Thursday, January 19, 2017
Hidden Figures And Thursday Jan 19th- Rene Jatoi
Today we started of he morning by talking about Neil deGrasse Tyson, we talked about this because Dr Ott had recently watched his show. We talked about how on the tree of life we are placed right next to mice. We continued our day with short meditation intervals, we did about four. This was different to anything I had ever done because we usually do one long meditation session, which I prefer because I can get in the zone. To finish of the first half of class we listened to Carly's presentation on music therapy. I found it quite entertaining and informative, I had no idea that music had such an impact on helping people recover. Music can help with things like a studder, people in prison and people unable to speak. After our lunch break we headed out to watch a movie at Edwards Theatre. The movie was about three colored women working in NASA. As you can imagine back in the day that was pretty unheard of. The main character was named Catherine Goble and she was a math genius. The whole story is about her and two other women and their fight to freedom. Catherine in particular was assigned to help the big dogs with launching the first rocket into space and making it orbit around the world. You can imagin being the only colored women working with a bunch of white men at the time would be pretty intimidating. Although she had faced her obstacles in the end she persevered through everything and made her name in history. This movie related to positive phycology in many ways like choosing your real friends and cancelling out all th unnecessary noise in your life.
Hidden Figures- Persi Boyd-Fossi
Today after lunch we decided to go on a field trip and see the movie Hidden Figures. The story follows three African American women as they hold different high level jobs at NASA. We chose this movie because even though these women were met with great adversity, they persevered with positive attitudes. Not only was it difficult to be a woman at the time, it was even more difficult to be an African American woman. This was made obvious throughout the movie, but the women put on smiles and kept positive attitudes. They each had found a purpose in their lives and jobs to look forward to, along with having fun.
The movie on Thursday - 1/19/17
On Thursday afternoon, we went to see the 12:00 showing of Hidden Figures at the Movie Theater. It was a lot of fun, and we thought it really related to our course, because the women that the movie was about displayed a lot of the positive traits that we are learning about. They all kept going when people tried to shove them down, and they stayed positive and hopeful for the future. They were all very supportive of each other, and they were all happy with what they had. They also each had a loving and supportive other, along with the support of their friends and community, keeping them happy, and willing to stand up for what they believed in. Overall, we had a great experience at the movie.
Tuesday - 1/17/17
On Tuesday morning, we started by meditating for 15 minutes to some music. Then we discussed how our feelings about meditation have changed over this course so far. After that, Dr. Ott told us about the Lifebook Quest she is currently taking. Jon Butcher created the course, which discusses how you should think, plan, and take action in 12 different categories of your life which include health and fitness, intellectual life, social life, etc. We then discussed how it relates to our class, and how we should try to incorporate in in our lives. Then we discussed the noise in our lives and how we can try to cut it out. Then we discussed the chapter of Before Happiness that we just read, which talks about how to spread positivity and happiness in your community.
After lunch we worked to finalize our individual projects and presentations for the rest of the day.
After lunch we worked to finalize our individual projects and presentations for the rest of the day.
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Friday the 13th
On Friday morning, we started our class by discussing energy fields and auras. This was very interesting, and Dr. Ott had lots of stories to tell that related to the subject. After our discussion, we meditated for 12 minutes. During this meditation, we were trying to send positive thoughts to the people around us. After our meditation we did a aura cleansing exercise, and then we worked on our vision boards and individual research projects for the rest of the morning.
After lunch Dr. Herb Agan came to talk to us about Egocentric masks. It was very interesting, and we learned about Fritz Kunkel's four main types: Star, Clinging Vine, Tyrant, and Turtle. We also learned about what they mean, and how people are brought up to be them. We also learned about the conscious mind and the subconscious mind, and how they change as you grow. After he left, and we had a short break to celebrate Dr. Ott's birthday, we worked on our individual research projects for the rest of the day.
Monday, January 16, 2017
Wednesday and Thursday
Wednesday
I would have to say, that Wednesday was one of the best J-Term days so far. We started off the day with meditating in silence. I sat on the floor for a different perspective and it was unfortunately uncomfortable. We worked on research for our research projects, but after we became restless we went outside for a walk. We went through the neighborhood and just enjoyed the nice weather and cool breezes.
We decided to go on a field trip after lunch, to Smither Park and The Orange Show. The Orange show was sadly closed, but next to it is a park abundant with intricate mosaics and folk art. While we were there we struck up a conversation with some of the mosaic artists, who work every Wednesday and Saturday. One of them took us into a back warehouse that kept donated ceramics, tiles, and other really odd things that the artists can use for their art. It was huge and so cool! They even had an art car. We have agreed to go back to the park next Wednesday morning to volunteer and help with the art. After our excursion, we were thoroughly famished, so we decided ice cream was the answer. We went to a Mexican candy store. I got melon and mango ice cream, homemade. We took our time savouring the fantastic flavors of real homemade ice cream. We came back with full stomachs and an amazing experience.
