Elaine O’Brien, PhD, MAPP ’08, is a optimistic psychology, health management, optimistic well being promotion,
motion science, growing old, and well-being speaker, writer, coach, thought chief, folks/venture supervisor, educator, and
advisor. Elaine creates packages selling proactive optimistic well being/health, and optimum efficiency.
Elaine presents internationally and on-line. She advances well being, health, and flourishing by inspiring folks to maneuver extra and
to seek out each enjoyment and that means in movement by way of PEP: Optimistic Train Practices.
Elaine’s web site. 
Full bio.
Elaine’s articles are right here.

The IPPA World Congress 2023 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, was a luxurious feast of empirical analysis, idea, and utilized delights. The convention program and other people included attendees from throughout the globe. Collectively we reveled within the goodness of the science we’re all searching for to advance. There have been alternatives to fulfill, care, and share. Many occasions highlighted strengths, empowerment, willpower, friendships, and optimistic connections to the science and one another.

Let’s take a look at this yr’s stellar occasion from a Transcendent Strengths perspective. Within the VIA Character Strengths, the transcendent strengths are people who assist us connect with the bigger universe. Expression of those strengths enhances the sense that life is significant. The strengths within the Transcendence advantage are appreciation of magnificence and excellence, gratitude, hope, humor, and spirituality.

Appreciation of Magnificence and Excellence

Convention planning led by Andrew Soren and his crew was glorious certainly. The number of a variety of subjects, together with from caring for underserved populations, and the setting, the agenda hit a candy spot to propel pondering, conversations, and analysis because the science of optimistic psychology advances into the subsequent wave. There was a stability of time for studying, dialogue, and celebration all constructed into the time collectively.

Conference Middle

Town of Vancouver offered a chance to savor distinctive magnificence, together with an out of doors recreation pre-conference session led by Dr. Holli-Anne Passmore and mates, journeys to get pleasure from a beautiful a part of the world, and even between-session strolls on the waterfront promenade outdoors the beautiful convention middle. At one level, after 5 hours indoors, I seen a window with a beautiful view of the surroundings outdoors. I used to be grateful.

Gratitude:

Gratitude includes feeling a deep sense of thankfulness in life and taking time to precise thankfulness to others. The research of gratitude is a fantastic a part of the science of utilized optimistic psychology. Gratitude has been discovered to be beneficially related to psychological, emotional, and social well-being. Gratitude is a predictor of fascinating life outcomes.

Gratitude in motion

The convention itself was a wealthy expertise that allowed us to expertise gratitude in being collectively reside, after a number of conferences held just about in response to Covid.

As an outgoing board member of the IPPA Optimistic Well being and Wellbeing Division, I skilled gratitude for the providers of the 2 award winners, Dr. Karen Garman, MAPP, and Dr. Sarah Pressman. It was a pleasure to look at them current their work after which see them honored for his or her contributions to Optimistic Well being, by outgoing division president, Dr. Joel Milam. 

Dr. Garman’s speak title was, “It made a distinction for that one,” referring to the story of the boy on the seaside tossing starfish again within the water. Dr. Pressman spoke concerning the therapeutic energy of smiling. Each contributed to my sense of hope for the longer term.

Hope

Hope is about anticipating one thing optimistic. It includes being future minded. One of many excessive level moments round hope for me was the wealthy international analysis introduced by Dr. Helena Agueda Marujo from Portugal and Dr. Andreas Krafft from Switzerland on the session, Hope Throughout Cultures: Classes from the Worldwide Hope Barometer.

The 2 audio system are concerned in shut collaborations on hope throughout continents. Their work integrates views from psychology, philosophy, and theology. They’ve developed a novel idea and mannequin of hope supported by empirical information. They’re each devoted to advancing this essential imaginative and prescient and sharing their provocative iterative analysis by way of an open-source journal (see references beneath). I consider this journal priming goodness, peace, and hope on the earth.

Humor

Laughing collectively

There have been many alternatives for enjoyable, play, and lightness in the course of the convention. Humor can deepen our studying whereas contributing to social interactions, optimistic relationships, and progress towards larger objectives. Actually, humor was not onerous to seek out at this culturally various occasion. In the course of the night celebration, there was enjoyable, dancing, and laughter whereas gifted presenters sang and performed stunning music, a few of it spoofing well-liked songs. It jogged my memory of Sarah Pressman’s feedback concerning the science of smiling.

Spirituality

Cultivation of spirituality advances that means, objective, life calling, optimistic beliefs concerning the universe, and the expression of advantage and goodness.

Sundown

Dr. Ryan Niemiec led the division assembly for the IPPA Spirituality Division. This standing room solely session featured leaders exhibiting developments on this rising subject. Dr. Dan Tomasulo led actions that concerned significant conversations, humor, and deep, profound insights for the viewers.

Abstract

There was an abundance of magnificence, excellence, gratitude, hope, humor, and spirituality on the IPPA World Congress 2023. For me, it was a excessive level of private {and professional} transcendence. I’m nonetheless vibrating from the goodness of studying, being with pricey mates, assembly new mates, being impressed, being seen, and caring about one another and our shared humanity.

References

Marujol, H. A., Velez, M. J., Gonçalves, S. P., Neto, L. M., Krafft, A. M., & Cassais, M. (2021). The worth of hope: Validation of the perceived hope scale within the Portuguese inhabitants. Present Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02115-6

A. M. Krafft, T. Guse, & A Slezackova, editors. Hope Throughout Cultures: Classes from the Worldwide Hope Barometer. Open entry journal.

Niemiec, R. M. (2024). The Mindfulness and Character Strengths Workbook. Hogrefe.

Passmore, H.-A. & Holder, M. D. (2017). Noticing nature: Particular person and social advantages of a two-week intervention. Journal of Optimistic Psychology, 12, 537-546. https://doi.org/10.1080/17439760.2016.1221126.

Tomasulo, D. (2020). Realized Hopefulness: The Energy of Positivity to Overcome Despair. New Harbinger Publications.

UCI Press Launch (2015). When You’re Smiling. Story about Sarah Pressman’s analysis.

Picture Credit

Vancouver Conference Middle by Elaine O’Brien

Espresso Cup Photograph by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Laughing collectively by Siviwe Kapteyn on Unsplash

Sundown by Elaine O’Brien