Creative

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBH97ma9YiI

I picked a music video that I have always loved for it's creativity. The music video that the link is for is Karma Police by Radiohead. I have always admired Radioheads creativity in not only their lyrics but also in their music video. What I really enjoyed about Karma Police's video is all of the points of view that the video offers.

Mixed Media

something that has always peaked my curiosity is mixed media. I love when they incorporate multiple art forms and materials. And one of my favorite things to mix is food and art or sculpture the way that you can make something so plain and simple in to something great and inspiring.

stairs and bags? anything in common? maybe.. :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lXh2n0aPyw&feature=player_embedded



I thought this video was so creative!!! Because besides being so cool and fun, it actually works!!! I loved it! they made fun stairs so that people would use them.. kind of like the example of the trash can and the joke, really cool.



Another really creative thing I found was this bag that actually dissolves in water! so creative and eco-friendly

Creative

These are pictures of small pumpkins that people on my floor painted. I think these are cool because each person had their own interpretation of what they thought their pumpkin should look like. My roommate did characters from the Wizard of Oz. I really like these because they are all so different and definitely creative.

Creative Shopping

Well, girls you will like this! I found this very idea to be very innovative and creative as it will help shoppers to decide on selecting a dress without the trips to the trail room! and I think this creative idea of vitural dressing will revolutionize the art of shopping.

ABDC4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKBO6TqPFXU

I think this video is creative because it is a neat combination of dance and song. I think it is really unique how people can interpret music and all sync their movements together to create a dance.

amazing creativity

Ok so I already shared one creative thing but I have to share one more. I went to the Cirque Du Soleil in San Diego last night and it was absolutely amazing!!!! The production crew of that show and the creators are just beyond words! I love all their shows because you can never see all of it at one time there is always something going on and so much to watch!

http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/shows/kooza/show/about.aspx

,.-~'*creATive*'~-.,

I'm posting one of my favorite artists, Salvador Dali's, creations. I don't know absolutely anything about him, but I don't need to. I'm in love with his work because I think it's the most creative paintings/drawings that i've seen. His work is completely out of the box thinking. It's like throwing yourself in a world that involves imagination, illusion, fantasy, ANYTHING that you can classify as creative. I just don't know how it could get any "cooler" than this!

http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/terry-border-makes-everyday

I cracked up when I first saw these pictures. They're really creative and original for using everyday objects in hilarious situations. The pictures are aesthetically pleasing and took a lot of creative thought. The artist has a great perspective on these objects and it's cool just for the fact that it flies in the face of traditional ideas of art and household items.

Creativity

Well I really wanted to scan in a picture of my nephew's scribbles but I am pretty sure I am the only one that would consider it to be creative! lol So I choose M. C. Escher to exhibit what I think of as creative. I can sit and just stare at his artwork for hours because it just boggles the mind. I am not an artsy person at all so anyone that can do what he did is just amazing in my book. To me there are not many of his later pictures that you can look at just once and see everything in it. It takes several times of revisiting the piece to see all there is on that page and each time you look at it it is like a whole new picture. I hope you enjoy looking at his art as much as I do.
http://www.mcescher.com/indexuk.htm

Do I set goals? I do. I am a big fan of baby steps. I do get really excited about ideas that I feel are ‘huge’. Learning to calm down and take smaller steps to get to those ‘huge things’ in the best state I possibly can is not something I was naturally good at, but practice is paying off.
I use my phone to keep track of myself. I use the organizer which automatically updates each week with my class schedule and then when I get my work schedule I put that in, along with anything extra for my son’s school, boy scouts and whatever else comes along schedule. Using this scheduler is amazing because when people ask me to commit to something I can look at see if I have the time. Without this I am prone to want to do everything and think I can. This makes time real to me and I don’t have the option of thinking I can do more than I actually am able to.
As far as the writing the “get out of bed” thing goes…I didn’t do it. It struck a nerve in me and the best way I can describe it is it would almost feel like I’m rubbing my own nose in the fact that it is not an option for me to sleep in. Mornings are the only time I can fit homework into my life a lot of the time so I have to make sure I have time before classes to squeeze some in. I thought of writing this on a list, but then I envisioned waking up in the morning and seeing this before I had coffee. I might have set it on fire and that’s just dangerous.
Benefits of goal setting? When a person is working towards what they believe is a greater goal then making the kind of lists that keeps a person headed towards personal growth then, yes. On the other hand lists of tasks that are made just to give a person something to focus on do not necessarily equate to any benefit. I understand that there needs to be things like clean the bathroom and do my laundry, on lists for the sake of making sure you have enough time to have at the very least semi clean underwear, but if lists never contain anything to ensure a person is going to take off the rubber gloves and quit obsessing over the housework then, no.

