“Human beings want much more in life than not to be miserable. They want wellbeing.” Dr Martin Seligman
For the first time in nearly five years of blogging, I have failed to send a blog post for two consecutive weeks (except for a time or two when I was out of the country). It’s not that I haven’t attempted to write. It’s because my mind feels overwhelmed by so many sources of unwanted stimuli like Covid and masks and communal/personal safety and a myriad of other stuff.
Too much competing information. Too many opinions presented as facts. And all leaving people (like us) in an exhausted state of fear and/or confusion. And here we are in yet another state of Covid Anxiety. This time with a new strain, although different from the others but still with so many differing opinions on how to manage our lives in a Covid situation.
So… what to do? What to think? How to behave?
What if we were to adopt the objectives of psychologist Martin Seligman that frame the habits of our lives around the need for wellbeing, both personal and social? Seligman advocates the pursuit of positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments. Seligman’s view is that if we were to develop our lives around these five areas we have a real good chance of living the life we always wanted. And, in my mind, his position is sound.
The way I figure it, I may have 15-20 years remaining to live. Maybe more and likely less. But that is the time span I choose to plan for the future. What is it I can do for the next decade or two that might provide me with a satisfied sense of wellbeing?
What comes to mind immediately is love and kindness over judgment and criticism. I’m sure you agree that divisiveness is tearing us apart— divisiveness in our nation, in our communities, and in our families. The root divisiveness just may be fear of not getting our way and of losing control.
I wonder what it might look like if “our way” was the way of love and kindness. I wonder, perhaps by beginning with love and kindness we might find the road personal wellbeing.
Hmm. Just thinking…
When My Wellbeing
Is About Concern for Your Wellbeing
Photo courtesy of XXX at istockphoto
