¶ … Optimistic Child
As a child and young adult, the "self-esteem movement" had very little bearing on my experiences or my education. I was a capable well-adjusted student, and I received a good deal of support from my parents and teachers. I felt comfortable in school and progressed without any issues, and while I was a solid student, I was never extremely noteworthy for either positive or negative reasons. I don't recall the adults in my life making any specific effort to teach me about "positive thinking," and as far as I can recall I had a natural comprehension for my own strengths and weaknesses, and did not associate my weaknesses as failures. For example, I was far better at reading and writing than math. I did not see my lack of math skills as a negative, but I simply grew more interested in subjects that involved reading and writing.
During high school, I had the difficult experience of changing schools. My first high school was large and not a place I considered to be supportive or welcoming. I learned some important lessons regarding prejudice and racism, so my time there was an important part of my development, but again, it did not have a major affect on my self-esteem. The second high school I attended was...
Seligman's Authentic Happiness Martin Seligman's Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment Martin Seligman is a pioneer in the movement of "Positive Psychology." This new branch of research examines our ability to cultivate happiness. This ability is what Seligman calls "learned optimism" and is the basis for his bestselling book, Authentic Happiness. Seligman says that by focusing on our strengths and positive emotions as opposed to negative
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