Wake Up.

Making a to do list is something I do whenever I am overwhelmed. The lists help me to concentrate on completing one task at a time as opposed to getting flustered and trying to take on too many objectives at once. What was new to me however, was putting smaller things on the list like "get out of bed". I'll admit, I felt pretty silly checking off waking up but when I looked back at my list I realized that even my small accomplishments are just that -- they are accomplishments. I think that goal setting is beneficial to me because it gives me a sense of direction and pride.

I have "Finish my to-do list" on my to-do list.

I'm all about to do lists and goal setting. I do like and try to live day to day spontaneously but... with out my to do lists I probably wouldn't get the priorities done!
My boss this summer even commented on my list making.. I do admit, i'm guilty of setting too many goals and making too many lists. I know that you are supposed to put very few (like three) things to do or goals on the list but, I get a sense of orderliness out of doing it. I like having things organized. Also after a long day or before a busy day I feel much more confident about everything if I have it all written down.
My next goal needs to be "slowing down on the to-do list". I don't want my life to be ran by them. But sometimes they just make me so happy :)

Yes, I do set goals. I somewhat have a five year plan, I have thing that I want to have had done at year points. For example, at year four I want to have been accepted in to a masters program in an out of state college, by year three I want to have bought a Jeep Wrangler with my own money, and quit smoking by year five. So, yes I do set goals but just estimates in the time. But, I did set a to do list and it did make me feel like I did more. I didn’t it do quite like you said I didn’t do the wake up in the morning and cross off thing, I did like in my daily planner and when I did them I crossed them off. I thoughts this was a great way to get things done. I also thought it was good because it made me feel like I got more done throughout the day and accomplished more.

I usually do set goals, and I usually make a list of things I need to do. I do not make lists all the time though, only when I feel overwhelmed and stressed out about things I need to do. Yes, I usually get more done when I have a list because it helps me to see what I did and what I still need to do, and sometimes it helps to put how much time each thing is going to take you to that you can't be behind(like when you have a set of steps to do for a project, it helps manage your time)
Honestly I do not think that "get out of bed" is a good goal to put on the list, because that is something we do every morning? Maybe it will be different if I put: "get out of bed earlier or at specific time" like something more specific. But I guess it will be helpful to include very basic goals so that you will have motivation to do more things of the list, and feel that you are accomplishing something little by little. I try to be flexible with lists though, like if there is something I could not do today, I will do it tomorrow, etc.

Setting goals

I've always struggled with goal setting mainly because I used to have a tendency of setting very broad long term goals and end up feeling overwhelmed when I don't specify smaller steps to accomplishing them. For the last few weeks I've been making to-do lists after seeing one of my very successful classmates live by them. This has been tremendously helpful to the amount of things I accomplish on a daily basis. Making to-do lists has not only helped me accomplish the things I need to but it has genuinely helped relieve me of that nagging worry that I've forgotten something that is due the following morning, one of the worst feelings ever in my opinion. I think to-do lists are a great form of goal setting because it helps you map out smaller steps you can take towards accomplishing long term goals and it also gives you a sense of satisfaction for each one of the smaller steps versus waiting until you get a bigger goal accomplished which can leave you feeling empty and burned out and like it was never going to happen.

List Lady

I do set goals, but mostly long-term. My short-term goals are more just about getting things done on time and getting by from week to week. I make lists all the time, on what to do or what I need to take home or bring back here. I actually made a to-do list for this weekends homework and I feel as though it has helped me see things clearly and not feel so overwhelmed. I did not really get the whole crossing out "get out of bed" thing down because it wasn't habit. I would cross it out eventually just not right away. I think this is an excellent way of setting goals because once it is all laid out there it seems simple and possible. Also, for me anyway, crossing something off your list can give you such a sense of accomplishment. Sometimes I have to make a list so I'll get things done. There are tedious things that I only get done with the motivation of being able to cross it off my list. Lists=Awesome

Caitlin

What all to-do list!

