ian Morris, Wellington College instructor and author of Learning to Ride Elephants, explained his program: Students are taught the basics of physical health, positive relationships, perspective, engagement and living sustainably as well as finding meaning and purpose. Kaiping Peng, professor at Tsinghua University, China, shared that 150 schools in China now teach positive education and the Chinese Positive Psychology Association made positive education it’s No. 1 priority.There was enthusiastic debate during the meeting with various viewpoints on the use of common words versus academic terms to define and describe positive education. The need to articulate positive education to multiple, diverse stakeholders and the context of local, national and cultural differences were projected into commentary and questions. While there was agreement about the premise of positive education, there was less unity on those topics. Delegates underscored the need for continued discussion on these and other important issues.Results from the summit:Awareness of positive education was raised in the UK: The meeting with government officials resulted in the request for a white paper on the subject.A new network of positive education experts was created: The delegates committed to planning a global positive education event.Examples of positive education at work were shared: Look for some of those stories here in the near future.

On a chalkboard, sad face plus dollar sign equals happy face

work

Does Money Really Make People Happier?

"Money, money, money, Always sunny, In the rich man's world."Abba gets me, that's what you're thinking. We all have hopes of someday finding a money tree of sorts—a limitless source of income and cushioned financial security with Benjamins to spare. It's a common assumption that money will solve all your problems, that it'll buy you happiness. That assumption is only party true."We equate money with security and freedom, which inevitably leaves us feeling insecure and constricted," says David Geller, author ofWealth and Happiness.In his book, Gellershares a core message that money is not security or freedom. It's not going to turn an unhappy life into a happy one. But money is a tool, and you can use that tool to find happiness and better your life."The purpose of having wealth is to use it to create the life you desire, enhance the lives of the people you care about and leave a legacy that represents your passions and values," he says.That'shappy.Charles Richards, author ofThe Psychology of Wealth, agrees. "It's no coincidence that money is also called currency, taken from the wordcurrent—the flow of electric charge through a conductor," he writes. "Learning to manage money responsibly and serve others is like being able to use electric current in a productive manner. We can become powerful transformers for the currency of society. How we use that power is a great responsibility."Get this: After a modest level of income, there isn't really evidence to suggest that people's happiness increases with their wealth. Instead, whether you're loving life or hating it really depends on how you're using your money.But does that really matter? Yes, yes it does. There are steps to happiness, and the first one is to achieve a stable lifestyle—not to indulge in your next dose of pleasure. After the anxiety to provide life's basics, like food and a roof over your family's head, is diminished,thenyou can look to the pleasurable perks of financial success, like reservations to that fancy French restaurant around the corner or a drive in that shiny red sports car you've had your eye on for, like, forever. But that's not what the ultimate goal should be; luxury items won't make you happier—not in the long run."The purchase of those luxury goods or experiences does provide a short-term burst of pleasure, but it quickly fades,"Geller says. "Giving up happiness to purchase pleasure is a bad deal. It is almost always a good trade to give up some pleasure to buy additional happiness. We can use some of our freed up resources to help people we care about the most, and as we do that, we are likely to get a big boost of happiness."Geller says people should use their financial success to build better relationships, for more engaged experiences or to make a difference in the lives of the people who matter most. Wealth is about the resources we have to build a life we really, truly want."When we define wealth in purely financial terms, we underestimate the power of our other elements of wealth, and we often end up overlooking compelling solutions to our most powerful opportunities or challenges," he says. "The truth is, in many cases, our nonfinancial elements of wealth are considerably more powerful than our money."Happy might be hiding around the corner, so now you just have to go find it. But how?Geller suggests first reflecting on what you enjoy most about your life, what stresses you out the most and what parts of your life could use some positive transformation. Number two: Share your goals with friends and family—and stick with those who are supportive of your dreams and your plans to change certain aspects of your life. And then it's time for some action—make one incremental change, a change that will push your life toward a better, and happier, future."Success does not require a great deal of money," says Richards. "What it requires is a belief in one's inherent worth and a willingness to make a conscious investment in oneself.... A new state of mind must be put into practice in order to move forward in life and achieve something greater." Success—and happiness—comes from making the right choices and acting on your passions.Like Geller says, "Happiness takes work, and happiness takes time." So take a deep breath, and chase happy.

People

Forever Young: Dan Buettner on Human Longevity

Kamada Nakazato’s family was so poor that she dropped out of school in third grade to help her mother raise her siblings. At 18, she entered an arranged marriage with a man four years older. Kamada shouldered most of the parenting when their six children were small, because her husband traveled often in search of work. She wove straw hats for supplemental income, but the family still survived almost entirely on sweet potatoes. Eventually her husband could return home and help her finish raising the children to adulthood.Then World War II broke out, turning her native Okinawa into a battleground and changing the island’s culture forever. But Kamada’s life changed little: She had family responsibilities and still needed to work hard to eke out a modestexistence.In 2005, at age 102 and a widow for 10 years, she met Dan Buettner, an American on a research expedition seeking the health secrets of centenarians from Okinawa. Kamada wore a traditional kimono and brushed her hair straight back. Buettner noted her gentle brown eyes, which held wisdom, kindness and a deep spirituality. Everyone in the little community on the Motobu Peninsula revered her as a spiritual leader.“Living History”Buettner also treasured Kamada, one of the individuals who helped him uncover the well-being formula of the world’s longest-lived people.“I remember the little house in rural Okinawa.… This woman was born in the rain, outside, and now sort of knew life was angling in on her,” Buettner says. “To watch her go through these daily chores in this ancient house—it just felt like I was living history.”Digging into the backgrounds of centenarians like Kamada refined his life mission, making Buettner a best-selling author and earning him TV time alongside Barbara Walters and Oprah Winfrey. But conducting in-depth interviews with the elderly and studying their lifestyles wasn’t always his passion. “I had no great affinity for old people when I started this, as some might think,” he says with a chuckle.Instead, Buettner’s research into the “Blue Zones”—regions containing the highest concentration of people 100 or older—appears to be the apex of a lifetime exploring the globe… or perhaps only half a lifetime, it may turn out.Buettner’s PathBuettner learned to live self-sufficiently in the woods of his native Minnesota by age 6. His father, a special-education teacher, passed down a desire to experience the world in every way. Well-spoken and confident, Buettner, who turns 53 on June 18, has barely a wrinkle on his face and only a touch of gray in his hair. Seeking adrenaline during and immediately after his college days at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis-St. Paul, he sold newspaper subscriptions in a program that paid for long excursions to Spain and Morocco. Only later did he embark on real adventures.He set a Guinness World Record for biking across the Americas, from Alaska to Argentina. The 15,000-plus miles of Americastrek were completed in 1987. Then the Soviet Union began to break up, and Buettner cycled across that empire, in 1990’s Sovietrek. Two years later, Africatrek covered almost 12,000 miles.MayaQuest, when he and a team of experts on Mayan civilization traveled to Central America seeking an explanation for the society’s sudden collapse roughly 1,100 years ago, ultimately made Buettner an Internet pioneer in 1995. During that journey, the travelers uploaded their findings for—and responded to questions from—teachers and students at 40,000 participatingschools.“We were all trying to figure out how we could use the Internet as a communication vehicle for schools,” Buettner says. “But also, how do you engage students in a meaningful way, so they’re avidly learning about science?” MayaQuest attempted to explain how environmental factors influenced the Mayans and other cultures, and in the process encourage naturalism in a newgeneration.“MayaQuest was the first one out of the chute,” Buettner says. The “Quest” series later expanded. “We went on to explore the legend of Marco Polo, human origins in Africa and origins of Western civilization. Eventually, we stumbled upon a World Health Organization finding that Okinawa had the longest disability-free life expectancy in the world. I thought there had to be a non-genetic explanation—something is going on with their lifestyle and environment. We used the quest mentality to try to open that treasure chest.”Into the Blue ZonesSo began Buettner’s investigation into the secrets of centenarian-rich pockets of Japan, Mexico, Costa Rica, Italy, Greece and even Southern California—the research tour that would earn him publication inNational GeographicandThe New York Timesled to his 2008 bookThe Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, and what has become his life’s work, an attempt to spread the same healthy, happy principles to U.S. communities.In 2009 Buettner formed theBlue Zones Project, an organization that works with companies, schools, cities and towns to improve community well-being. More than 750 businesses and 40 schools have taken up the lifestyle principles, and dozens of city councils have joined in, adapting their communities to encourage the health of residents by building more bike paths, for example, and changing construction codes to encourage more pedestrians.LikeSUCCESS, Buettner believes there’s much more to life than amassing a fortune. Everyone has needs, and certain luxuries are always welcome, but making the most of life is about finding personal peace, enjoying family and friends, realizing a purpose, giving back, and passing on wisdom to future generations. The better their diet and health, the longer people can live, thus giving them a greater chance to impact the world. Astonishingly, these “success measures” directly relate to longevity.This revolutionary work has tied together the sciences of health and happiness with the search for meaning, so naturallySUCCESS’s interview with Buettner focused on how anyone can relate to his findings and how the Blue Zones studies have changed his life.Q:As an explorer, your M.O. was to tackle one challenge and search for the next. Why did you settle on longevity as your life’s work?A:I think each of us has a desire to find something that’s meaningful