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By Jill Suttie, Greater Good Magazine, February 6, 2023 What makes for a happy life? Philosophers have pondered this question for millennia, coming up with different theories and recommendations for people to follow, but not necessarily having any hard evidence to prove their ideas. That’s what inspired the long-running Harvard Study of Adult Development . Starting in the 1930s, researchers tracked men from different neighborhoods in the Boston area over several decades, asking them to...

Healing the Mind, Body & Spirit Through the Creative Arts, Education & Advocacy Hope, Healing & Help for Trauma, Abuse & Mental Health “ Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars”. Kahlil Gibran The Surviving Spirit Newsletter February 2023 It can be read online via this - http://ml.survivingspirit.com/dada/mail.cgi/archive/newsletter/20230206162036/ or this -...

Once the healing of hidden wounds from adverse childhood experiences has sufficiently progressed, attention can turn to developing a richly satisfying future. Your innate inner strengths, experiences, and acquired skills will help rewire your brain for a brighter future.

Survivor Stories with guest Michael Skinner - YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIcufSmFCXo&t=33s A thought provoking discussion and insight on healing from trauma and sexual abuse. Presented by Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor - Amplifying survivor voices worldwide "I attended this event, and Michael has a gentle approach to making sexual and physical trauma stories become meaningful and a source of hope." - Jacek_Jack Haciak

Survivor Stories: Michael Skinner Registration, Wednesday, Feb 1, 2023 at 7:00pm - 8pm EST@ Eventbrite - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/survivor-stories-michael-skinner-registration-518058355487 Sexual abuse survivor Michael Skinner tells his story and takes your questions. Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor utilizes the arts to raise awareness about childhood sexual abuse. Ongoing projects include the interactive theatrical show Ask A Sex Abuse Survivor, art shows, spoken word showcases, and film ...

By Ari Shapiro, Megan Lim, and Christopher Intagliata, Illustration: guoya/Getty Images, National Public Radio, January 15, 2023 Happiness can be hard to quantify, because it can mean something different to everyone. But let's say you could change one thing in your life to become a happier person, like your income, a job, your relationships or your health. What would make the biggest difference? That's the question that Dr. Robert Waldinger has been investigating for decades as the director...

All human beings are born with a capacity for empathy, but ultimately, empathy is a learned behavior —much like language. Just as language improves our communication ability, empathy improves our ability to connect emotionally with others. Empathy strengthens friendships, encourages intimacy, and makes great teams. It helps us remain accountable and support others. What is empathy, though? If you’re a trauma-informed leader who hopes to become a better team member, the answer to that...

By The Science of Happiness podcast, Greater Good Magazine, January 19, 2023 When did you last take a moment to really look up at the sky? Shifting your gaze upward can help us be more creative, it improves our capacity to focus - and it’s a gateway to awe. Episode summary: Natalie didn’t spend much time finding shapes in the clouds as a small kid. And when she got older, looking up was even worse for her. Natalie spent time in jail, where she spent most of her days indoors under harsh...

By Dacher Keltner, Photo: webted, Greater Good Magazine, January 24, 2023 In a study I conducted with collaborators Yang Bai and Maria Monroy (under review), we provided people with the definition of awe—“being in the presence of something vast and mysterious that transcends your current understanding of the world”—and then they wrote their own stories of awe. The participants were from 26 countries, including adherents to all major religions, as well as denizens of more secular cultures...

As the world starts a new year, we start a new day — and every day is an opportunity for growth and change. Every day is a good day to take care of ourselves. You don’t have to start on January 1 st with a New Year’s Resolution , and you don’t have to wait until next year if you have already missed starting on the first. Give yourself permission to start taking care of yourself every day! Last blog post article I wrote, I provided some guidance on how to notice your needs with compassion .

“People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel.” – Maya Angelou Finding hope, let alone holding hope as a thread through life these days, can seem like a tough task for so many. Trauma survivors often struggle to find or hold hope in their lives. It’s understandable when so much pain has been endured in life — when you have not been able to trust anyone to do the relational job they were supposed to. It’s so very hard...

As workforce challenges continue to hinder human services organizations, leaders are searching for concrete action steps to support staff who are emotionally and physically exhausted. Especially given the added stressors faced by direct service staff, organizations need proven approaches to address staff morale and mitigate the threat of high turnover. Join this webinar to hear from Social Current experts on topics including: Advancing a brain-science approach with staff Building...