Consistency, that's what I lack. Yes I do set goals. A lot of them to be frank. I have always been a to-do list kind of a person. Time to time I try writing down things I need to do and I even bought an white board to list out my things. This week it was a good opportunity to start off one of my many rounds of starting a to-do list series and I did write down quite a number of things I needed to do and since this time it was for class work I kept track of how many things I could do. Yes.. get out of bed was also there in my list and this is the second day in a row that I have crossed it out! Yay!! But I am not sure how consistently I will be able to do my to-do list and cross them off. I always thought that if I see at the things I need to do written down in a prioritized order it was helpful for me to manage more things in a day, by setting particular times for various things to do! I hope this time I am consistent in maintaining and crossing off my to-do list which would really make me happy.

List Master

My roommate and others make fun of me for my list-making ability. I keep a white board right above my desk and is usually scribbled all over, homework lists, meeting lists, project lists, and work lists. I defiantly get more done because I have a list. It puts things into prospective for me so I can plainly see everything I have to do for the next day or two. In fact, last monday when I was in class and was falling asleep, I decided to make a list to figure out what else I had to do so I stayed awake. I did not write get out of bed on my list, it would really destroy the flow of my list, and I could not have that. This is a very beneficial form of short term goal setting, it helps organize and keep my life in order. I am a big fan of the list.

To-do lists all day, every day! I use index cards to list out what I plan to do during a day, putting my classes and work times as solid times that can't be changed and filling the rest in with what I need to get done during the day. For example, I will do homework before my English class because I have two hours free and can get it done in under an hour. I schedule random errands, homework and free time in these chunks of free time. Throughout the day I re-evaluate what I am doing and maybe move things around so I can grab a nap or take care of something that comes up. Accomplishing the small goals is very helpful, but the real benefit is having something you can use to keep track of what needs to get done; usually I write things into my planner but rarely look at it during the day because I can keep the notecard in my back pocket and keep crossing items off as they are accomplished. It's definitely great to have a record of what you get done, especially when you feel like you haven't done anything all week.

List

I do make lists in some form or fashion everyday. For the most part most of my stuff is in my planner. I have to have lists or I just know that I will forget a bill or an assignment somewhere. I do think lists are important simply because it gives us goals to reach and you feel better when you are able to cross things off. It gives you a sense of achievement. I am not sure getting out of bed on my list would be beneficial because I normally don't have a choice if I want to get paid so actually going to work would be more of the achievement there than getting out of bed. But for some people that is a huge step in their day and I think it is what ever motivates a person should be what they put on their list.

To-Do List

I absolutely have to have some form of a to-do list at all times (except in the summer) so doing this for the blog was nothing new. Essentially I write down everything in my planner, but for the other stuff I use my phone (like errands I need to run). If I don't have written down what I need to do and when I need to do it by my stress level sky-rockets. If you couldn't tell by my previous posts I'm a pretty stressed individual as it is, so I do everything I can to reduce that.. the idea of writing to get out of bed in the morning and then cross it off just seems like extra work to me and another thing to remember. It's not necessarily efficient so I didn't do it.. I'm all about setting attainable goals, but getting out of bed is only something I don't do unless I'm dead sooo didn't bother putting it on my list.

Romantic movie

This weekend I watched It's All About Steve (which was HILarious by the way). In this movie, the main character works for the local paper to produce crossword puzzles every week. She does not, however, have a life outside of work. When her parents set her up on a blind date, it goes really well for her and bad for him.. From there she is under the illusion that he really likes her and she does everything to follow him and try to be with him (stalk him). I think she wants the relationship because she wants to be seen as "normal" by a society who generally rejects her. She IS at one point jobless, living with her parents, friendless, and manless. She's taken aback by how attracted she is to him when they first meet and sees it as an opportunity to score a really hot boyfriend AND be more accepted by those who are pressuring her to "get a life".

The Happiness Project

I may or may not be doing this wrong and I am so sorry I fail at life and didn't wake up from my nap in time to actually turn this in before midnight. I tend to be very irresponsible and that is actually incorporated into this particular blog and activity. I wanted to do two things that the website talked about, write the list of ten "commandments" I wish to guide my life and a list of smaller things I can do throughout the day, every day, to feel like I accomplished something. I hope that both of these lists will motivate me to change the things about my personality and my lifestyle that I hate the most. I have a tendancy to fuel drama, get fed up with people, speak too harshly when sharing my opinion, procrastinate, put myself first, and even lie about things I either chose not to share or don't give a shit about. These personal faults lead to actions I always regret and I feel like they hurt people that genuinely care about me because of my selfishness. My list of ten "commandments" is as follows:
1. Think of others first
2. Stay in touch with people
3. Do NOT fuel gossip
4. DO NOT go back on my word/lie
5. LAUGH!!! ALOT!!!
6. Make the most of every moment
7. Avoid drama like the plague
8. Appreciate people in my life
9. Don't give up so easily
10. Work on a better "me" instead of always trying to make it into a "we"

