Flourish…

Flourish.

According to Martin Seligman, the founding father of positive psychology, this is the highest aim for humanity.  His previous theory was that “happiness” was the one you want, seems he’s evolving.

His latest book isn’t his best.  It’s titled, Flourish and I really liked it’s premise he just gets way off course with his delivery.  However, one piece of data that’s a mind blower is that depression is now the world’s number ONE disease.  In America alone, every year, there are 10,000,000 humans diagnosed with this disease.  The prognosis, according to Seligman and the world of modern medicine, is that we’ve pretty much given up on a cure.  We just have.  In fact, the “relief rate,” is holding fairly steady at roughly 65%.  This relief rate is the same whether you choose medicine or psychotherapy.  AND, once you go off the medicine or stop the psychotherapy the symptoms “mostly” return.  Don’t believe me, but come one, you’ve got to TRUST the founding father.

The only “cure” he’s found is to have highly skilled technicians help the patient build as follows:

1.  Positive emotions.  Focus on their strengths, sCORE.

2.  Engagement.  Flow experiences in work and life.  Opus.

3.  Relationships that build real strength in both people.  Together we improve.

4.  Meaning and purpose for living.  Opus, PoP, sCORE.

5.  Achievement for achievements sake.  Work & Play, we can’t tell the diff and we don’t seem to care.

He provides all kinda scientific data to back his claims.  After reading the book, I’m starting to think that he’s becoming BUILT TO LEAD.

OPUS, PoP, and sCORE are the ones you want.

Now we’ve even got the science of positive psychology on our side.  Who knew we were going mainstream after all.  Who knew…