An authentic life with flow, zest, and gratitude is meaningful, engaging and pleasant. In order to want to optimize life we have to be willing to want to promote happiness into our lives. However, becoming happier and maintaining happiness is not easy, it takes work (Peterson, 2006). Optimism begins with a changing your attitude into expecting a desirable future. An optimistic life for me leads into waking up every day, being excited and full of energy, otherwise known as zest. Moreover, it opens a window of feeling gratitude for everything you have in your life and appreciating the meaningful moments of your life. Below I will discuss my present and preferred future into optimizing the quality of my life.
My maximizing present involves continuing to give thanks through experiencing and expressing gratitude. I will continue to be grateful for the individuals who are around me. Gratitude is positive for both the recipient and the giver because the recipient is grateful for being the recipient of gratefulness and the giver is grateful for acknowledging the recipient was in need of, or worthy of benefit (Emmons, 2007). Emmons (2007) suggest that those who regularly practice positive thinking reap emotional, interpersonal and personal benefits. Therefore, I will continue to practice gratitude in my present life.
Furthermore, in my maximizing present I intend to continue to spread the wisdoms of “ARK” (Acts of Random Kindness). I had the opportunity as project manager at Sunset Community Center every Monday for eight weeks of day-camp to teach the acronym “ARK” to an average of 40 new kids a week between the ages of 5-12 years old. Also, I ran an “ARK” activity with some Vancouver City Day-Camp staff and discussed with them the power of ARK. Every day for eight weeks before children and staff went home we placed our hands all in the middle of the carpet piling on top of each other’s hands and yelled “Longevity” on the count of three. Completing these activities with the children and staff at my work has enhanced my work environment through building positive relationships with the kids and staff members. Before the work day begins my staff and I go around in a circle listing one thing we are grateful for and then move on with our days activities. Not only has this enhanced my work environment, but it has left an impact on my life in general. I leave work in a mental and physical positive state which makes me feel less exhausted at the end of the day, because I am grateful for a positive work environment. ARK is very important to me because it creates a different type of subjective happiness when you are helping someone else in need. It allows you to feel selfless, and continue to help others in your daily life routines. It last much longer then a personal pleasurable experience, and creates feelings of hedonism (Peterson, 2006). Moreover, it includes feelings of meaning, engagement, pleasure and victory (Peterson, 2006). This summer I have felt so much intrinsic motivation to wake up in the morning to go to work, and during my workday I have felt a flush of flow making a whole eight hour shift fly by. Therefore, in my maximizing present I would like to broaden and build on my positive emotions through gratitude, ARK and living a healthy and active lifestyle.
In addition, I will maximize my future through using the hope theory. My preferred future is to be happy. I will be happy though having a successful career as a teacher and spreading ARK through my classroom. I need to broaden and build on many positive aspects of my life using hope theory. I hope to continue to have goals in my life and challenge myself by putting energy into my life and looking after myself through spreading positive emotions. I hope to have high subjective well-being and high life satisfaction in my career and relationships. In my life I hope to experience inner outcomes such as; enjoyment, savoring, remembering, pleasure and positive feelings (Peterson, 2006). I do not have an end date of this time line of events because chromos otherwise known as time perspective is running out. Life is short and changes in my life are going to begin today. I will have to be very strict with myself and make sure I accomplish the goals I want while being happy and living everyday as if it were my last.
I would like to dedicate my first blog to a wonderful co-worker Monica Dhaliwal who helped in motivating me to create a blog and as she put it “make them live.” Thank you for savoring the gratitude exercises! I am happy I have inspired you to take ARK into your business career. Good-luck at Sauder.
References
Emmons, R. (2007). Thanks: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make you Happier. Boston, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Peterson, C. (2006). A primer in positive psychology. New York, NY: Oxford University Press
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