Aside from that list I also made a list of small things that would make me feel accomplished during the day. I always feel very disappointed with myself when I see people around me getting everything done and I'm left feeling like I'm lazy or incompetent. The things below are some things that I think would help this feeling at least a little bit and help me feel better about myself in general which in turn would make me at least a little happier.
1. Clean the clutter of my desk (this is a continuous process...my desk always looks like a bomb just fell on it)
2. Clean area around my closet
3. Keep the To Do list above my desk current and find more and more things to cross off :)
4. Walk somewhere...anywhere...for at least 20 minutes
5. Do situps before bed...even 40 is better than nothing at all
6. Stay away from soda...that stuff will kill you
7. Read just one chapter from any textbook that isn't absolutely due tomorrow at sunrise
8. Throw away random crap I never use
9. Tell my roomies that they are awesome
10. Text one friend I haven't talked to that week.

Just making the lists gave me a feeling that a change is actually possible and pinning the two lists on the wall above my desk will definately help remind me of my promises to myself and help me remember that even though certain things have become habit, I CAN change them and be a better and happier person for it.

things to increase hapiness

I also liked the one that listed 9 things you can do everyday. Because I felt they are really easy to-do things, very small but important things that can increase happiness. I made my own list of things, and they are 5 things instead of nine:
1. Get up reasonably early to eat breakfast before I go to class
2. Try to talk to a friend that I do not know anything for a while (try to call, text)
3. Organize something that needs to be organized, like some documents on my computer, music, photos, etc.
4. Have a break from school stuff, and watch a funny video or movie or show, without trying to do homework at the same time.
5. Go to bed earlier, I find it really hard to get up in the mornings because I usually go to bed really late, and I feel tired.

I tried doing these things for a few days, and it looks like its working, I do feel happier especially at the end of the day when I think what I did during the day. I would like to continue doing this, I might actually change the things so that it is more interesting and I do not get used to after a while.

The blog nine things you can do everyday- when you can’t do anything else I thought was great because it reiterated the fact that I keep trying to tell myself everyday. The fact is taking everything one step at a time because I am a whole picture kind of guy but when I look at it that way it is like looking at a big wave coming at you, it overwhelms you. So when I looked at this site on Tuesday I decided that I would do this one. 1) Say a kind thing to some one 2) sing a favorite song 3) give someone a high five 4) compliment someone 5) doodle 6) Say hi to five people 7) watch one good comedy show before I go to bed 8) take a ten minute power nap 9) smile at someone I don’t know. I did all of these and they really did make me happy so yes I really did like this site.

9 Things You Can Do Everyday :)

For this blog I chose the experiment "Nine Things You Can Do Every Day - Even When You Can't Do Anything Else". In this experiment she picks nine things that she can do every day to make her day a little more positive. I thought this experiment would be worth trying because it was something that if successful I could continue to do even after the assignment was due. My nine things that I did everyday to make my day more positive were:

1. Made my bed
2. Eating breakfast
3. Calling my little sister, because she always makes me smile :)
4. Walking to class, instead of bumming rides.
5. KEEP UP WITH MY READINGS (helps with my stress levels)
6. Use white strips before I go to bed
7. Turn off the TV to eat my meals
8. Light candles, because they make me happy
9. Whenever I got super stressed I always have a back up bottle of bubbles, because it's impossible for me to be mad when I'm blowing bubbles (especially if its the scented kind:) )

I did have positive results for this assignment. I think its because I went out of my way to do things that I knew were just for my own well-being. I will definitely continue this for as long as I can.

Twelve Comandments

After looking at the Gretchen's whole website, reviewing her credibility, questioning why she decided to create this, watching the videos she posted, and reading many of the postings, I finally found the one thing that struck me. It struck me because it was clear and simple and exactly something I would do. But way better. Gretchen's Twelve Personal Comandments. Genius. I love that it's a spin off of the original ten comandments and it's really something that can keep you grounded. I remember doing this sort of thing when I was entering the 8th grade. It was much longer and more like goals, but it reminded me of who I was and I should be happy with that. Her comandments have inspired me to write my own. I really liked her commitment to this project and that it was a project that could really help people. Usually, happiness seems like it wouldn't be something you could obtain in the ways she has presented. But as long as you put your mind and heart into it, happiness can come your way. I defintely think she used her energy towards something really positive.

