Post image for Good Passion Bad Passion

Since my blog is called Pursuing Passions, I was keen to learn more about the dualistic nature of passion when I attended the First World Congress on Positive Psychology this past weekend in Philadelphia.

That there is good passion and bad passion is not new.  But appreciating the psychological impacts of good and bad passion is of interest. Of even greater interest is how to cultivate more good passion and why does that matter?

Robert J. Vallerand, Professor of Psychology at Universite du Quebec a Montreal defines passion “as a strong inclination toward an activity that people like, find important, and in which they invest time and energy.”

Vallerand’s model posits the existence of two types of passion – harmonious passion and obsessive passion – each associated with different outcomes and experiences. [click to continue…]

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Post image for Let Passion be your Power

Life is what happens to us when we have other plans, is, I think, a paraphrase of John Lennon, the great lyricist of Beatles fame.  Perhaps Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (President-elect) in Iran could be thinking just that right now, as the people Iran rise up to demonstrate that they had other plans.  Big story to be continued.

So when life happens, it can mean we are thrown off life’s course as we have designed it.   Barriers and challenges get in the way of what we dreamed our life to be.  The vision we held becomes blurred, cloudy or even blacks out.  It can happen when we get very sick, lose family members, our jobs, our homes and businesses.  There are so many stories out there in our current climate that seem to suggest life doesn’t always go according to plan.

Right in your face steps the aliveness of life – with its fullest passion urging you to take personal responsibility for what you really care about.   History shows us repeatedly that  human resiliency and adaptability triumphs.  In times such as these, we reconnect to our universal human values and feel that which makes us alive.

So whether you are protesting to have your vote counted in Iran, for medical reform in the US,  for a fair living wage in developing countries , or in support of your own personal challenges whereever you are,  let passion be your power!

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Post image for Flourishing Destinies 1- The New News Media

So “flourishing” is forefront of my mind lately- see earlier post about our workshop at the recent 2009 BAWB Global Forum (Business as an Agent of World Benefit).  Therefore, it’s not unusual that the reticular activating system (RAS) kicks in and “everything”, speaks to me of “flourishing”.  The antennae coming out of my temples are vibrating with increased frequency, picking up signals from everywhere focused on  “flourishing”.  And, I will concede, it could be my filtering system making it so.

I have reason to be excited.   Our workshop “Flourishing Destinies: sustaining continuity for positive change” received media attention and was the lead story yesterday in  Axiomnews , based in Ontaria Canada and whose mission is “to publish news, on behalf of organizations, that catalyzes meaningful contribution.[click to continue…]

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Flourishing Destinies at Global Forum

Thumbnail image for Flourishing Destinies at Global Forum May 28, 2009 Appreciative Inquiry

Last few weeks I’ve been co-designing a workshop with 3 colleagues. It’s an online workshop – an appreciative inquiry into the topic of “Flourishing Destinies:  Sustaining Continuity for Positive change.”  We will be facilitating this workshop virtually at the 2009 BAWB Global Forum, physically located at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland OH.  The Global Forum [...]

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Participatory Wisdom Tools… our Choice

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Creativity, Positivity and Collaboration

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This great story attracted my attention today.  This is the business model of the future.  It speaks to our “positive core” – a collective force of the best of who we are, what we do and have, not only valuing our collective strengths and aspirations, but acting on them.  In our interconnected, socially networked world, [...]

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Investing for the greatest return

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The existing paradigm of focus first on weakness is played out every day in most of our homes, our schools, our institutions, our place of work and worship. We focus on the things that “need fixing”. We invest energy, money, time, intellect, emotion into things that don’t work for us instead of putting energies into those things that will give us an easier and a much-amplified return for our efforts and investments. Simply, what we focus on grows.

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What is the world calling for?

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What the world is calling for is much clearer than it has ever been.  We have started to think more consciously of ensuring the future for generations to come.  There is a collective ground swell to serve.  In the first decade of the 21st, the world really has changed.
The citizens of this planet reached a [...]

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Twitter and Me

Thumbnail image for Twitter and Me March 28, 2009 Change

Twitter makes me happy because, it is FUN to participate, to discover people, ideas, learn many new things, go to new sites. It is ENGAGING, as I am fully absorbed, in the flow; I’m fully focused and before I know it, it’s 3.30 a.m.  It is also MEANINGFUL, adding a value to my life that [...]

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Positive Acts of Service

Thumbnail image for Positive Acts of Service March 19, 2009 Positivity

When we perform acts of service, no matter how tiny, we experience a positive affect and that leads to more positive actions, and the recipient, if there is one, shows gratitude, and is likely to also perform some positive future action.

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