“ God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. ” - Reinhold Niebhur (adapted)

Description ...

I gave a talk today about Positive Psychology and suggested a couple of areas where there could be helpful synergies with psychedelics.  Here is the full downloadable talk and below are a few of the slides ... initially just below are the first three:

"You've got to spread joy up to the maximum.  Bring gloom down to the minimum.  Otherwise pandemonium ... Liable to walk upon the scene".  Bing Crosby sings

"You've got to accentuate the positive.  Eliminate the negative.  Latch onto the affirmative.  Don't mess with Mr In-Between".  Bing Crosby sings!

"Ten thousand flowers in the spring; the moon in autumn; a cool breeze in summer; snow in winter.  If your mind isn't clouded by unnecessary things, this is the best season of your life."                                Wu-wen

"Thus weave for us a garment of brightness; that we may walk fittingly where birds sing; that we may walk fittingly where grass is green; O' our Mother the Earth, O' our Father the Sky."       Tewa Indian 'Song of the Sky Loom'

This "Further background ... " post adds to the "Initial background for the colouring in exercise: assessment, maps, emotional intelligence & emotion discrimination" in supporting the "The 'emotion colouring in exercise': how to do it".  

gratitude writing:  The second 3-minute section of ...

expressive writing:  Returning to the ...

emotion processing:   Denise ...

taking it forward:  So ...

More to follow ...

This "Initial background" post provides important information to support use of the brief 6-minute "Emotion colouring In exercise".  There is additional useful information in the companion post "Further background for the colouring in exercise: gratitude, expressive writing, emotion processing & taking it forward". 

Emotional intelligence:

Emotion differentiation:

More to follow ... 

The "Emotion colouring In exercise" is a deceptively simple 6-minute writing exercise where we practise identifying and describing our feelings.  For important additional information about this process, see the "Initial background for the colouring in exercise: assessment, maps, emotional intelligence & emotion differentiation" and the "Further background for the colouring in exercise: gratitude, expressive writing, emotion processing & taking it forward" blog posts (sadly these latte two posts are still not fully finished).

“ Better keep yourself clean and bright. You are the window through which you must see the world. ” - George Bernard Shaw

There are so many interesting issues that can be covered in this chapter, for example "Four aspects of inner focus" model.  Mindfulness.  Acceptance.  Presence.  Flow.  Positive psychology findings.  Importance of gratitude/savouring.

In her wonderful poem "The summer day", Mary Oliver wrote: