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How Brave/Grateful Are You?
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Dear Friends of Balancing Act,
Be careful what you wish for. I wished for a break from the steady stream of political attacks. Instead, I got a steady stream of Frankenstorm reports. If you are reading this, you are one of the lucky ones who is inside and has power.
Whether politics or natural disaster rules the day, though, I see a common denominator. We can do a better job of navigating rough terrain, if we use the strengths of courage and gratitude.
A huge proponent of using the power of gratitude was the late Chris Peterson, one of the founders of positive psychology. In memory of Chris, who died unexpectedly this month, I am proposing a couple of gratitude exercises for you to try.
On the bravery front, I invite you to read about this year's Brave Thinkers and think about what courage means to you. Related to that, I'm sending along a piece that talks about risk as a metaphor for surfing.
On a more mundane - but very practical - level, I bumped into a piece that will help you decide how risky it is to eat the food that sat in your fridge during a period outage, in case you encounter one as Sandy blows through. (Take good notes while you still have power.)
Finally, if you have power and turn to online retail therapy to distract you from politics and storm surges, you'll find some pointers in my latest column.
Positively yours,
Pat
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A Gratitude Memorial 
In A Primer in Positive Psychology, University of Michigan psychology professor Christopher Peterson offered two gratitude exercises for increasing positive mood and well-being.
There could be no better memorial following his unexpected death than undertaking one or both of these.
One involves writing a gratitude letter to a person who has provided a meaningful contribution to your life but you have never properly thanked, and if possible delivering it in person. Sometimes we have to muster our courage even to reach out and express gratitude, but pay attention to how this simple exercise can make you - and the recipient - feel.
The other is to write down three things that went well during the day. In other words, some positive things - large or small - you feel gratitude for. Empirical studies of those who have completed this exercise for a week show an increase in positive mood and decrease in depressive symptoms that can last for up to six months.
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Who's Brave In Your Book?
 A marvelous way to decide what courage means to you is to study exemplars who are said to manifest outstanding courage.
The Atlantic makes it easy to do this by producing an annual list of Brave Thinkers.
Their brands of courage are diverse. For example, this year's list includes a vocal group of nuns who have challenged the Vatican, an environmentalist author who opposes air conditioning, and a feminist punk rock group that challenged assumptions about who rules Russia.
To try on their particular brands of courage and see what sort feels most comfortable to you, check out the 2012 Brave Thinkers List and imagine what it would be like to do what they did.
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Risking? It's Like Surfing
Whether it's reaching out to others or achieving professional success, exhibiting courage involves an element of risk. One radio host, a surfer, has compared the elements of risk to the elements of surfing. It's not a bad metaphor.
Here are the surfing/risking steps, according to a piece by Srinavos Roa:
1. Get in the water.
2. Understand and accept fear.
3. Go for it.
4. Embrace uncertainty.
5. Enjoy the bliss.
6. Reflect on the choice.
7. Do it again.
What's worth getting in the water for, for you?
Copyright 2012 Pat Snyder
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KEEP?
OR THROW OUT?
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With power outages looming from the Frankenstorm and coming winter storms, there are always questions about whether it's safe to keep certain foods, or you need to throw them out.
The USDA is here to help with this guide. It's a keeper, so you want to print it out while you still have power.
As for foods, it suggests that a closed refrigerator can ordinarily keep food sufficiently cold for four hours, while a full freezer that is kept closed can keep food safe for 48 hours.
The surfer's guide to risk-taking in this issue notwithstanding, the USDA advises against tasting the food to see if it's OK. For obvious reasons.
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LEASH LAW NO. 46: DON'T
CATASTROPHIZE
I am the first to plead guilty to catastrophizing, or jumping to a worst-case scenario. In my book, I even rationalized expecting the worst could bring greater inner peace when the worst did not happen. However, my theory has been debunked by positive psychologists who see the perils of negative thinking and by best-selling author Eckhart Tolle, who points out in The Power of Now that greater peace comes from being in the moment. Or, to summarize his 224 pages, "When you're there, be there." So when you're tempted to say, "Oh, my God, oh, my God," try just being in the present and taking it one moment at a time. This is derived from one of 74 leash laws offered in Pat's book, The Dog Ate My Planner: Tales and Tips from an Overbooked Life.  |
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