to others, not just ourselves. Most explorers start with an individual journey, and it eventually evolves into an expedition that has a chance to somehow make humans better. From the first trip to Okinawa, I knew,Wow! Here is a body of wisdom that can make a huge impact on America.At the time there were 77 million baby boomers who were getting old. I thought it was going to be something a lot of people would care about. It was the perfect alignment between my personal interests and a bigger interest.Q:How would you describe the experience of spending so much time around centenarians?A:It’s special. It really is. There’s a certain awe you have to have for someone who has reached triple digits. Somewhere between knowledge and wisdom is experience, and this demographic literally has more life experience than any other on Earth. I had a great editor atNational Geographicnamed Peter Miller, who told me to go and not just interview a bunch of centenarians, but go live with them.When you spend enough time with them, you discover a uniformity—they tend to have a sense of humor. They tend to listen. The grumps are kind of weeded out before age 100.Q:They’ve had many peaks and valleys over a long life. Why does happiness shinethrough?A:It comes not from money, although it’s important they have enough. They have food, shelter; they can treat themselves once in a while; it’s not just a life of drudgery. They have good access to healthcare, not top-of-the-line healthcare, but public healthcare that keeps them from developing diseases.But there’s also a connectivity you wouldn’t feel in a big city or a soulless suburb in America. Your neighbors are in your business a little. If you don’t show up to the local festival, they’re going to knock on your door and say, “Where the heck have you been?” It’s not a lonely existence. It’s a connected existence the human species has evolved with for the past 2.5 million years.Q:Has being around people who follow such a healthy routine led you to have more self-discipline?A:One thing I learned is you can enjoy rich foods and sweets occasionally, but one way to cut about half of that is just don’t bring it into the house. I don’t bring meat into my house, or sweets, or snacks. If you put a nice steak, or chips or a bowl of ice cream in front of me, I’ll eat it, but the fact it’s not in my house cuts a lot of it from my diet.People in the Blue Zones have no more discipline than we do. It’s really not our fault so many of us are overweight and unhealthy. It’s not a lack of discipline. We just let our environment careen out of control. People in the Blue Zones teach us how to set up our environment correctly. It’s not a magic diet. It’s a game of inches.I’m working around the country to lay out all those inches that add up over time. The places that have adopted early have innovative leadership that works well together. They’ve tried a number of things and seen them fail, and are ready to try something pioneering.Q:Studies suggest that because of obesity, today’s generation of children may have shorter lives than their parents. If they take care of themselves following these methods—and we assume medical advancements occur—how long do you believe a baby born today can live?A:[Demographer] James Vaupel has shown, pretty convincingly, that life expectancy jumps about two years every decade. A child born today could probably look forward to living 15 or 20 years beyond the current life expectancy [about 76 years for men and 81 for women in America].That jump is not linear. It’s erratic. When we discovered penicillin and antibiotics, the life expectancy of the human species leaped enormously. The life expectancy for a male in 1900 was about age 46. We’ve almost doubled it. If we could double it again, the life expectancy goes up to 150 or 160.We cannot see what that innovation would be in the same way we couldn’t have seen penicillin coming. But things like the sequencing of the human genome provide a glimpse of the potential for life expectancy.Q:As important as healthy living, your research indicates the ability to articulate a purpose for life is crucial. How can we find purpose, which seems like an abstract concept amid our daily grind?A:One is religion. If you’ve strayed from religion, go test it again. [Most] people who make it to 100 belong to some faith-based community. Along with a faith comes a value set you sign up for, a goal—whether it’s to be a good person to get into heaven, or be reincarnated. It puts the numbers on your side for longevity and happiness.People who pledge to our program are invited to a three-hour purpose seminar. We take them through an internal inventory to identify passions, strengths, things they enjoy doing, and how they can put those to work. In that cross-section, you get a pretty good idea of purpose besides “I’ve got to make money” or “I’ve got to raise my kids.”You’d be shocked how many Americans never have time for that internal inventory between waking up, going to work, getting dinner for the kids and then watching four hours of TV, on average. The internal inventory is the biggest step.What gets people in the Blue Zones out of bed in the morning, out of the easy chair—what gets them taking their medicine—is anexpectation. They don’t just expect to receive love or resources, but they are expected to love and to contribute. Expectation and purpose are part of the same package.We have a mindset in America that you have productive years into your mid-60s and then you retire. There’s no retirement in the Blue Zones. Rather than quitting their jobs and golfing for a couple years, then asking what’s next, these people continue to work for city mayors as aconsigliere, or take up town patrols, or continue at their job, but not as many hours.Q:To make it personal, can you envision keeping up your current pace for another 50 years?A:I’ll keep doing what I’m doing. I’m sure it’ll evolve. I’m thinking about purpose a lot right now and where people find that around the world. Working with these cities through the Blue Zones Project is satisfying because I can impact so many lives. The model isn’t exactly perfected, so I don’t see any reason to stop doing this for the foreseeable future.I have as much energy as I did when I was 30. So it’s hard to think about a sunset.

