Not long ago I was stuck. Wanting to move forward towards a goal but somehow unable to do so. At my recent workshop "Change Your Mind, Change your Life", we discussed hope theory and the three things that might be holding us back from reaching our goals.
At the time, I was trying to identify my next step career-wise. I now know that one of the reasons I was stuck was because I was unable to articulate a specific goal. How can you move forward on something that you haven’t clearly and specifically defined? In the end, I took a small step –taking my yoga teacher training – it was something that brought me joy even though I never saw it as an endpoint. The joy and sense of accomplishment I got being with those wonderful people and spending time doing something fun allowed me to take the next step – still unclear on the end point but moving just the same. Dr. Barbara Fredrickson coined the term “broaden and build” to describe the phenomena I experienced. Her research showed that when people experience positive emotions (such as joy, interest, excitement etc.), they show greater levels of creativity, inventiveness and greater problem solving skills. In addition, it leads to increased resources and more satisfied lives. People shift from surviving to thriving! Today, Dr. Fredrickson is being awarded the Tang Prize for International Achievements in Psychology in Toronto for her research in this area. Next time I am stuck, I plan to go have some fun. Perhaps you will join me?