This time of year our extended family gathers for a reunion near Centerville, Tennessee.  This year’s was bittersweet because it was the first gathering after the passing of the last of the eleven children of my grandparents.  The stories we tell at family reunions can tell us a lot about ourselves, the qualities of lives well-lived, and provide advice for the next generation.

Among the character strengths, gratitude and love of learning are the most predictive of well-being.  The main tenet of the field of positive psychology is that the path to well-being lies in nurturing your highest strengths.    The author—a contributor to Scientific American—drew on previous research of 24 character strengths.  Using this classification, the two most significant independent positive predictors of well-being are gratitude and love of learning.  Click here to read the full article

 

The Structure of Gratitude.  David Brooks of The New York Times shines a light on people who are grateful disproportionately.  They feel they are given far more than they pay for—and are much richer than they deserve.  They see their efforts grandly but not themselves.  Life doesn’t surpass their dreams but it nicely surpasses their expectations.  Click here to read the full article

 

Love of learning is the key to success in the jobless future.  The director of research at the Center for Entrepreneurship at Duke advises parents to encourage their children to pursue their passions and to love learning.  Education is a lifelong endeavor.  The next generation must be ready to constantly reinvent themselves.  They will need to be able to learn new skills, think critically, master new careers, and take advantage of the best opportunities that come their way.  Click here to read the full article

 

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