Character Strengths Matter

Author: Shannon Polly
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780692465646
Category : Character
Languages : en
Pages : 250

Book Description
What are the elements of good character? The Values in Action (VIA) project identified 24 qualities such as creative, authentic, loving, forgiving, kind, persistent, prudent, and brave, calling them character strengths. Character strengths are elements of good character valued across time and around the world. If you are curious about your own strengths, join the 3 million people that have taken the free online survey at www.viacharacter.org. Character Strengths Matter: How to Live a Full Life brings the 24 character strengths to life with stories involving children, teenagers, adults, and elders and occurring in family life and business settings, in the present and in the distant past, in locations from China to the United States to the Middle East. Research shows that using character strengths in new ways for a week makes people happier up to six months later. This book includes many ideas for using your character strengths in new ways. Based on the unusual premise that a key way to build strength is to act 'as if' you have that strength already, this book includes short passages to read aloud to try on particular character strengths. This concept is well known to actors and elite athletes, but less well known to the rest of the world. Look inside the book to see whose words are used to embody hope, gratitude, leadership, creativity, kindness, love and all the rest. More than 30 authors contributed stories to this book, including George Vaillant, the 35-year director of Harvard's Study of Adult Development. Many leaders in the positive psychology field endorse the book, including the 'father of positive psychology' Dr. Martin E. P. Seligman. He writes: "My friend, Chris Peterson, would have loved this book. It brings to life with personal stories, practical recommendations, wisdom, and humor the dry scholarship that he (with an assist from me) did in Character Strengths and Virtues. Chris was very down-to-earth and I am sure he would have concurred in my enthusiastically recommending this book to everyone who works with character strengths in the real world." Martin E. P. Seligman, author of Authentic Happiness and Flourish Proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to a scholarship at the University of Pennsylvania in honor of the lead researcher of character strengths, the late Christopher Peterson. This scholarship supports the education of future practitioners of positive psychology. This is the third book in the Positive Psychology News series, joining Resilience: How to Navigate Life's Curves and Gratitude: How to Appreciate Life's Gifts. Bottom line, this book is bound to make you learn something new, be inspired about humanity and have a chance to play with character strengths. This book will make you happier.

Character Strengths and Virtues

Author: Christopher Peterson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198037333
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 815

Book Description
"Character" has become a front-and-center topic in contemporary discourse, but this term does not have a fixed meaning. Character may be simply defined by what someone does not do, but a more active and thorough definition is necessary, one that addresses certain vital questions. Is character a singular characteristic of an individual, or is it composed of different aspects? Does character--however we define it--exist in degrees, or is it simply something one happens to have? How can character be developed? Can it be learned? Relatedly, can it be taught, and who might be the most effective teacher? What roles are played by family, schools, the media, religion, and the larger culture? This groundbreaking handbook of character strengths and virtues is the first progress report from a prestigious group of researchers who have undertaken the systematic classification and measurement of widely valued positive traits. They approach good character in terms of separate strengths-authenticity, persistence, kindness, gratitude, hope, humor, and so on-each of which exists in degrees. Character Strengths and Virtues classifies twenty-four specific strengths under six broad virtues that consistently emerge across history and culture: wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence. Each strength is thoroughly examined in its own chapter, with special attention to its meaning, explanation, measurement, causes, correlates, consequences, and development across the life span, as well as to strategies for its deliberate cultivation. This book demands the attention of anyone interested in psychology and what it can teach about the good life.

The Power of Character Strengths

Author: RYAN M. NIEMIEC
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780578434292
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 322

Book Description
Carry this book in your back pocket. Let it become your faithful friend that nudges you, at every point in your journey, to unlock your potential. No matter where you are in life--searching for happiness, working toward a goal, longing for a better relationship, or feeling content and settled--focusing on your character strengths adds a whole new dimension. Recent research shows that when you understand and activate your positive personality traits, you become more resilient, manage stress better, and find greater fulllment in life. In The Power of Character Strengths: Appreciate and Ignite Your Positive Personality, you'll be expertly guided by leading authorities through your 24 strengths. You'll soon see all the ways these strengths are your best-kept secret for boostingyour well-being. Discover how to appreciate what's best in you and champion strengths in the people you care about most. As a bonus, you'll practice putting your strengths into action with Strengths Builder, an easy-to-learn, four-step, research-backed program.Your adventure lies ahead, and The Power of Character Strengths is your must-have resource for building your best life!

