Positive Psy-4

4.1 Discussion. Happiness and the Pleasant Life

Getting Started

Consider this passage of scripture from John in which Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees:

“Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not understand what He was telling them.

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:1–10)

If one of the foundational tenets of positive psychology is to find or experience “happiness” and thus to live life so that it is pleasant, good, and meaningful, then these three constructs—pleasantness, goodness, and meaningfulness—all can impact our experience of “happiness.”

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

· Share your perspective on how positive psychology’s concept of achieving happiness compares (or doesn’t compare) with Scripture’s “Abundant Life.”

Background Information

In positive psychology, many researchers are currently exploring what it means to achieve happiness in life. Three constructs, or three different pursuits of happiness, have been posited as 1) the pleasant life, 2) the good life, and 3) the meaningful life. Each of these disparate pursuits builds upon the one before it. So we will begin this series with a discussion of the “pleasant life.”

Seligman, the founder of positive psychology, explains the pleasant life as learning to appreciate and to even “savor” the fulfillment of our basic needs such as our physical needs and even companionship. This stage of seeking happiness can lead into the next, or into the “good life.” When living out the good life, we are using our virtues and highest characteristics to enhance creativity and to bring a sense of goodness and beauty to the world and to others. This leads us to the final pursuit of happiness, the meaningful life. In living the meaningful life, we are grateful for what we have, and using our talents and virtues, we live out our lives in meaningful ways, in ways that serve others and bring purpose and meaning to our own lives as well as to the lives of others.

Instructions

1. For this devotional, read the passage from John 10 in the Information and Alignment section and what Jesus has to say to those who can hear Him, to those who can understand Him.

2. Before participating in the discussion, consider your responses to these questions:

a. In this passage, is Jesus talking about how to live a happier life?

b. Is He talking about how to live a “pleasant life” and thus to be appreciative of the most basic of needs such as companionship, physical satisfaction, and even safety?

c. Is He perhaps talking about the good life, where we use our virtues, talents, and characteristics to bring goodness to the world?

d. Finally, could this passage be talking about having a meaningful life, a life of purpose and fulfillment?

e. Or perhaps our Lord is talking about all three…or more?

3. Navigate to the threaded discussion below and respond to the following:

a. Share your perspective on how positive psychology’s concept of achieving happiness compares (or doesn’t compare) with Scripture’s “Abundant Life.”

4. Your postings should also:

a. Be well developed by providing clear answers with evidence of critical thinking.

b. Add greater depth to the discussion by introducing new ideas.

4.2 Discussion. Relationships and Well-Being

Getting Started

We hear so much about relationships these days and what constitutes “good” relationships. The topic might not generate much initial interest, perhaps because much of the information we recycle about relationships is the same old stuff. But when we look at relationships through the lens of positive psychology and well-being, the topic takes on a whole new meaning.

First, we aren’t just talking about communication techniques or learning to better interact with people. We are going deeper. We are interested in making meaningful connections with others. Consider this: In the course of one day, we have more touchpoints with people than an average person living 100 years ago had over several months. But most of our current touchpoints are quick, superficial exchanges through texting, social media, voice mail, or email. While we have more contact with people than ever before, most of that contact lacks a depth of connection.

One sign of this lack of deeper connection is the increasing suicide rates in most age groups, in large part because people feel disconnected and lonely. The superficial “follows” or “likes” common in social media fall well short of feeling like meaningful connections that support, nurture, and enrich one’s life.

So, what does positive psychology have to say about more meaningful connections? A lot that is worth considering.

In this discussion, you will have the opportunity to explore what positive psychology has to say about relationships that enhance connection and meaning. What is the difference between casual relationships that give the impression of friendship and those that meet a deeper need for being known and valued? How does a more substantive relationship enable you to be more resilient to the stressors of life? How is your sense of well-being strengthened by meaningful connections with others? These are just some of the questions you get to explore in this discussion, which is designed to continue exploring Seligman’s PERMA model and how it relates to overall well-being or flourishing. Here we specifically focus on the “R,” which represents relationships.

Upon successful completion of this discussion, you will be able to:

· Identify ways the PERMA model of the “Good Life” enhances personal relationships.

Background Information

After reading Chapter 4 in  The Science of Virtue and the assigned article, begin forming your thoughtful responses to the discussion questions. To get the most out of this discussion, think carefully about how social media has taken priority in the way we communicate with each other. Consider how trivial most of this communication is compared to the deeper types of interaction that help a person to feel secure and known in relationships—the type of depth in relationships that fosters trust, love, and loyalty.