Tips for How Not to be Happy

http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2007/03/tips_for_how_no.html

She lists all of her tips for how not to be happy. These include, having too high of standards, avoiding friends, talking about things that make you unhappy, lack of physical exercise, and cultivating bad habits.

What a horrible list. Any 2nd grader could come up with a list of things that are bad. So much for caring about the reader I feel as though I just wasted 3 mineuts of my life reading her blog. As far as her actual reasons that people are not happy, they lack any concrete reasoning for why they make you unhappy. For example, having too high of standards. Some people are naturally very ambition. The fact that they have too high of standards is their shortcoming and greatest achievement. Simon Cowell makes millions of dollars because he has high standards. It's called being a critic. He loves it. I consider myself to be someone of a critic. This article fell short.

I don't think a lack of physical exercise makes you unhappy either, my dad rarely, if ever, exercises and he probably has more zest for life then most people I know.

I would try to see if these things make my life unhappy, but then I realize I wouldn't really be doing anything different. I am not happier today then I was yesterday because I did not criticize a someone for something. Criticism is a large part of what I do in my job. If anything, it held back potential accomplishments that could be done.

Making a joke of it

I also enjoyed looking through the site and as cliche as it sounds I get happiness from learning about other peoples happiness. I enjoyed reading about something I do on a regular basis to get though day. I have one of those bosses that is not happy unless everyone else is not. So when ever she comes up with some idea that she feels is going to change the world of medical billing I just quietly look at the bright side and generally start laughing inside. I hate to say that making fun of someone else is a way to be happy but it is more making fun of the situtation or atlease that is what I tell myself. My boss has no clue about what really goes on in the office as most bosses so her suggestions are so fair fetched it is easy to poke fun of it. If I didn't do this I would be misserable trust me been there done that so now when I leave work I leave work. I have laughed at some point in the day be it by myself or with someone else and so I am happier.

Happiness Project-Play

I really enjoyed this site. I think that it is very well-rounded, has tips for all types of people and for a variety of things. I have found some helpful tips and I think it really opened my eyes to a few things. I think what Gretchen is doing is awesome.

The experiment I chose was "Schedule Time for Play". This experiment is base on the notion that everyone should 'pencil' in some time to play in their schedule. Although, it may seem as though if the occasion to laugh and play comes we will seize, but that is not always the case. I did not have the same problem as Gretchen, I did not to need to find time to play, more like I needed to find a good amount of time to play. It is typical for a college Freshmen to go wild and party Thursday through Sunday. However, this is not my idea of play at all, thus it was hard to see that maybe I was playing a little too much. I love to read and hang out with friends. Last semester I had a lot of fun cruising at 3 am and sleeping until 11 or 12 the next day. However, this fun always came with a side of guilt the next day for missing classes and sleeping the day away.

This semester I have tried to cut back on the late night rides and try to be in my room by 10 or 11. Once assigned this project I stuck to it even more. This past week I did not feel so guilty and this whole semester I have attended my classes almost perfectly, a drastic change from the fall. I no longer feel guilty and feel much happier knowing that I am not just wasting my days away. Because our problems were different Gretchen and I's results also differed. However, we both did receive positive results. I plan on keeping this up of course because it is very beneficial and part of growing up and being independent.

Caitlin

happiness project

I like the gist of the website, the book, the blog and the sharing that goes on between the people who choose to be involved. I respect the idea of people who realize they might need help in this area of their lives who do something active to change it instead of passively wondering when things are going to get better. While I was reading through all the different suggestions on the webpage I ran into one that I incorporated into my life about a year and a half ago. Playing more! This is something I decided needed to be done, like I said, over a year ago. I have been in Kansas for three years and it took me that long to realize that with moving here, my work and school schedule resulted in me letting the ‘playing’ aspect of my life to be put on the ‘back burner’. When I lived in Denver I had two jobs but I could incorporate my son into one of them which was amazing. We always went downtown together for breakfast on Sundays and it is so easy there to find something fun to do together….the children’s museum, the aquarium. Besides these things we simply had more time together.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing and with a little searching I realized this was it. I became a lot more aware of the lack of quality time we had been spending together. Since then doing simple things like going to the pool at the YMCA, going hiking out at Konza, sledding, wrestling, cuddling on the couch, making the most of our 10 minute car rides in the morning…..tons of the most simple things that are easy to forget when school consumes your existence no longer go neglected. Sometimes it does get hard and I feel guilty that I have to think about doing them, but I get over it, do the little things and feel great afterwards.

