Authentic Happiness...The Genius of Dr Seligman

Let me do a Public Service Announcement - and throw a plug in for one of my favorite sites on the internet thing. This site could be very important to you.

Martin Seligman's Authentic Happiness - is a place that I go to about once a year. There are some excellent diagnostic tests that you can take to see where you are at in the grand scale of happiness. Best of all, they are FREE! FREE! FREE! I love it when something is FREE....but has tremendous value.

It's probably not as important - to compare yourself to others. As a matter of fact, I really don't recommend it. Use the tests to give yourself a starting point.

You can find out your Signature Strengths - just make sure you answer the questions how you really feel things are.....don't answer them with what you think are the "correct" answers. The correct ones are the honest ones.

I have put myself out as the human guinea pig - for this HappyUP!!! project. Why stop now? Here are my Signature Strengths and how they have varied a little bit since the last time I tested. Here is where I land today:

1. Judgement, Critical Thinking, and open-mindedness - this was number 2 in Sept of 2006....and I would say it is in line with how I view myself and others view me)

2. Perspective and Wisdom - this was number 7 in Sept 2006

3. Caution, prudence, and discretion - this was the same as before

4. Honesty, authenticity, and genuineness - up from number 6. I like to think that I am fairly transparent so this would be consistent

5. Gratitude - which was number 15. I can see why this one has taken a leap up the scale. I am in a very enviable position in life now......and I fully know it and appreciate it.

So, which strengths took a dive - over the last year and a half?

Forgiveness - was my number 1. It now comes in at number 12. I believe I forgive......but I do not forget. This is something that is important to me. Perhaps I need to be cognizant of this and go out of my way to do a little extra forgiving.

Other than that - my old numbers 4 and number 5 (creativity and fairness/justice) made a slight move to number 6 and 7.

All in all - not a lot of change. It is an unbiased source putting something into words what many of us have trouble articulating....talking about ourselves.

That was Signature Strengths - let's move on to the Authentic Happiness inventory. Being the author of the HappyUP!!! blog, I would love this one to come out on top. Yet, I have taken the test three times now and I have to answer honestly. Here is where I fall on a scale of 1 to 5:

3/26/2006 - 3.25

4/1/2007 - 3.83

5/12/2008 - 3.33

What does one take from that? - between the times of test 1 and 2, I started doing some work on myself in the area of Positive Psychology (this is not Positive Mental Attitude...it is the Science founded by Dr Seligman and based on his groundbreaking work that sent the psychological community on it's ear). Now, in the last 8 months, I was at battle with my employer until I finally had to terminate them from that position.

My retirement has been something I knew would come - but it just came upon me recently. I LOVE the people that I was proud to serve...they were called my employees. This saddens me a bit right now. There is a vacuum that I am preparing to search a filling for. At the moment, I am marinating. There is nothing happening. I am used to things happening. I think it is natural that my Happiness Quotient has taken a little hit.

The significant thing - is that, despite this major life event, I am still happier than when I started the process.

"But Nutster, you are only in the 3's. The highest you have ever been in is the 3's. Shouldn't you be higher to be the HappyUP!!! guru?" - wow....you guys ask great questions. Tough....but fair. The answer is a resounding "No." Even Dr Seligman himself is not a high scorer. It's not about where you are on the scale.....it's all about doing the work to move up the scale.

Some people have a higher and lower - natural disposition to happiness. As the founders of our country knew, happiness is a pursuit.

A pursuit - tells you that it requires effort. My observation is that, short of a "rock bottom" type of experience, people don't change that much. They may think they do.....but we are our own worst critics. It takes work....

....like a daily discipline - hmmmm......can I think of any........wait a minute....it's coming to me......how about something like this? It could be just what the doctor, Dr Seligman, ordered.