Self-Care

Satisfaction with Life Scale

To understand life satisfaction scores, it is helpful to understand some of the components that go into most people’s experience of satisfaction. One of the most important influences on happiness is social relationships. People who score high on life satisfaction tend to have close and supportive family and friends, whereas those who do not have close friends and family are more likely to be dissatisfied. Of course the loss of a close friends of family member can cause dissatisfaction with life, and it may take quite a time for the person to bounce back from the loss.Another factor that influences the life satisfaction of most people is work or school, or performance is an important role such as homemaker or grandparent. When the person enjoys his or her work, whether it is paid or unpaid work, and feels that it is meaningful and important, this contributes to life satisfaction. When work is going poorly because of bad circumstances or a poor fit with the person’s strengths, this can lower life satisfaction. When a person has important goals, and is failing to make adequate progress toward them, this too can lead to life dissatisfaction.A third factor that influences the life satisfaction of most people is personal—satisfaction with the self, religious or spiritual life, learning and growth, and leisure. For many people these are sources of satisfaction. However, when these sources of personal worth are frustrated, they can be powerful sources of dissatisfaction. Of course there are additional sources of satisfaction and dissatisfaction—some that are common to most people such as health, and others that are unique to each individual. Most people know the factors that lead to their satisfaction or dissatisfaction, although a person’s temperament—a general tendency to be happy or unhappy—can color their responses.There is no one key to life satisfaction, but rather a recipe that includes a number of ingredients. With time and persistent work, people’s life satisfaction usually goes up when they are dissatisfied. People who have had a loss recover over time. People who have a dissatisfying relationship or work often make changes over time that will increase their dissatisfaction. One key ingredient to happiness, as mentioned above, is social relationships, and another key ingredient is to have important goals that derive from one’s values, and to make progress toward those goals. For many people it is important to feel a connection to something larger than oneself. When a person tends to be chronically dissatisfied, they should look within themselves and ask whether they need to develop more positive attitudes to life and the world. In most ways, my life is close to ideal. Strongly Agree Agree Slightly Agree Neither Agree or Disagree Slightly Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree The conditions of my life are excellent. Strongly Agree Agree Slightly Agree Neither Agree or Disagree Slightly Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree I am satisfied with my life. Strongly Agree Agree Slightly Agree Neither Agree or Disagree Slightly Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree So far I have gotten the important things I want in life. Strongly Agree Agree Slightly Agree Neither Agree or Disagree Slightly Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree If I could live my life over, I would change almost nothing. Strongly Agree Agree Slightly Agree Neither Agree or Disagree Slightly Disagree Disagree Strongly Disagree Your Score 30 – 35: Very high score, highly satisfied Respondents who score in this range love their lives and feel that things are going very well. Their lives are not perfect, but they feel that things are about as good as lives get. Furthermore, just because the person is satisfied does not mean she or he is complacent. In fact, growth and challenge might be part of the reason the respondent is satisfied. For most people in this high-scoring range, life is enjoyable, and the major domains of life are going well—work or school, family, friends, leisure and personal development.25 – 29: High scoreIndividuals who score in this range like their lives and feel that things are going well. Of course their lives are not perfect, but they fell that things are mostly good. Furthermore, just because the person is satisfied does not mean she or he is complacent. In fact, growth and challenge might be part of the reason the respondent is satisfied. For most people in this high-scoring range, life is enjoyable, and the major domains of life are going well—work or school, family, friends, leisure and personal development. The person may draw motivation from the areas of dissatisfaction.20 – 24: Average scoreThe average of life satisfaction in economically developed nations is in this range—the majority of people are generally satisfied, but have some areas where they very much would like some improvement. Some individuals score in this range because they are mostly satisfied with most areas of their lives but they see the need for some improvement in each area. Other respondents score in this range because they are satisfied with most domains of their lives, but have one or two areas where they would like to see large improvements. A person scoring in this range is normal in that they have areas of their lives that need improvement. However, an individual in this range would usually like to move to a higher level by making some life changes.15 – 19: Slightly below average in life satisfactionPeople who score in this range usually have small but significant problems in several areas of their lives, or have many areas that are doing fine but one area that represents a substantial problem for them. If a person has moved temporarily into this level of life satisfaction from a higher level because of some recent event, things will usually improve over time and satisfaction will generally move back up. On the other hand, if a person is chronically slightly dissatisfied with many areas of life, some changes might be in order. Sometimes the person is simply expecting too much, and sometimes life changes are needed. Thus, although temporary dissatisfaction is common and normal, a chronic level of dissatisfaction across a number of areas of life calls for reflection. Some people can gain motivation from a small level dissatisfaction, but often dissatisfaction across a number of life domains is a distraction, and unpleasant as well.10 – 14: DissatisfiedPeople who score in this range are substantially dissatisfied with their lives. People in this range may have a number of domains that are not going well, or one or two domains that are doing very badly. If life dissatisfaction is a response to a recent event such as bereavement, divorce, or a significant problem at work, the person will probably return over time to his or her former level of higher satisfaction. However, if low levels of life satisfaction have been chronic for the person, some changes are in order—both in attitudes and patterns of thinking, and probably in life activities as well. Low levels of life satisfaction in this range, if they persist, can indicate that things are going badly and life alterations are needed. Furthermore, a person with low life satisfaction in this range is sometimes not functioning well because their unhappiness serves as a distraction. Talking to a friend, member of the clergy, counselor, or other specialist can often help the person get moving in the right direction, although positive change will be up to the person.5 – 9: Extremely DissatisfiedIndividuals who score in this range are usually extremely unhappy with their current life. In some cases this is in reaction to some recent bad event such as widowhood or unemployment. In other cases, it is a response to a chronic problem such as alcoholism or addiction. In yet other cases the extreme dissatisfaction is a reaction due to something bad in life such as recently having lost a loved one. However, dissatisfaction at this level is often due to dissatisfaction in multiple areas of life. Whatever the reason for the low level of life satisfaction, it may be that the help of others are needed—a friend or family member, counseling with a member of the clergy, or help from a psychologist or other counselor. If the dissatisfaction is chronic, the person needs to change, and often others can help.