9 things done!

Its amazing to see a different kind of perspective of viewing life. Right from the first class of Psych 599 I have been seeing my daily activities and sundry chores in new light. I liked the website which really simplified the definition of happiness.
I chose to do the "9 things you can do every day- even when you cant do anything else" experiment and I am pleasantly surprised as to how content and happy I was in my own little way, at the end of last thursday. The only thing I could not do was 9th task. And yes I did go to bed when I felt sleepy( and yes it was very early ;) ). I felt that the only way to feel happy was to do something incredibly huge or worthy to be happy , but later realized that even if things go wrong some day, when I look back on what I did that day and if I had done most of the tasks in the list, I could go to bed telling myself that I at least did these things and may be ..may be I feel a tiny weenie bit more happier or I should say more relaxed.

Happiness Project

I really liked this lady's blog about things you can do every day to boost positive emotion. She lists 9 really easy, do-able things to try to do everyday. These small tasks can help you to rest easy at night because if you didn't get some of the bigger tasks accomplished, you at least got some of the smaller ones from her list done and feel good about it. I have just started exercising on a regular basis a couple months ago and have realized how valuable it is to get out there every day and just go for a run. It alleviates stress and helps you to feel great afterword. I also make my bed every day. In fact, my room is almost always spotless. I know that if it starts to get messy, it will make me feel unorganized and stressed, and the one place I need to be able to go to and clear my head is my bedroom. I NEED it to be clean! Those are couple of items off her list that I think are really good suggestions. All of them are good actually. A lot of them have to do with taking care of yourself (walking, sleeping when you're tired, eating fruit, wearing your seatbelt...) and all of those are really solid ideas and will easily improve anyone's mood.

Doin' it everyday

After visiting the Happiness Project website one exercise stood out to me: doing something everyday. Building a routine and habit around a positive thing sounds great in theory but is definitely very difficult so this week I will attempt to wake up at 8 every morning. Normally I only have to do this MWF for my class, but I will try this even on the weekend and see how it turns out.

The link is here:http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2009/01/your-happiness-project-do-something-every-day.html. The idea is that doing something everyday makes it a part of your life and if it is something that makes you happy then you will be happier everyday. I chose waking up early because I randomly get up and this doesn't help my mood or productivity when I do. I have a pretty heavy workload and want to have some extra time in the morning to get things done, but also to enjoy some breakfast and relax before starting the day, which I normally don't do when I wake up 10 minutes before class. Getting up early will give me a feeling of pride that I have much work completed before my day is normally even started.

After trying this out for the week, with pretty moderate success I felt pretty happy. It felt good to have my mind set on something and then make attempts to go through with it even though I didn't get it all the time. I will definitely try this in the future when there is something that I want to make a daily habit...

friend + coffee = happiness

Last week I went with a friend to have some coffee, we just talked about life in general and we laughed a lot, I really enjoy talking with her and I love coffee, so it was nice J After that I went home and I decided to do some homework. Usually I procrastinate a lot before doing my homework, projects, papers, etc. I was surprised because I was actually in a good mood, I felt like I wanted to get things done, this does not happen very often with school stuff. I finished all I needed to do for that day and I even started doing some other homework in advance. I was very happy and proud, because as I said earlier it is really easy for me to procrastinate, and not get things done on time. By inducing this positive emotion, I was more relaxed and happier, and that helped me get everything I needed to be done for the day!! I would like to do this more often, to see the results. Maybe I could try doing something else I like; I am guessing it will have similar results. Let’s see if I do not procrastinate with that too.. :P

Inducing Happiness :)

What makes me feel the best is when I listen to music, so for this assignment I updated my Ipod and attempted several assignments. I found that if I listened to music before I started an assignment I was more invigorated to begin the project. The problem was that after I had already began the papers I would loose interest pretty fast and would take breaks to listen to more music in order to feel as though I wanted to continue the project. I would not say that this was a very good way for me to perform optimally because although it helped me start the assignment I was distracted just about every ten minutes thereafter.

