With “Introduction to Positive Psychology” certificate now being complete, it only seems appropriate to jot down some of my reflections on the experience of being back at school and studying a topic I feel very strongly about. A modified version of the “what went well” exercise, to make things more current.
When positive psychology found me in the late 2015, I felt the excitement I haven’t experienced in a long time. I simply knew it was something I had to explore. The timing of it was simply too perfect to be considered a coincidence – it was synchronicity at its finest. (Perhaps I will write one day more about it.)
Despite many reservations and obstacles, I managed to secure the funds for the course and in March 2016 I became a student at Laurier University. I loved every minute of my learning experience, even though it caught through my already limited free time. But, what’s the use of free time when you’re doing what you love, right? The strong pull that I had initially felt toward the topic got only stronger with each module. I can honestly say that by enrolling in this course I have found my new calling.
One of the requirements for completing the certificate was to write a capstone project. The preference was given – at least in the course’s description – to the projects that would use the intervention of positive psychology methods in real life. For example, at work, in a private practice, or in a support group. Not having access to any of the above – I left the full-time employment at the end of June – I have decided to write a theoretical paper focused on character strengths as my capstone.
Well, that is the official version: the truth is – without clarifying the format options with our teacher – I have decided to model my capstone on those written by the graduates of the Masters of Applied Positive Psychology program at the University of Pennsylvania. The very same program that was founded by Martin Seligman, a “father” of positive psychology.
I must admit that I had some reservations that writing a 50+ page capstone to conclude an online course appeared somehow excessive, but not wanting to interrupt our teacher’s summer break with a barrage of questions, I continued with the work. With love of learning and creativity being my top character strengths, I was confident I could write something similar. Or perhaps, it was the shadow side of love of learning “I know better,” supported by perfectionism, a shadow side of appreciation of beauty and excellence, that prevented me from checking with the teacher before it was too late to switch formats.
Whatever the real reason, I ended up writing a 55-page theoretical paper for my capstone. And I am pretty proud it! The full title is: Strong Core, Flourishing Life: Character Strengths as a Facilitating Resource During Transitional Phases in Life, and the paper explores the usage of one’s character strengths during times of transitions.
Why this topic? Having been through a number of major transitions in the last few years, the human response to change and transition seemed like a good fit. I felt compelled to research whether the application of positive psychology can help people facing change and transition in their lives – the answer is a big YES – and how to use one’s strengths to facilitate the transition. The main areas of focus of my capstone are character strengths and – although not explicitly named – growth mindset. Below are the excerpts form the Introduction to my capstone. Please feel free to contact me if you have questions or would like to read more.
With the Internet never sleeping, one literally has everything one needs to know at their fingertips 24/7.
Or do we? When we experience something that throws us off-balance, a significant change like a loss of employment, a death of a loved one, moving to another city, going to university, the illusory wealth of knowledge so readily available seems useless. Why? To put it simply, no amount of theoretical knowledge can prepare us for the turmoil and uncertainty that a big life transition brings. What can, though, is knowing one’s strengths and relying on them during turbulent times. Like with the old saying “a smooth sail has never produced a skilled sailor,” the same could be said about an easy life – for us to be able to navigate the rough seas of rapidly changing times we need to gain awareness of who we are and what are our core values, so that the next time a big wave is about to knock us down, we will be able to bounce back swiftly. And the only way to gain that awareness is through practice.
According to the results of a recent McKinsey survey, the most successful companies are those, which have the right combination of stability and speed, a characteristic called agility (Bazigos et al. 2015). Agile companies are aware of their core values – product, processes, innovation – and have enough flexibility to adapt to the fluctuations of the market. They can, therefore, continuously provide their customers with the service they need, leaving their competitors behind. Jim Collins, a leadership teacher and author, accurately described this phenomenon: “They [companies] don’t merely react; they create. They don’t merely survive; they prevail. They don’t merely succeed; they thrive. They build great enterprises that can endure. We do not believe that chaos, uncertainty, and instability are good; companies, leaders, organizations, and societies do not thrive on chaos. But they can thrive in chaos” (Collins and Hansen 2011).
Similar correlation applies to humans: those who know who they are, in this sense those who are aware of their core values and are secure in their own skin, and can easily adapt to the changing circumstances score the highest on the scale of self-reported well-being and life-satisfaction (Kashdan 2011; Tugade et al. 2004; Zwetsloot et al. 2013). The most adaptable ones not only survive, as per Darwin’s classic claim, but they also flourish (Seligman 2011). Fortunately, adaptability as a skill can be learned and enhanced.
Ania Bogacka
