We’ve been examining the Positive Psychology construct of well-being, comprised of Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationship, Meaning, and Accomplishment, denoted by the acronym, PERMA. This week, it’s the R for Relationship that comes into our focus. It’s easy to understand how the intimacy of partner dancing, almost irrespective of style, can create long-lasting, intimate relationships….
Last week I began a series of short essays linking up Martin Seligman’s work on “well-being” in Positive Psychology as described in his most enjoyable book, Flourish, and the benefits of social partner dancing. How does Seligman define well-being? Great question! Well-being, according to Seligman, is the intention of Positive Psychology, constructed from five elements:…
I’m reading Flourish by Martin Seligman, the founder of Positive Psychology. Positive Psychology seeks answers to the question, “What makes life worth living?” As opposed to diagnosing psychological dysfunctions, Positive Psych looks at how we can improve well-being in our lives. What is this “well-being,” you ask? Seligman maintains that it is a construct comprised…
I just returned home from a quick trip to Phoenix to attend a family wedding. It was a lovely, relatively small event as weddings go. There was a live band playing lively, danceable music. And the guests got up to… ummm… jump up and down, and swing their arms wildly, unless it was a slow…
So, are you watching this year’s World Series? Two teams – the Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros – each of which was the clear leader in their league through the regular season, performing in the “Fall Classic” in ways that are literally unprecedented in the history of baseball. And not necessarily in a good…
Yesterday, I met with a university student for whom I’m acting as thesis advisor. (Side note: among other things I do when I’m not dancing or teaching dance is to work with university students at all levels, guiding them through major research projects, theses, and dissertations either as their advisor/supervisor, or as an adjunct to…
Tis the season for employee engagement surveys—that annual exercise which provides a typically unreliable glimpse into motivation (or lack thereof) in an organization. In an environment that is overly bureaucratic, where an individual’s autonomy might be limited, where the HiPPO (Highest Paid Person’s Opinion) always take precedence, it’s easy to understand how people might simply…
From time to time, students ask me when they should move up from Foundation level to participate in the Repertoire classes. Or, they simply assume that they’re not good enough (read: haven’t yet developed the confidence) to stay on for the Repertoire class after Foundation. Part of this hesitation might come from the training and…
I was speaking with a prospective client this week (for my non-Salsaholics work) about creating a workshop for their leadership around the theme of “Be Inspiring.” So, I had cause to reflect on what it takes for an individual to… well… be inspiring. I’m not sure I yet have a good answer for what might…
For many people around the world, this week marks an annual renewal, a time to reflect and be truly appreciative for the blessings throughout our life. Rather than talk about form, or technique, or dance classes, this week I simply want to say, “Thank You.” Thank you to everyone who inspired me to dance…