Self-Care

A Heartwarming Lesson in Gratitude

Recently I had the privilege of attending a charity event for a local organization. It was an evening I was looking forward to. Little did I know that I would be walking away with a heartwarming lesson in gratitude. At the event one of the fundraising activities was a raffle drawing in which the winning ticket holders would receive a $25 gift card to Best Buy. The raffle tickets were $5 each and there were 20 gift cards being given away.After I placed my raffle tickets into the drawing box a fifty-something man slowly walked up to the box and deposited nearly two dozen tickets. A little boy around the age of 6 shuffled up to the box next. He reached into his pocket and pulled out one crumpled ticket. As he tentatively dropped his ticket into the box the boy turned to me and shared that he had raked leaves for hours in his neighborhood to earn the money to buy that one ticket. He explained that he desperately wanted the gift card to buy a video game that his parents said he had to pay for himself. The man and I glanced at one another, smiled and wished the boy good luck. I secretly hoped that the little boy would win.Toward the end of the evening the host announced that it was time to draw the tickets for the lucky winners. Out of the hundreds of people in the room it was easy to spot the little boy sitting in a chair, nervously kicking his feet back and forth, waiting for the raffle to begin. I didn’t win, and neither did he.As both a parent and a therapist, I felt compelled to encourage the boy to keep working toward earning enough money to get that video game. One disappointment didn’t mean he could never have what he wanted. I chuckled to myself, because I just can’t help myself—I’m forever trying to show people “the life lesson” and find “teachable moments” in a situation, and there I was, at it again!Just as I approached him, the fifty-something man walked up and handed the boy two gift cards. He had won and chose to share his winnings with this hard-working little kid. Wow. After the two of them parted ways I went to speak to the man. I felt compelled to tell him how impressed and grateful I was that he made such a kind and generous gesture. After I gushed over him for a moment he said, “I did nothing special. I am grateful that I won and have learned to pass along a piece of anything wonderful that I receive to someone else so that they can also have something to be grateful for. I like to make people feel good.”Remember I told you a little earlier in my story that I can’t help but show people life lessons and teachable moments? Well this life-lecturer learned a few life lessons herself! I realized that gratitude and generosity of spirit are contagious—that even a small gesture can have a big impact on others.Stacy Kaiser is a successful Southern California-based licensed psychotherapist, author, relationship expert and media personality. With more than 100 television appearances on major networks, including CNN, NBC, CBS and FOX, Stacy has built a reputation for bringing a unique mix of thoughtful and provocative insights to a wide range of topics. You can learn more about Stacy on her website.

