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Positive Moments in Film
One
of the tenets of Positive Psychology is that we can choose to think
about and focus on happy, uplifting images to enhance our
well-being, or we can dwell upon negative, pessimistic thoughts, and
create or worsen a state of depression. It is especially helpful to
intervene on our thinking if we find that we are in a ruminative
state, and our mood is in a downward spiral. Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky
and her research colleagues have found that rumination can be
actively addressed in as little as eight minutes of purposeful
distraction, in which we either socialize with others, engage in a
“flow” activity, or otherwise engage our emotions and senses with
more positive thoughts.
To that end, this page is designed
to present people with images and videos that can demonstrate the
power of seeing stories or people whose actions inspire laughter,
awe, gratitude, or other positive emotions. If you come to this page
with a sad or pessimistic thought, you just might find that a few
minutes of watching some of these videos will put you in a slightly
different frame of mind, and possibly ignite the “upward spiral of
emotions” that Dr. Barbara Fredrickson has detailed in her “Broaden
and Build” thesis.
If you have a video you would like
to nominate for inclusion, please send an email to:
caroline@carolinemiller.com with the link and an explanation of
why it should be on this page. We welcome your thoughts, submissions
and ideas!
This
short clip from the August 3, 2007 edition of the
“CBS Evening News” was so moving that I had to
include it on this page. It profiles a retired
gentleman in Lake Placid, Florida who gives away
approximately 25,000 roses every year that he grows
himself, and he hand-delivers them in bud vases to
every single business in town, including patients at
the local hospital. He does it to “stay busy,” but
says he loves how it makes others feel, which brings
him true joy. This is the perfect clip to watch if
you need a reminder that it doesn’t take much to
bring joy to others, and yourself, in a lasting,
meaningful way.
WATCH VIDEO
In this piece on
Laughter Yoga in India, you can learn more about the
power of laughter, how this movement started, and
what happens in your body and your environment when
you either fake laughter or genuinely laugh! I
challenge anyone to watch this and not smile or
laugh at least once!
Here is another
video about Laughter in Yoga
Watch Video
I’m
including this clip of Emmitt Smith, a
Pro Bowl former football player, and his
partner, Cheryl Burke, in the 2006
finals of “Dancing With the Stars”
because I always found myself stopping
and watching them dance with a huge
smile on my face. It’s hard not to enjoy
watching this show because it involves
half of the dance partners putting
themselves out of their comfort zone
every week while learning new and
complicated dances, which they always
accomplish. You can’t help but admire
their spirit, the joy exhibited in the
dances, and the sheer physicality of the
movements choreographed to the music. If
this isn’t Positive Psychology in
action, I don’t know what is!
This clip is from the movie,
“Pay It Forward” in which a
social studies teacher, played
by Kevin Spacey, challenges a
class of middle schoolers to
come up with a project that
might change the world for the
better. One student, played by
Haley Joel Osmont, comes up with
the idea of doing something kind
and challenging that person to
“pay it forward” by doing
something kind for three other
people. This true story is an
awe-inspiring tear-jerker, and
has inspired the creation of a
foundation, the Pay It Forward
Foundation (http://www.payitforwardfoundation.org/),
that teaches others how to do
the same.
And
here’s the cutest baby laughing
video I’ve ever seen. If someone
isn’t smiling after one minute
of this, then Emotional
Contagion Theory isn’t valid!
Here’s a video about a movement
to give away “Free Hugs.” It’s
amazing how powerful this small
gesture can be in terms of
helping people feel connected to
others.
There are few video clips that
challenge this one from “The
Today Show” about “Team Hoyt”
for sheer awe and elevation.
This father-son team competes in
marathons, triathlons and all
kinds of races around the world
in which the father pushes,
carries or pulls his adult son,
which has cerebral palsy. You
will want to be a better person
in every possible way after you
watch this extraordinary story.
Candid
Camera” is one of the funniest shows
ever aired on television, and it never
fails to make me laugh. Norman Cousins
even credited his remarkable recovery
from illness to watching shows like
this, over and over, until he felt he
had the right frame of mind to live
again!
Researchers
have found that there are several
Positive Interventions that you can
perform in your own life to change your
happiness levels, both short-term and
for months and years afterwards. For
best results, it’s advised to
occasionally change the Positive
Interventions to keep them fresh and
active in your life. Here are a few
that have been shown to be very effective
in bolstering well-being and creating a
more grateful, optimistic outlook:
One of the best ways
to achieve your own goals is to create public
accountability and support by sharing them with
a wide audience. To that end, we encourage you
to submit your own list of life goals, which we
will post on this website.
Download "100 Things to do Before I Die" to help
you get started today!
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2000 -2008
Caroline Miller Coaching,
LLC,
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One
of the tenets of Positive Psychology is that we can choose to think
about and focus on happy, uplifting images to enhance our
well-being, or we can dwell upon negative, pessimistic thoughts, and
create or worsen a state of depression. It is especially helpful to
intervene on our thinking if we find that we are in a ruminative
state, and our mood is in a downward spiral. Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky
and her research colleagues have found that rumination can be
actively addressed in as little as eight minutes of purposeful
distraction, in which we either socialize with others, engage in a
“flow” activity, or otherwise engage our emotions and senses with
more positive thoughts. 
