“You’re being really critical,” my daughter snapped back. She was right. I was being critical. And when she uttered those words, I immediately felt a wave of sadness, thinking how I’d reacted with unnecessary judgment. It was not the way I wanted to show up—not as a parent. Nor as a person. I took a breath, turned around, and left the kitchen where both of my daughters, ages 24 and 26, remained. Several hours went by, and I began to reflect on both my behavior and why I’d responded the way I did. Using some of my VIA character strengths—curiosity, love and perspective—I asked myself a few q ..read more

It’s ancient! It’s primitive! It’s built into our bodies! Much like our pain response that keeps us out of harm’s way, the stress response is a warning system that tells us we need to take action. Stressors set off a cascade of chemicals and signals that tell us something needs to get done … and now! But does that always have to be a bad thing? Glad you asked, because it doesn’t. In fact, stress can be a really good thing, if we approach it the right way. Let’s discuss the stress response, homeostasis, the effects of stress, and most of all, how to rethink stress, master it, and make it work ..read more

Abraham Maslow explained human motivation through a hierarchy of needs: At a basic level, we all need food, water, warmth, and rest before we can move on to more complex needs, such as safety, love, and self-esteem. It is only when those needs are met that we can begin striving towards self-actualization and our full potential. Scott Barry Kaufman, a humanistic psychologist who has taught courses in intelligence, creativity, and well-being at Columbia University, NYU, and the University of Pennsylvania, brings Maslow’s work into the 21st century, adding his own research on how self-actualiza ..read more

As we prepare to begin another sequence of Wholebeing Institute’s Positive Psychology Coaching Certification program—now reorganized to make it possible to flow through the entire program, from Fundamentals through the Mentorship, in approximately seven months—it’s a natural time to take stock. Inspired by Harvard social psychology researcher and professor Dan Gilbert, we find inspiration and motivation for the future by appreciating how we’ve evolved and changed along the way. And certainly, as positive psychology practitioners, we can apply the principles we teach to our internal work as a ..read more

Why gratitude? Especially now, with our lives being literally turned upside down? Everything we do now that used to be our normal is having to be relearned, rethought, rewashed. That being said, I say there is no better time for gratitude. The definition of gratitude is being glad that something has or hasn’t happened; that something or someone exists; experiencing thanks. I started practicing gratitude about 10 years ago regularly and it has transformed my life. Gratitude, when practiced regularly, makes us happier and healthier, and improves our sleep and relationships. These are just a fe ..read more

There are times when life unfolds in a very different way than we would have liked or imagined, when we have no control and are forced to face the imperfection of a situation. We are experiencing one of those times right now with COVID-19: a situation that no one expected and that has turned our lives upside down. It is in moments like these that we can return to the simple but profound philosophy of Wabi-Sabi, one of the Japanese secrets for a happy life. Wabi-Sabi refers to an aesthetic philosophy and vision applied to objects, which alludes to beauty in imperfections and the value of the ..read more

When I first found WBI, my intention was to learn ways to bring positive psychology into a dark, traumatized world. For the past two decades, I have worked to provide and support mental health services for individuals who are incarcerated. Prisons and jails are shadowy, primal environments. They are dehumanizing by design, stripping away individualism and identity for all who enter, both inmates and staff. They are worlds that most never see, and certainly don’t understand. I have spent my career attempting to do just that—understand and get at the root of the pain and suffering, and suppor ..read more

In this meditation, you’ll direct attention to the flow of breath, following it from the nostril into the belly and back out again. The theme to bring into the day is to simply breathe, remembering to pay attention to the waves of air coming and going. Surfing the Wave of Breath Surfing the Wave of Breath. Morning Meditation: It's time to practice. Posted by Wholebeing Institute on Tuesday, April 14, 2020 Megan McDonough As the founder of Wholebeing Institute, Megan McDonough leads with divergent thinking and creative perspectives to build organizations and networks that harness the ..read more

Through the years, I’ve written and taught extensively about “liminal time,” that pregnant pause between what is no longer and what is not yet. Although liminal time is a known stage in all rites of passage, most people have never heard of it. Whether we’re talking about a pandemic, a war, a refugee crisis, or even a man or womanhood ritual, a graduation, or a new job far away from family and friends, the stages (though not the intensity) of a rite of passage are the same. 1. Separation from life as you have known it. 2. Passing through liminal time: a journey through the unknown that beg ..read more

Sometimes it takes a global pandemic to realize what you are truly called to do. After years spent conceptualizing an online literary journal dedicated specifically to publishing the stories that were inspired in my Women’s Writing Circles, I realized amid COVID-19 that there’s no better time to begin than now. For the past several weeks, many of us not on the front lines have asked ourselves how we can best be in service to others. I quickly realized that publishing this online journal was the best way I could use my top VIA Character Strengths to make a difference. Long before the pandemic ..read more