Education

Positive Education: The School of Wellbeing

Imagine sending your kids off to school and them learning reading, writing, arithmetic and flourishing. That’s the concept of positive education, a trend that’s popular in Australia and England, and gaining traction in the United States. Positive education is about merging flourishing—positive emotion, engagement, positive relationships, meaning and accomplishment—with traditional education. While many schools focus primarily on academic performance, positive education is about developing your child’s sense of well-being and social responsibility. While the idea of helping students build on their strengths and nurturing their resilience and well-being has been at the heart of Montessori and Steiner approaches for some time, Dr. Martin Seligman is leading the effort to bring positive psychology into more schools. Martin believes the need for positive education is growing with the worldwide prevalence of depression among young people. So he works with staff, parents and students to teach his PERMA model—the five elements of well-being—with the ultimate goal of helping students flourish. (P) Positive Emotions—Feeling positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, interest, hope (E) Engagement—Being fully absorbed in activities that use your skills yet challenge you (R) Relationships—Having positive relationships (M) Meaning—Belonging to and serving something you believe is bigger than yourself (A) Accomplishment—Pursuing success, winning achievement and mastery Some examples of positive education in schools include positive behavior initiatives (teaching empathy and compassion), curriculum designed to increase confidence, and strength projects for children. Michelle McQuaid, a teacher of positive education in Australian schools (and Live Happy blogger), believes “success is achieved when a school leadership team collectively supports the idea of making the well-being of students as important as their academic achievements and inviting, connecting and empowering the whole school community around this idea,” including administrators, teachers, parents and students. “My vision is for children to receive an education that teaches them how to flourish intellectually, emotionally, socially and physically. For this to happen, they need to be a part of an education system that is flourishing—where leadership teams feel challenged and supported, where teachers feel engaged and appreciated, and parents feel confident and empowered,” McQuaid says. What Parents Can Do Praise children for effort rather than intelligence. When you tell a child “You are so smart,” they don’t understand what they have done and how to repeat it, so they fear making mistakes or view failures as being dumb. When you praise effort, children understand they can influence the result, and learn to view failures as learning opportunities. Provide a consistent family routine. Take an interest in what your children are learning. Encourage special interests. Turn off the TV and encourage children to have free playtime where they use their imagination and creativity. Give kids achievable jobs at home to develop a sense of responsibility and self-mastery. Celebrate who your children are, not just what they achieve. Help your children discover their strengths, including character strengths like kindness. Show your children how to master challenges and overcome frustrations with an optimistic and not pessimistic approach. Teach and show your kids how to go on the hunt for gratitude. Share things that are going well. Keep lobbying your children and educators to create a learning environment that allows your child to flourish. What Schools Can Do Assess what you are doing well already. Adopt the PERMA model. Embed positive education into your school strategy so it becomes your school culture. Evaluate your results to assess your effectiveness. Connect with other educators and schools to share your positive education journey and benefit from their knowledge, resources and experiences Sandra Bienkowski, owner of The Media Concierge, LLC, is a national writer of wellness and personal development content and a social media expert.