Instructions

1. Read Chapter 4, “Humility” in your textbook  The Science of Virtue: Why Positive Psychology Matters to the Church.

2. Review/watch the following resources:

a. Article: “ PERMA – R is for Positive Relationships (new tab) ”

b. Video: "Flourish with Martin Seligman" (video contains closed captions)

3. Respond to the following discussion questions:

a. From what you’ve learned thus far in the course, what do you see as positive psychology’s unique contribution to the development of meaningful relationships?

b. What association, if any, do meaningful connections with others have to do with humility?

c. How do meaningful relationships create more resiliency to stressors and the “ups and downs of life”?

d. How does having meaningful connections with others improve your sense of well-being? How is that well-being affected when you feel disconnected or lonely?

e. How might you be able to apply the takeaways from this learning to engage in a more meaningful way with at least one person this week?

4. Your post should be between 400 and 500 words long.

a. If you use outside sources in your discussion comments, be sure to include APA7-formatted, in-text citations to support your post. You may use your readings for this assignment for your citations.

5. Your postings should also:

a. Be well developed by providing clear answers with evidence of critical thinking, supported by at least two academic sources.

b. Add greater depth to the discussion by introducing new ideas.

4.4 Assignment. Growth vs. Fixed Mindset

Getting Started

Let’s say that you are given a task at your workplace that your boss has called “simple.” He says it shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours to complete. But after looking over the details of the task, you conclude that the task is beyond your knowledge and training. So, you go to your boss and ask him to give it to another person in the company. Your boss assures you that this is a “simple” problem to solve and that you have the ability to complete the task given the training you’ve received. During the first hour on the task, you are getting nowhere. By the end of the second hour, you are beginning to seriously question yourself. Your self-talk goes like this:  What’s wrong with me?  This is supposed to be a “simple” task. Maybe I’m in the wrong job. Worse yet, maybe I’m just not smart enough to figure this out.

What this scenario depicts is what Stanford University social science researcher Carol Dweck calls a “mindset.” Dweck says that people tend to approach their life challenges with one of two mindsets. The first she calls a “fixed mindset,” which is the belief that our basic abilities, such as intelligence, are inherent to our person. We either have the trait of intelligence or we don’t. In other words, if you were truly intelligent, you could have easily and quickly solved the problem of the assigned task.

The other mindset Dweck identified she calls the “growth mindset,” which is the belief that abilities, such as intelligence, are developed with effort, practice, and persistence. The self-talk of a person with a growth mindset who is trying to figure out the task in our scenario might go something like this:  I’m obviously not looking at this problem in the correct way, so I need to find another angle that could give me more insight.

You can clearly see the difference between these two mindsets. The person with the fixed mindset is ready to give up because they’ve concluded that they aren’t smart enough to figure it out. So why keep trying? The growth mindset concludes that a new angle is needed. The lack of a solution is seen as a tough problem to solve instead of a statement of intelligence. The assumption is “If I give it more effort and persistence, I can solve this problem.”

Much of Dweck’s research has involved children but her findings have far-reaching implications for all age groups. And the concepts of the fixed vs. growth mindset have been embraced in many ways in various life coaching methods.

In this assignment, you will have the opportunity to read about and do a brief assessment of how you view learning and how this might reflect on the type of mindset you bring to the learning process, especially when you encounter adversity. The assigned chapter from the textbook speaks about mindset as does the article.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Compare the fixed mindset against the growth mindset.

Background Information

To get the most out of this assignment, first read Chapter 7 in  Positive Psychology in Coaching and then take the one-page Mindset Quiz. It is suggested that you print out the quiz, answer the 10 questions, self-score the assessment, and  then read the assigned article that discusses the growth mindset and the fixed mindset in much greater detail. It’s preferable that you take the quiz first so you will not be biased in answering the quiz questions.

Instructions

1. Read Chapter 7, “Applying the Latest Research on Goal Setting and Mindset” in your textbook  Positive Psychology in Coaching: Applying Science to Executive and Personal Coaching.

2. Assess yourself by completing the  Mindset Quiz (new tab) .

3. Read “ Growth Mindset vs. Fixed + Key Takeaways from Dweck’s Book (new tab) ” to review in greater detail what factors constitute a growth or a fixed mindset.

4. After completing these steps, respond to the following questions using at least four substantive paragraphs:

a. What was your final score and category in the score chart?

b. In what ways might you be able to improve your growth mindset in your schoolwork and job? Suggest at least one strategy for each.

c. How will awareness of growth and fixed mindsets help you in coaching individuals? Be specific.

5. Be  specific in your responses and use concrete examples from the textbook, supplemental readings, outside sources, and personal experiences to frame your writing.

6. Use at least two scholarly resources in addition to the readings assigned in this workshop.

a. Use in-text citations and APA format for direct quotations and references to the readings.

4.3 Assignment. Best-Possible-Self Exercise

Getting Started

If you were in a sales-oriented profession, you would likely have a product of some type to promote. The best salespeople know their product inside and out and how it can benefit their target audience. Those benefits become their core selling points.

