POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: AN EASY GIG HOW THE POWER OF POSITIVE THINKING CAN CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE AND YOUR LIFE BY BETTIE KELLEY SOUSA, LAWYERS SUPPORT COMMITTEE | SMITH DEBNAM NARRON DRAKE SAINTSING & MYERS, LLP
AFTER VOLUNTEERING TO WRITE A BAR FLYER ARTICLE FOR THE LAWYERS SUPPORT COMMITTEE, I spent a week thinking I would make it funny. Really funny. But, with virus surges and social injustice protests, at least a disclaimer confessing my irreverence would be needed. Funny could be taken as wholly inappropriate. Then, an email ad from the Harvard Medical School reminded me of a more suitable topic, a field I’ve written about before: Positive Psychology. It is now mainstream, and I’m “all in” to tout this easy gig again. We could sure use some positive thinking these days. The gist of Positive Psychology — now proven as a treatment for depression, anxiety, addictions and conflicts — is to develop habits of focusing on positive feelings and diverting from negative triggers and thoughts. Google it. There are a multitude of books and papers on the subject, even a degree in Positive Psychology. Here’s the quick version. FOCUS ON THINGS THAT MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD. Simple pleasures are the best. And, we need to consciously remind ourselves of the good. My list is long, but here’s a sampling for our new normal:
•
Because meetings and functions are canceled, my husband and I watch TV more purposefully. And, once we figured out our 10-year-old TV no longer “got” Netflix, hubby bought a thingy and we have watched several series, often back-to-back episodes. Tiger King is horrible. And fascinating. Michael Jordan’s Last Dance is well-done even if you aren’t a
WAKE BAR FLYER
23
fan. Next up is Jeffrey Epstein. “Positive?” you ask. Perhaps not. But, to have the time to watch shows together and talk about them with our adult children are positives. No millennial would mistake us for “cool,” but it’s fun to swap comments about shows we wouldn’t normally take the time to watch
•
With a few of my girlfriends out of town, I’ve set up times to talk by phone, including lots of dates when I was slowly pedaling the exercise bike. In the former days of errand-running and packed schedules, we rarely set up a time to just yack. This has been good for our souls.
•
Once the pollen lifted, sitting outside and, corny as this sounds, listening to the birds, which are no longer drowned out by airplanes, is relaxing.
•
A nd music. I’m paying more attention these days to songs. The ‘70s channel makes an old joy new again every morning. This morning, sandwiched between “Layla” and “I Wanna Rock and Roll All Night,” was Ray Stevens’ “Everything is Beautiful.” Check out those lyrics. Bill Withers, who recently died, is mostly being remembered for “Lean on Me.” But, listen to “Lovely Day” for some sweetness and “Use Me Up” for some funk. So underappreciated, that song!
THIRD QUARTER 2020