Skills

My Go-to Happiness Tools

1. Do a shower power meditation. Take a shower and multitask washing away your stress and anxiety. Concentrate on the feel of the water upon your skin. Envision the power of the shower washing away your negative thoughts! Whoosh! Envision fear, regret, and anger soaping off you and swirling down the drain. 2. Send the universe some “muah!” Gratitude is often the antidote to depression. And that’s a researched fact. A study done by the University of California showed that when people took time each day to think about five things that made them happy, they increased their overall joy and improved some health issues as well. With this in mind, send five “muahs!” to the universe. Literally. Think up something you’re grateful about, then pucker up and blow the universe a kiss! Then do it again! Appreciate. Blow a kiss. Repeat. Appreciate. Blow a kiss. Repeat. 3. Juice up your spirit. I love how I feel when I’m drinking fresh-pressed juices on a regular basis. They increase my energy—and help me to feel healthier and happier! (Oh, and younger too, thanks to those awesome antioxidants they provide!) 4. Sniff your way to a happier mood. Studies from the University of Miami School of Medicine report that lavender is a major olfactory happiness tool—shown to improve mood, soothe anxiety, and even help to reduce some physical pains. If you don’t have lavender around your home, grab a bottle of vanilla extract from your kitchen cabinet. This yummy scent is also considered a powerful aromatherapy happiness booster. Added Bonus: Studies also show the scent of vanilla arouses men, so considered yourself forewarned! 5. Get lit. Studies show that sitting in dark rooms can lead to darker thoughts and that, alternatively, spending time in bright light (from being outside in the sun or inside in very well-lit rooms) can create happier brain chemistry. With this in mind, the Princeton Theological Seminary recommends something called “happy light bulbs,” which is either 60- or 100-watt daylight bulbs. 6. See problems from a headstand position. Yoga in general is a wonderful practice to keep your mind, body, spirit at their happiest and healthiest. Many yoga passionistas (including celebrity yoga guru and fellow Positively Positive contributor Jennifer Pastiloff) especially recommend doing headstands to release stress. MRI studies even back up a headstand’s mood-boosting benefit—showing how regular headstands literally improve brain function. 7. Get doodle happy. Grab some magic markers and doodle lots of heart icons. Big heart doodles. Small heart doodles. Give some of the heart doodles smiley faces. The silliness of this doodling action combined with the repeated visual stimuli of seeing icons representing love will cheer you up. Extra Feel Good Bonus: Doodle your heart icons on a plain white card and mail it to a friend/loved one with a note expressing your adoration of them 8. Stare at something yellow. Put on a yellow shirt. Buy some yellow flowers. “Yellow can lift your spirits and self-esteem,” says color psychologist Angela Wright. 9. Walk on something green. Being surrounded by nature is good for human nature. Go take a hike, or go for a stroll in the park. 10. Say “ohmmmmm.” Give yourself the gift of five minutes of quiet time, sitting in a comfortable position, humming “ohmmmmmm.” Studies show the sound of this vibrating in your throat relaxes your body—even warming up the skin a bit. 11. Organize your home/office. You’ll wind up cleaning up messy thoughts in the process. It’s a funny thing how the less clutter you have all around you, the more calm your mind becomes. 12. Give yourself a helpful hand. Try some hand reflexology. Massage the chakra points on your palms—right at the base of each thumb. They match up with your adrenal glands, which need a little loving attention when you’re stressed/depressed. Hold one hand in the other, then use the pad of your thumb to gently but firmly massage this zone. 13. Give someone else a helping hand. Studies show that doing acts of altruism and kindness create an instant happy mood boomerang, raising the serotonin in the giver as well as the receiver of these actions of love. Interestingly, studies show that even observing someone else doing something kind can increase one’s own happiness levels. There’s even an expression for this, called “Helper High.” With this “Helper’s High” in mind, feel free to share this list of happiness tools with others—and give yourself an “instant happy” for knowing you might be improving someone’s day!

Giving

Handmade Touches

Add a little bit of yourself to your holiday packages. Handmade gift tag instructions:1. No-Sew SweetnessGather two coordinating cotton fabrics, a sheet of fusible adhesive and pinking shears. Choose a base fabric and use the pinking shears to cut two identical rectangles 1½-by-2 inches. Cut a piece of fusible adhesive to the same size and sandwich it between the two fabric rectangles according to the package directions. Cut one slightly smaller rectangle from the accent fabric and the fusible adhesive using pinking shears. Center and adhere to the base fabric according to package directions. Write the recipient’s name on a small piece of cotton tape using a fine-point Sharpie, and position on the bottom center of the accent fabric. Punch two holes in the top of the tag and tie a yarn bow.2. Sparkling CirclesUse a regular-mouth canning jar lid to trace three circles on glitter paper and two on coordinating cardstock. Cut out using pinking shears. Write a note on the cardstock pages, and then layer as follows: glitter paper, cardstock, glitter paper, cardstock, glitter paper. Punch a hole in the top center of all circles and secure together with a small brad. Finish by placing letter stickers for the initials of the recipient on the front.3. Merry MacraméCut a rectangle of cardboard to the size that will work with your gift. (Ours is approximately 2½-by-4 inches.) Use a small hole-punch to make 4 holes, spaced evenly along both short sides. Cut 8 pieces of kitchen twine to the approximate length of your arms when held straight out to the sides. Fold each piece of twine in half and secure each to a punched hole with a knot. Working on one side at a time, knot one piece of twine from one hole to one piece of twine from the hole next to it, approximately ½ inch from the first row of knots, to make three knots across the second row. To make the third row of two knots, gather the four pieces of twine from the left side and knot ½ inch from the previous row. Repeat with the four right pieces. Finish by knotting all pieces together ½ inch from the previous row. Repeat on the other side.4. Scrap HappyUsing a purchased manila tag as your guide, trace the shape on a pretty page from a magazine. Cut a triangle out of the bottom and secure to the tag with twine. Write your note under the pretty paper.5. Pretty Little PouchCut a 6-by-10-inch rectangle of fabric and fold in half lengthwise. Secure both long ends together using permanent hemming tape. Insert a 4-by-4 family photo printed from Printstagramor a gift card of your choosing. Trim taped sides and the top with pinking shears, then fold over the top fabric and secure with a small clothespin. Write the recipient’s name onto a piece of cotton or Washi tape and secure to the pouch under the clothespin.Amy Palanjian is a freelance writer from Des Moines, Iowa. Her work has been featured in Parents, HGTV Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens and Bon Appetit.

