What’s all the hoo har about positive emotions? We get it, we are sometimes happy, elated, satisfied, joyous, and we like that, but why are they such a big deal? Why are we always searching for the Holy Grail of being positive all the time? Are we supposed to avoid negative emotions? What does positive emotions do for us? What’s the big deal? In this Blog, taken from an article published by PositivePscyhology.com, all your questions will be answered!

Our current education system is based on focussing on what our students’ cannot do and our teachers set about working on fixing that problem. Having such a deficit view of our young people has been around forever! It’s what teachers are taught to identify and then resolve. Those students who are not able to be on a par with their age level peers, are sent off to extra classes or extra work or even worse, placed in a lower-level class or ‘support’ class to ‘fix’ them.

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) was developed by Professor David Cooperider and involves a process of questioning to make long lasting change in our lives. He believes that "Every action we take is preceded ny a question." Questions that look for the true, the good and the possible are what enable us and others to consistently flourish.

Tony Robbins believes "Effective goal setting lets you measure progress, overcome procrastination and visualize your dreams. If you don’t know what you want to accomplish, you can’t create a plan to get there. Setting goals is the vehicle that will drive you to your desired destination “ But what is the point of setting goals?

We surveyed parents of children with Autism. Some had children who had been through the schooling system, some who are still there. Some had positive experiences and some had challenges. These are 5 of their tips in choosing the right school for your child.

For many parents, the hours between the end of the school day and bedtime might include some serious drama if their kids don't enjoy doing homework. These power struggles can feel like a virtual tug-of-war where everyone seems to lose. Many kids strongly resist completing their assignments, but there are simple solutions available and ways you can use technology to your advantage. Struggles may be everywhere in the world, but they don't have to show up when it's time to do homework.

What is GROWTH Coaching? It is a method of coaching someone to be their very best. Using a method that has been tried and proven to bring out the best of the coachee, using trust, active listening, clarifying and asking the best questions to promote learning and growth.

Recently we lost Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He was a giant in the world of Positive Psychology and his work on 'Flow' is legendary.

A recent article by Brett Henebery, titled “Don’t bottle it up”: Why teachers need to talk about their emotions, has sent a shiver up my spine as it showed research highlighting that beginning teachers learn quickly about the unwritten rules of teaching including ‘Don’t show your emotional vulnerability, especially not to other teachers.’ If our new teachers are learning that this emotional behaviour is our expectation in schools, we are setting them up to fail, leave the profession or take stress leave. We need action! There is a sense of urgency to make changes at every level of education : pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary; if we are to enjoy a successful education system with quality Human Resources.

It’s been a tough year for our teachers right around the globe. As essential workers, they have had to juggle online learning, partial online learning, full face to face learning at the same time as providing online learning, preparing for all possibilities and often at a moment’s notice. All this they have done with a smile on their face, with amazing professionalism, exceptional resourcefulness and with restricted support. We’ve all had to learn the Covid Tango!

Just yesterday, I’d spoken with him (read: snapped at him) about screen time. Today, an argument began. Again.

He felt angry. I felt frustrated. We both felt misunderstood.

Why do we zoom in on the things about our children that concern us more than the things that delight us? Why do we find it so hard to resist the urge to criticise, nag, and worry?

Do you stress out when parenting kids who are having major, and public tantrums? Do you find yourself yelling and screaming at kids’ day in and day out? Are you finding that your kids are just not coping with the challenges that face them day to day and you are feeling inadequate to best help them? Well, you have the power to change all that and to become a calm and in control parent of successful, resilient and happy kids!

We all spend time at the end of another year, to reflect on our achievements and our disappointments. How did we go? What went well and what wasn’t so fantastic? What we wished we had done, what opportunities were lost and what mistakes we made. The things we would want to change and improve, and then they become our New Year Resolutions. 31st December are full of ideas and “In the new year I’m going to …..!” We all start with good intentions. Why don't they last?

This bushfire season has been catastrophic. The level of destruction, lives lost, wildlife killed, properties and businesses destroyed, has been worse than ever witnessed before. It is difficult to fathom, comprehend or understand and now, as people try to recover, it is so challenging for the best of us to know how to help and support. So, what do we do as parents, teachers and those working with or around children, to support them navigate through this emotional time?

I have a number of clients come to me wanting more positive moments in their days. Fair call! Positivity is way more productive and makes us feel so damn good! Some say (& it’s still controversial!) that it is best to have a 3:1 ratio for us to live at our best. Well that’s great, but how do I manage that ratio? How do I get that ratio right? Well, here is a few tips I have put together for a number of clients recently. Hope it helps.

The Action for Happiness organisation is a charity based in the UK and run across 19 countries. They aim to increase the happiness in the world by bringing together like-minded people from all walks of life, supporting them to take practical action to build a happier and more caring society. Their “Exploring what matters” course draws on the latest scientific research, focussing on individual mental wellbeing and provides a great deal of knowledge, support and resources to enable participants to develop a happier life.

Flourishing is a term thrown around a lot and many schools see the massive value in pursuing flourishing for their students. In my quest to find the definition and how and why it should be focussed on in schools, I found this article in the International journal of wellbeing. Rather than put my spin on it, I decided giving you a shortened, slightly modified version of the article to read, was the best option.

Strength-based Parenting is a scientifically researched approach where parents confidently and intentionally focus on their child’s strengths and positive qualities to increase life satisfaction. Research shows that children with strength-based parents have stronger academic, emotional and social skills. These children cope with conflict better, have less levels of stress, and are happier. What can Strength-based Parenting do for you and what can it do for your child?

A recent client came to chat with me on working in a toxic environment and as a leader, how he could action some change before he went “totally insane! We looked at four different elements of leadership in the workplace; culture, positive communication, positive meaning and positive relationships. This is his story.

My mother has dementia. It’s been developing over that past five years and now, it is quickly moving to severe. I’ve recently had to put her in a nursing home, as my father, who has been her full-time carer, has become unwell and can no longer look after her at home. It’s been difficult to find positives in such a negative experience. It has certainly made me reflect on my own capacity for positivity. This is how I have been able to keep my positivity ratio in check.