Background: There was an article in The New York Times this weekend about this new branch of psychological study called Positive Psychology. I guess this guy, Dr. Seligman is the forerunner in this field and is training psychologists in the field of positive psychology. The idea is basically that you focus on the positive rather than the negative. Well sort of. Anyway, Dr. Seligman wrote a book called Authentic Happiness and on his website of the same name, you can participate in on-going research and take tests over which the results have already been formulated. Just in case you are interested, the webpage is authentichappiness.com.
After reading this article today, I decided to go to the webpage and take some of these tests. I was rather surprised at the results. (Wow, I really sound like an ad for this webpage, don't I?!) I took one that was supposed to measure my current level of happiness -- guess what? Despite being what is for me REALLY REALLY sad the past few days, my current level of happiness is still somewhere in the 80th percentile. I took another one which asked questions about the last seven days and was supposed to measure my current depressive-ness (is that a word?) -- again, shockingly happy is the old Suzanne. I took another one that supposedly scores how I "appreciate" the past -- I scored in the top 13% of people on this one (actually I got a perfect score -- who knew this was possible?)
What did I learn from all of this? Apparently, I'm a pretty positive person and I have lots of great stuff in my life. It is amazing how quickly we get bogged down by our lives. I was reflecting today that I have much to be happy about - nay - EXHILARATED about. Sometimes we get so caught up our "poor me" routine that we forget the suffering around us. Sure there are people starving out in those countries whose names I can't pronounce, but what can I do??? C'mon people, there are people starving HERE. I saw a homeless man who didn't even have a coat in this weather. For crying out loud I have students who don't have HOMES and others who can't afford to even put gas in their cars. These are people who couldn't BUY a job, and they, my friends, are the lucky ones because they could get student loans to try and better themselves. The issues these students have are ones I cannot even comprehend, and I have the audacity to CRY over a man??? Hell, even if I look at my own life I have much to be thankful for - I will NEVER be where I was two years ago. I will NEVER let anyone control my emotions again. I am in control of my own happiness, and by golly, happy I am. I'm not letting life get me down because this life is all I have, and I'm not going to waste it wallowing in my own self pity.
Moral of the story? Despite any recent suckiness, all's well in the Chica Blanca, yo.
Saturday, January 13, 2007
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