Archive for May, 2007

Margaret Lobenstine on Renaissance Souls

Renaissance Souls, gifted adults, Scanner personality, psychology of giftedness, high aptitude psychology “You don’t even know what you are deep inside. You’re not just some little waitress. Make the right choice. Start fresh.” Diner owner Joe (Andy Griffith) to Jenna (Keri Russell) in the movie “Waitress.” Here she is preparing one of her “genius” and [...]

Robert Epstein on the teen brain

In his article The Myth of the Teen Brain (Scientific American MIND, April/May 2007), psychologist and editor Robert Epstein, PhD notes, “We blame teen turmoil on immature brains. But did the brains cause the turmoil, or did the turmoil shape the brains?” He says brain imaging studies “find that teens and adults use their brains [...]

I fought the medication because I liked my creativity – Psychiatrist Kay Redfield Jamison

“There is a particular kind of pain, elation, loneliness, and terror involved in this kind of madness [bipolar disorder]. When you’re high it’s tremendous. The ideas and feelings are fast and frequent like shooting stars, and you follow them until you find better and brighter ones.” Psychiatrist Kay Redfield Jamison, M.D. – in her article [...]

Freedom from Self-Improvement Day

From Jennifer Louden’s site: Self-improvement is a one-way ticket to misery, says bestselling author Jennifer Louden. Instead, the path to happiness and fulfillment starts with acceptance of who and where you are. As a result, Louden is announcing the first annual “Freedom from Self-Improvement Day,” this May 15, 2007. “Beating ourselves up because our thighs [...]

Art can induce a calm state of mind

In her article How to Use Music and Art as a Relaxation Technique Meditation, Susan Masters writes: “The power of art induces a calm state of mind… any beautiful object, be it a flower, a painting, a piece of music, a movie or a well-written book, help us let go all the negative thoughts and [...]

Positive Psychology News May 11

Story 1: “The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness” [May 11 2007] – By Aren Cohen. Last night I went to hear a child psychiatrist named Edward M. Hallowell give a talk on his new book “The Childhood Roots of Adult Happiness.” Dr. Hallowell.. takes a strengths-based approach to treating children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), [...]

Jody Williams on Making it better

I believe it is possible for ordinary people to achieve extraordinary things. For me, the difference between an “ordinary” and an “extraordinary” person is not the title that person might have, but what they do to make the world a better place for us all. I believe in both my right and my responsibility to [...]

Who Do You Think You Are?

Responding to the question: “What kills creativity?”, actor Gillian Anderson once replied succinctly, “Ego.” One sense of this word “ego” is a distorted self-regard, what psychologist Carl Jung referred to as “inflated consciousness… hypnotized by itself.” Many people recognize the need to modulate this kind of ego in order to facilitate the creative process. But [...]

Two child screwups: Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling

Robert Kiyosaki [author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad] and psychologist Kenneth W. Christian [author of Your Own Worst Enemy] note in my post Schooling can leave us with limitations that the standard educational system can have negative impacts on gifted and talented people. And many rebel at it. The image is a poster for Fracture, [...]

What is power and being empowered?

One of the themes of this site is looking at ways we compromise our self confidence and authentic inner strength, and how we can be more empowered to realize our talents and dreams. So what does this loaded term ‘power’ mean? With current events like the war and police reactions to immigrant rights protest marchers, [...]

Telling ourselves stories – true and not so true

Telling ourselves stories – true and not so true

“When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not; but my faculties are decaying now and soon I shall be so I cannot remember any but the things that never happened.” – Mark Twain One of the most basic ways we deal with life and find meaning is to create [...]

Can self-doubt be a good thing?

Some people in positions of power or with celebrity status, such as high profile actors and entertainers, can develop an overblown sense of their importance and abilities. Brad Pitt once admitted, “We are treated as special. We get away with things that other people can’t. And you start to believe the lie that you are [...]

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