Category Archives: Reflections

Positive opportunities are being presented to us daily by nature. These opportunities are a form of kindness to us that most of us need practice identifying. As such, start spending time looking for these opportunities in your life, even in hindsight. Choose at least one and allow it to fill your heart with wonder. ToContinue reading “Patterns of Nature”

Dr. Martin Seligman is the director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Seligman is widely considered the founder of the modern “positive psychology” movement, taking up the reins left by the likes of Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers. What Seligman does is study mental health rather than mental illness, providing peopleContinue reading “Three Steps to Move Someone You Love to Grateful Tears”

When thoughts of the heart overcome words of the mouth people feel at home. You’ve likely heard the old saying, “home is where you hang your hat.” I think it’s more apt to say “home is where you hang your heart.” And by hanging your heart, I mean allowing it to be on display. HomeContinue reading “People Feel at Home”

Back in 2018, the “Wall Street Journal” published an opinion piece called “A Senseless Act of Courtesy” (note, you’ll need an account to read the whole article). The subtitle works as a decent summary of the so-called “senseless act:” “In an empty parking lot on a Sunday morning, an elderly couple decide not to hogContinue reading “Research Shows How We Can Achieve Peace on Earth”

Back in September of 2001, I was offering an online version of my original kindness class, what I call “The Practice of Kindness.” Per usual, the first week’s assignment was to do something kind for yourself. A couple of days after sending out that assignment, the attacks of September 11th took place. So here IContinue reading “Provide for Another Something You Want to Experience”

As the pandemic stretches and challenges us, one way to provide yourself some focused relief is to reach out to support others. Knowing you have needs, seek to recognize this in others. Then, with this in mind, try this exercise that is intended to be of benefit to someone else AND you (and can actuallyContinue reading “Do Something Kind For a Friend (in Need)”

In 1993, I proposed to a group of parents the basic philosophy and concepts of what a year later began as the Puget Sound Community School (PSCS). For 24 years I served as the school’s director, save for one year when I was on sabbatical with my family. My wife, Melinda Shaw, served as co-founderContinue reading “Can Kindness Be Taught?”

A friend recently told me this story about the important role children play in her and her husband’s lives. She said: “For the last two and a half years I have watched two of our neighbor children, ages 7 and 5 now, who have a heavy, busy schedule as both parents work full time. TheirContinue reading “Days Brighten at Dawn”

Speaking of hope, I hope you all are feeling healthy and doing your part to bring positivity to the spaces you inhabit. Every positive action contributes to the uplifting energy we all need, now more than ever. With that in mind, one of my favorite stories from the pandemic is this one about how theContinue reading “Speaking of Hope, Positivity & Creativity”

My graduate work is specific to human development and my personal interest is specific to what helps people thrive. I’ve long been drawn to the work of developmental psychologist James Marcia who provided me (and others) a deeper view of Erik Erikson’s theory of human development specific to adolescents. Marcia defines achievement as taking placeContinue reading “Thrive Through Exploring”