During the past week I had one great positive emotion. It was when I dropped my French class it felt great because it was very time consuming and was taking a lot of time away from my other classes. I was having class everyday except for Friday and we had homework everyday. But what I did after I dropped the class was amazing even to me. I felt the need to do all of my other homework that I have been putting off. I got all of my reading done and all of my online work done. That just made me fell great and made me realize not to over extend yourself with everything.

This past week I had a hefty paper due in my composition class. Since I put the class off for too long I am well past worrying about getting to 4 pages! But this assignment was still frustrating me because I was not a big fan of the topic. The night before it was due I planned to play a few games of racquetball and then write the paper. After several very intense games I was exhausted, but also clear headed and ready to write the paper. I went into the library with absolutely no trace of my frustration or distaste for the assignment, I was only thinking about the words I would be putting into the paper.

My fingers worked furiously across the keyboard and the words just appeared. Playing racquetball is always a relaxing, fun experience and I always leave feeling more energized and much calmer. It allowed me to focus only on what I needed to do and not let any other thoughts enter the thunderdome of my mind.

Definitely boosted my performance because I was ready to work and I completed the paper in much less time than I had planned.

Inducing a Positive Emotion

To induce a positive emotion I watched my favorite show with some chocolate cake. I did not really have anyone to talk to so this is what I was left to. I felt great, the show was extremely entertaining and the cake delicious. I decided to do some Spanish homework. Typically this subject is simple for me and was at first, I breezed through the first page feeling still feeling great. Once I moved onto the next page I became very frustrated. I really wanted to give up, but instead I went to the bottom of the page and worked on something easier. Once I finished everything else, I went back to section I was struggling with and realized I did not understand the directions. Once I finished the work I felt really great. Although the work was harder than any other exercise I'd done I felt better at the end then any other night I did Spanish homework. I enjoy this work, but I really think watching the show made my mood lighter and thus kept me in a good mood even through frustration. I could probably find other ways to induce positive emotions and watch a show everyday. The cake part would not be an option because of the health problems it can cause. I think I will try to do something similar to this before working on school work to see if the positivity continues.

-Caitlin

B+ve

There is this Hyderabadi( my city ) thing, where in you treat your friend with food when 1. they take you shopping( or atleast when they accompany you) 2. when something good happens to you or when something good happens to someone you care about. Well in my case both happened this afternoon and I paid for my friends lunch in the mall today and also told him why this treat was for! I felt good when I did that in a city which is NOT mine and in a place where others didnt expect it from you. That was an impromptu positive emotion inducer. I suddenly felt nostalgic and at the same time very happy. And soon after I came to my apartment I began writing about it here and everything came in a flow( as if I was re-living the joyous moments again) and it took me less time to complete what I wanted to express. After a heavy lunch I
usually laze around and try to complete my work in the evening(late evening rather ;) ) but I knew this was what I was going to write about.
Well if I did this act of paying for my friend's lunch, I believe 2 things will happen 1. I will, in very less time have a lot of friends hanging around me after church and 2. I will be broke a lot sooner than anticipated :P . Jokes apart, I felt that work done after happy/joyous momemts didnt feel like work at all( atleast on this specific occasion). I believe that we can generalize this and try to BE +ve.

Inducing a positive emotion

This entire week my best friend/roomate and I argued constantly about absolutely everything. I never said thank you for anything she ever does for me and made her feel unappreciated and it was hurting her feelings and our friendship at the same time. After reading your suggested blog from Ms. Armstrong I figured it wouldn't hurt to try writing a letter apologizing for how I've been acting and thanking her for everything she has ever done for me and letting her know that I really do appreciate her and love her dearly. I gave her the letter and received an awesome hug and an "I love you back" and it totally made my day and changed my mood. Following this uplifing incident I sat down to work on the pile of homework I have been letting grow for days. The tasks were not necessarily easier but my attitude about them was better. I still struggled with my math problems but there was something in me telling me that its not so bad and that as soon as I'm done I'll feel better about it. This is definately different than the usual "why the eff do i have to do this" attitude I tend to have about homework on the weekends. I hope to not have to write too many apology letters but appreciating someone or telling someone thank you definately makes their day, strengthens our friendship and makes my day better as well so I definately plan on making this a new tradition.

ice cream is a cure all

As a matter of fact right after class last Monday I met a friend for dessert at Famous Daves. I was nice just to sit and vent and laugh. I didn't try to complete any homework or anything like that but my overall mood was much lighter. Although if I ate dessert all the time when I needed to vent I would not be able to get out of the door. But having a good friend to vent to is priceless. It clears your mind and allows you to focus on what lies ahead. I can say I did sleep better that night because I was more relaxed.