Travel

‘Nonessential’ Travel? There’s No Such Thing

"Nonessential travel." It's one of those phrases that fly by at Twitter speed. It's everywhere, this nonessential travel, a virtual pandemic in itself. The State Department advises against nonessential travel to Mexico and a few other countries. An EU commissioner, meanwhile, advises against nonessential travel to some parts of the U.S.Yet no one actually defines nonessential travel, or its presumed opposite: essential travel. I called the State Department, and a spokesman told me it's "a personal decision" based on each traveler's "circumstances." In other words, nonessential travel is one of those terms that sound good, authoritative, but upon further inspection mean very little — or, more precisely, mean different things to different people.For most of us, a trip to the beaches of Cancun sounds decidedly nonessential — but for a frazzled office worker, teetering on the verge of a breakdown, that same trip might be very essential indeed. And what about a group of human rights lawyers due to meet in Mexico City to discuss an important case? I suppose visiting a sick relative counts as essential travel, but it depends on the illness and — let's be honest here — the relative.The fact that such a term even exists — nonessential travel — speaks volumes about how much the travel experience has evolved over the centuries. For most of human history, all travel was essential. You traveled to seek food, to find God, to fight a war, or flee one. It's no accident that the words travel and travail share a similar root. Travel was hard. You didn't do it to go sightseeing or chill out. It wasn't until 1841 when a Baptist minister named Thomas Cook arranged an 11-mile excursion in England that package tourism — and, yes, nonessential travel — were born.Sometimes we can't distinguish essential from nonessential travel until after we're safely back home. The trip that seems crucial at the time might not in retrospect. Once I took an "essential" trip to Vietnam for a business meeting. We ate and drank fulsomely but, as far as I could tell, there was nothing essential about the meeting. Likewise, I can think of some trips that began frivolously, on a lark, but turned out to be surprisingly essential. The point is we're constantly revising our ranking of trips in terms of their importance, their essentialness.I realize the officials at the State Department probably do not have author Henry Miller in mind when they issue these travel warnings. But maybe they should. Miller once said that, for him, the "destination was never a place but a new way of seeing things." And so it is with me. Travel — all travel — is essential. A good trip, even a bad one, salves my soul, fires my imagination. I could no longer live without travel than I could without, say, a really good cup of coffee. Not a matter of life or death exactly, but close. So, if the opportunity arises, yes, I will gladly hop on a plane for Mexico City. Of course I'd pack a generous supply of Tamiflu. Some things really are essential.Eric Weiner, a former NPR reporter, is author of The Geography of Bliss, One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World.

relationships

Revitalizing Community for Renewed Happiness

In the not so distant past, maintaining strong communities was a staple in everyday life. People depended on their local butcher for their meat, the town doctor for all their ailments and the local sheriff to keep the peace. It was not wise to alienate or upset these people; they were the only ones for miles who could help meet your needs. Neighbors were more than just the people who lived next door. They were often more readily available than family members and could be counted on in times of need. A happy community meant a better and more stable life. In a modern society, there are many reasons why people do not interact with one another like they have in the past. Most do not rely on one person to supply their food, heal their sickness or be there when they need a helping hand. Technology and transportation have put just about everything we need at our fingertips, making it for easier for people to become more isolated with less community involvement. Just because the geography of community has changed, does not mean there still isn’t a need for fellowship. Being part of a community provides a sense of stability, belonging and support. It helps people feel they belong to something bigger than themselves. Communities help strengthen friendships and allow you to share your passion with others. Recent research even says that being part of a community can even help you cope with stress and crisis. Identifying yourself with a particular community group may be easier than it sounds. Knowing only a little about yourself can help you find a group that will help you help yourself. Do you love to read? Find or form a book club. Have a heart for volunteering? Contact a local nonprofit to see if you can help with a community-service project. Just find a way to connect with a group of people who have something in common with you. Examples of communities that you can be a part of: Neighborhood get-togethers Church groups Recreational sporting league Community-service organizations Running or Biking Club Gardening group Extra-curricular activities for children One benefits of becoming part of a community is the happiness it will bring. Often in a group of like-minded people, you are able to be yourself, let loose and have fun; knowing you are in a trusted circle of people who accept you for who you are. Take some time to become part of a community group or reconnect with a group you have lost touch with. It might not be a necessary to survive but it might be vital to your happiness.