“The pleasant life: a life that successfully pursues the positive emotions about the present, past, and future.
The good life: using your signature strengths to obtain abundant gratification in the main realms of your life.
The meaningful life: using your signature strengths and virtues in the service of something much larger than you are .”
– Martin Seligman
What is Authentic Happiness? Is it really possible to achieve? Martin Seligman thinks so, and in my opinion he makes a very convincing argument.
In the video below, Seligman discusses being authentically happy. He introduces us to the idea of PERMA:
‘Positive emotions’
‘Engagement’
‘Relationships’
‘Meaning’
‘Accomplishment’
One of the most significant factors in finding authentic happiness is learning about our signature strengths and using them daily.
Discovering your signature strengths is easy and fun! Take the free signature strength test here:
https://www.viame.org/survey/Account/Register
Once you discover your own signature strengths, then it’s your decision – do you aim for The Pleasant Life, The Good Life, or The Meaningful Life? You decide.
If you take the Signature Strength test, I’d love to hear about your experience. And let me know what you thought of Seligman’s video. Positive Psychology is a popular topic on YouTube – there are several videos to choose between.
As always, thank you for visiting my blog. I appreciate it.
Awesome! It was a pleasure to see him speak at a 2011 conference. What inspiration. Happiness is within reach!
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It would be wonderful to hear him speak. I’m in New Zealand, and he hasn’t made it down here yet.
I agree – Happiness is within reach!
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Sounds like some event planning might be in your future!
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Great idea! Now if I could just find the number of his PA!
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How positive do the three things have to be that I write down? Is it what i deem to be positive or what is classed as positive? I think that my morning coffee was positive, talking about my plan for future and getting my work finished early
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Bernadette – thank you so much for the comment and the question. My understanding is that positive is whatever you deem positive to be, it’s what feels positive to you. Absolutely your morning coffee is a positive experience if you get to savor it and you enjoy it. It really is a personal experience – focusing on what is positive in your own life. You get to decide. When you are writing down the 3 things – the important thing is that it FEELS good while you are thinking of it. I hope that that answers your question. Please feel free to write again for clarification.
Thank you again for commenting.
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