The past week has been pretty treacherous; between the different organizational meetings, classes, work, and homework, a life 'burn-out' must soon be coming (3rd week of school, this is not a good sign).

However, the other day I got together with a friend I had not seen for a few months (he graduated) and we talked about an hour or so, and ended up giving me some solid advice and council on a few situations. It is interesting how hearing someone else saying the same thing you've been thinking can reassure you.

Because of that conversation, I really did feel re-energized/motivated to knock out an Econometrics assignment and some readings for some other classes. Although I haven't gotten my grade back on the assignment yet, as it is due next Tuesday, I felt more concentrated going into the assignment and more confident in my answers, as well as more focused when I as studying.

If I mixed social activities between homework and activities outside of school, I think it would defiantly help balance my concentration when trying to perform tasks.

-Mark

Food for Thought

I came across this article, and I thought I should share it with everyone. Its a blog and Kristen Armstrong is an exceptionally thoughtful writer and I really enjoy reading her posts.
Do you think what she did can be a way to induce positive emotion?

Read it and comment to tell me what you think!

http://milemarkers.runnersworld.com/2010/01/antivenom.html

-Disha

Does taking a stimulant make my self reports of induced positive affect invalid? just wondering.

I have to say that I was in an overall funk today. I used to be really prone to letting this consume me. I am much calmer about it these days and am better at reminding myself it’s not a permanent state of mind. Well it was almost time for class and I’m thinking after being calm with my funk since 7 this morning, “Dang, this is really sticking.” What an opportune time to do our blog assignment. I ordered decaf coffee so I wouldn’t OD on caffeine because I really enjoy dark chocolate covered espresso beans. This was one of my positive mood inducing tools. I hung out and did some reading for class, which I actually enjoy doing so this was intended to add to the educed positive emotion. So, the test came with class. I know it can be attributed to the caffeine before class but I definitely think being conscious of the fact that I felt like crap before hand and about wanting to get out of it set me up a little better for class than if I sat and did my reading and just wholly excepting as fact that I was going to feel like shit for the entire day. I was surprised when I left class because I really came around on my way to my Organic Chemistry Review, which I was definitely not looking forward to. I don’t ever mind going, but I went from simply excepting the fact that I was going to my review after class to being glad and getting a lot of pleasure out of understanding the material and feeling good about knowing I’m preparing myself to do well on the tests.
I know myself well enough to know I get a little euphoric with caffeine in my system. Despite this I do believe the attempt to induce the positive emotion did some good in addition to my lovely chocolate covered espresso beans. I enjoyed my ride home and did a few things, including this assignment with a little more enthusiasm and enjoyment than I think I would have without choosing to be a little more positive.
If I did this on the regular? My initial response to this question is me getting am image of myself eventually exploding from all the thwarted emotions, but I know better. Like anything someone chooses to master this is probably a very beneficial skill to have and practice.

Inducing Positive Emotion

In the past when I do an activity that gives me the fuzzy feelings inside (a positive emotion), I'm not any better at doing a task. If anything i'm so psyched that I can't think about anything besides what I was just doing! I think really though, it just depends on what type of activity I was doing that made me so happy. Then maybe I can perform optimally. For example, if i'm dancing around the apartment with my room mate... there's no way i'm going to be able to sit down and write a paper (I would much rather keep dancing, or like last time, after dancing we stayed up late and made sugar cookies because we couldn't focus on homework- bad idea.) On the other hand, if I do an activity like taking a hot bubble bath or go tanning, i'm much more apt to perform optimally. So, I must be careful about which positive emotion I am taking out of the cage.

Blog numero 2

This morning I had breakfast with my mom at Bluestem Bistro since she was in town which indued positive emotions because one, I was eating, and two, because I got to see my mom. I tried playing sudoku afterwards.. granted I'm not usually very good at it, I didn't see any improvement in my, er, game. I didn't really have any writing assignments to test myself with so sudoku was all I could come up with. I imagine if I was always in a good mood while doing homework it would help my overall performance. Doing homework, or anything for that matter, is harder when you're in a bad mood, unless you're trying to chop down a tree or something that requires a lot of blunt force.