Character Strengths Interventions

Author: Ryan M. Niemiec
Publisher: Hogrefe Publishing GmbH
ISBN: 1616764929
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 322

Book Description
The definitive, practical handbook on positive psychology and character strengths for practitioners working in coaching, psychology, education, and business – start using strengths today! This book is the epitome of positive psychology: it takes the "backbone" of positive psychology – character strengths – and builds a substantive bridge between the science and practice. Working with client's (and our own) character strengths boosts well-being, fosters resilience, improves relationships, and creates strong, supportive cultures in our practices, classrooms, and organizations. This unique guide brings together the vast experience of the author with the science and the practice of positive psychology in such a way that both new and experienced practitioners will benefit. New practitioners will learn about the core concepts of character and signature strengths and how to fine-tune their approach and troubleshoot. Experienced practitioners will deepen their knowledge about advanced topics such as strengths overuse and collisions, hot button issues, morality, and integrating strengths with savoring, flow, and mindfulness. Hands-on practitioner tips throughout the book provide valuable hints on how to take a truly strengths-based approach. The 24 summary sheets spotlighting each of the universal character strengths are an indispensable resource for client sessions, succinctly summarizing the core features of and research on each strength. 70 evidence-based step-by-step activity handouts can be given to clients to help them develop character strengths awareness and use, increase resilience, set and meet goals, develop positive relationships, and find meaning and engagement in their daily lives. No matter what kind of practitioner you are, this one-of-a-kind field-guide is a goldmine in science-based applications. You'll be able to immediately bring the science of well-being into action!

Character Matters

Author: Thomas Lickona
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0743266994
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 340

Book Description
Award-winning psychologist and educator Thomas Lickona offers more than one hundred practical strategies that parents and schools have used to help kids build strong personal character as the foundation for a purposeful, productive, and fulfilling life. Succeeding in life takes character, and Lickona shows how irresponsible and destructive behavior can invariably be traced to the absence of good character and its ten essential qualities: wisdom, justice, fortitude, self-control, love, a positive attitude, hard work, integrity, gratitude, and humility. The culmination of a lifetime’s work in character education from one the preeminent psychologists of our time, this landmark book gives us the tools we need to raise respectful and responsible children, create safe and effective schools, and build the caring and decent society in which we all want to live.

Strengths Based Leadership

Author: Tom Rath
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1595620257
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 288

Book Description
From the authors of the bestselling "StrengthsFinder 2.0" comes a landmark study of great leaders, teams, and the reasons why people follow them.

Character Strength Development

Author: Aneesh Kumar P.
Publisher: SAGE Publications Pvt. Limited
ISBN: 9789352807772
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Character strengths are the foundations of life-long development and thriving. These strengths help individuals to deal with everyday challenges and move forward in life with confidence and resilience. Character Strength Development: Perspectives from Positive Psychology aims to document research and evidence-based practices in positive psychology with specific focus on character strengths. The arguments and perspectives shared by the experts in their respective chapters will help create new research avenues. It is an excellent resource for researchers, academicians, practitioners and teachers to develop a comprehensive understanding of different approaches, models and best practices for character education across the globe. Practitioners, educators and policymakers in the field of character education will also find this book immensely helpful for incorporating character strength-based approaches in their practice.

Pursuing the Good Life

Author: Christopher Peterson
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0199916357
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 358

Book Description
Reveals small but significant actions people can take to lead happier lives, offering reflections on such topics as family, relationships, work, school, sports, emotions, and experiences.

The Strengths-Based Workbook for Stress Relief

Author: Ryan M. Niemiec
Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
ISBN: 1684032822
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 244

Book Description
Find calm in the midst of everyday chaos. This strengths-based workbook offers a unique step-by-step approach grounded in positive psychology to help you reduce chronic stress in a busy, frazzled world. Chronic stress is a serious problem for many people, and can lead to a host of health and mental health problems, such as heart disease, anxiety, and depression. If you’re one of millions who are feeling overworked, overstressed, and overloaded (and chances are, you are!) this much-needed workbook offers a refreshing new approach to help you find peace of mind and start living the life you truly want to live. In this evidence-based guide, a psychologist offers an innovative strengths-based stress reduction plan grounded in positive psychology. You’ll find tips and strategies for identifying your key character strengths—such as perseverance, social intelligence, bravery, self-control, and more—and discover how these strengths can help you cultivate greater happiness, better relationships with others, and improve your overall health. Character strengths are a unique catalyst for both happiness and stress management. The skills and practices offered in this workbook can be learned by anyone, because the capacity for these strengths exist in everyone—including you!

Lighter as We Go

Author: Mindy Greenstein
Publisher:
ISBN: 0199360952
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 313

Book Description
The fears of aging have been one long cascading domino effect through the years: twenty year-olds dread thirty; forty year-olds fear fifty; sixty fears seventy, and so it goes. And there is something to worry about, though it isn't what you'd expect: research shows that having a bad attitude toward aging when we're young is associated with poorer health when we're older. These worries tend to peak in midlife; but in Lighter as We Go, Mindy Greenstein and Jimmie Holland show us that, contrary to common wisdom, our sense of well-being actually increases with our age--often even in the presence of illness or disability. For the first time, Greenstein and Holland--on a joint venture between an 85 year-old and a fifty year-old--explore positive psychology concepts of character strengths and virtues to unveil how and why, through the course of a lifetime, we learn who we are as we go. Drawing from the authors' own personal, intergenerational friendship, as well as a broad array of research from many different areas--including social psychology, anthropology, neuroscience, humanities, psychiatry, and gerontology--Lighter as We Go introduces compassion, justice, community, and culture to help calm our cascading fears of aging.