But you’ve chosen the specialization of life coaching and positive psychology, where you don’t have a “product” per se, but instead offer a service. Your service will be your knowledge base and accrued experience that you will leverage to help others better manage one or more aspects of their personal and/or professional lives. When you look at it this way, you could say that  you are your product. How well you understand yourself could be your greatest asset for helping another person better understand themselves.

In this assignment, you will have the opportunity to learn more about yourself by doing a self-assessment that is also a common coaching exercise called “The Best Possible Self.” It is frequently used in coaching to help increase a person’s optimism about how they are living and where they are heading in life. The exercise requires you to envision an imaginary future where everything has turned out exactly as you would have liked. Your responses provide insight into your values and your potential choices as you look into the future. You get a glimpse into your intentions, dreams, and possibilities and begin to think of how you might pursue them. This exercise has been shown in several studies to improve a person’s mood and well-being.

Not only does this self-assessment heighten your own awareness, but it also enables you to become familiar with a useful coaching tool that you can use when coaching others. In fact, you will use a modified version of this tool in the next workshop when you will conduct a practice coaching session with the person you secured for the practice session back in Workshop Two.

To get the most out of this exercise, keep a few things in mind as you do it. Think about your life right now in terms of your work, relationships, health, finances, living situation, and overall level of contentedness. Then, as you think about your future, ask yourself what you want to change. What would the ideal future look like in these realms? Be realistic, but also be willing to dream beyond the natural limitations. For example, if your future self would like to travel extensively but your current financial situation makes that dream seem impossible, go ahead and write it down. Dreams are encouraged in this exercise because the process of dreaming about a better future may lead you to solutions that would enable you to achieve those dreams. That’s where the optimism takes hold.

Write out all of your ideas without self-editing them and then go over your list to sift out those that seem most important to you. Once you have that list in place, you will do some analysis of your findings in a paper that includes an action plan and some integration with coaching and a biblical worldview.

Upon successful completion of this assignment, you will be able to:

· Apply a coaching method for enhanced self-awareness.

Background Information

The instructions for this exercise suggest that you write out your ideas in a stream-of-consciousness format. Though it may be tempting to skip this step, the process of writing down your ideas is central to the self-examination process. Writing in stream-of-consciousness means you don’t stop and edit your thoughts. You ignore misspelled words, missing punctuation, crossed-out words, etc. The idea is to focus on getting your thoughts on paper. Then, after you’ve done that, go back over what you’ve written and highlight the most important points to give them a leading place in your analysis of what you’ve learned.

Instructions

1. Read Chapter 8, “Applying Positive Psychology for Productivity and Well-Being at Work” in your textbook  Positive Psychology in Coaching: Applying Science to Executive and Personal Coaching.

2. Complete the self-assessment called “The Best Possible Self.” To do this exercise, follow these instructions:

a. Spend a couple of undistracted minutes thinking about your best possible future self. Imagine your life as you would ideally like it to be. But be realistic. For example, saying you want to win the lottery or own your personal island may not be realistic. Envision what your actual talents, skills, and abilities are, what you want out of life, and who you would have to be or become in order to make that happen. For starters, you might focus on your future job, the scope of your influence, your ability to help others, your family, etc. Be sure to include insights from your character strengths and well-being surveys in this review. Remember, focus on the future, not on the present.

b. Write out your ideas in a stream-of-consciousness format. Don’t worry about misspelled words, punctuation, etc. Just get the thoughts out of your head onto paper. Be as specific as possible. This will enable you to get the most out of this exercise. Write continuously for 10–15 minutes.

c. Reflect on what you’ve written by rereading the entire script. As you read, highlight important points by circling, underlining, or using a highlighter to mark those points that seem more important to you.

3. Once you’ve finished your reflection, write a four- to five-page paper in response to the following:

a. Describe the emotion you felt as you streamed out your thoughts on your best possible self. What do you think this emotion is saying about your ideas and the future you envision for yourself?

b. How does your future self differ from your present self?

c. What might be keeping your present self from realizing some of your most sought-after future self’s ambitions? Be specific.

d. What specific changes would you want to implement in the next few weeks that would move you in the direction of your future self? Mention at least one that relates to well-being and one that relates to strength-based characteristics, based on the assessments you took in Workshop Two.

e. Which of the three coaching methods—problem-solving, values, or growth—did you naturally gravitate toward in this exercise? Explain.

f. Suggest at least one way that this Best Possible Self exercise could be used in a life coaching context. Explain the potential benefit(s).

g. How can you pursue your best possible self while keeping yourself grounded in true biblical humility? What does a scriptural view of self look like? Explain.

4. Be  specific in your responses and use concrete examples from the textbook, supplemental readings, outside sources, and personal experiences to frame your writing.

5. Write your papers in APA Style or navigate to the  APA Style Page (new tab)  and scroll down to the APA 7th Edition Paper Template.

6. Use at least two scholarly resources in addition to the readings assigned in this workshop.

a. Use in-text citations and APA format for direct quotations and references to the readings.