Thursday
Thursday was a research day, so we headed out in the morning to Fondren Library. The ride was beautiful and driving through the campus felt so nice. It was warm and gorgeous outside, finally! We got to the library and immediately started looking for books on the online database. I found quite a few, and was quite lucky to find they were all on the same floor. After scanning the most vital information and returning the books, we set out for a nice lunch at the Black Walnut. We practiced savoring the food, and it was pretty good. When we came back, we discussed chapter 4 of Shawn Achor’s book, Before Happiness. The chapter talked about Noise. Noise is “Any information that is negative, false, or unnecessary or that prevents you from perceiving a world in which success is possible.” This means news that doesn’t have a direct affect on you or that you cannot fix. It also entails negative feedback and even just background noise.
Friday, January 13, 2017
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Monday and Tuesday Jan 9th and 10th
Monday Jan 9th
On Monday we spent the first half of the morning reviewing our values and goals for those who had missed them. After that we took 15 minutes out of our morning to meditate to one of the wolds most relaxing sounds which Perci had recomendend. Shortly after that we played a couple card games in which we had to guess the number, suit and color of the cards without looking at the card itself. We did this because it related to the short story we read about the Amazing Life of Henry Sugar which was about a man who supposedly spent years staring at candles and harness the power to see though anything, so he used his gift to win at gambling and donated all the money he made to orphanages. Once the students who were new to the class had finished doing that we moved on to a seminar about the book we were reading called Before Happiness by Shawn Achors. The class discussed skill two which was about Mapping your success route. Once that was over we did an activity of our own and mapped out our school district and our own personal surrounding that made up our life.
Tuesday Jan 10th
On Tuesday we were visited by two very interesting people named Marlin and Celeste. They both shared their own experiences with positive phycology and how mediation had really impacted their lives in many ways. More than anything I found Celeste's story very inspiring and how mediation had helped her cope with her cancer. Both her and Marlin both practiced Buddhism and shared some of what they learned from this practice with each of us. Celeste lead our morning meditation since she was the most experienced in meditation as she has been doing it for over 17 years. Marlin had brought some floor cushions with him so I sat on the floor during the mediation. Unlike the meditation we did on Monday this one didn't include music as it was more of a talk thru. We also were asked to keep our eyes open but not look at anything. That took a little time at fist but once I got the hang of it and it came pretty naturally. I felt tuned out form the rest of the world although I could still hear her voice in the background giving instructions. It was something that I had never experienced before and for the first time I actually felt connected with myself and my body.
On Monday we spent the first half of the morning reviewing our values and goals for those who had missed them. After that we took 15 minutes out of our morning to meditate to one of the wolds most relaxing sounds which Perci had recomendend. Shortly after that we played a couple card games in which we had to guess the number, suit and color of the cards without looking at the card itself. We did this because it related to the short story we read about the Amazing Life of Henry Sugar which was about a man who supposedly spent years staring at candles and harness the power to see though anything, so he used his gift to win at gambling and donated all the money he made to orphanages. Once the students who were new to the class had finished doing that we moved on to a seminar about the book we were reading called Before Happiness by Shawn Achors. The class discussed skill two which was about Mapping your success route. Once that was over we did an activity of our own and mapped out our school district and our own personal surrounding that made up our life.
Tuesday Jan 10th
On Tuesday we were visited by two very interesting people named Marlin and Celeste. They both shared their own experiences with positive phycology and how mediation had really impacted their lives in many ways. More than anything I found Celeste's story very inspiring and how mediation had helped her cope with her cancer. Both her and Marlin both practiced Buddhism and shared some of what they learned from this practice with each of us. Celeste lead our morning meditation since she was the most experienced in meditation as she has been doing it for over 17 years. Marlin had brought some floor cushions with him so I sat on the floor during the mediation. Unlike the meditation we did on Monday this one didn't include music as it was more of a talk thru. We also were asked to keep our eyes open but not look at anything. That took a little time at fist but once I got the hang of it and it came pretty naturally. I felt tuned out form the rest of the world although I could still hear her voice in the background giving instructions. It was something that I had never experienced before and for the first time I actually felt connected with myself and my body.
Thursday and Friday (1/5/17 &1/6/17)
Thursday and Friday of positive psychology J-Term have been super fun. On Thursday morning we tried two different types of very short meditation. First, we lit a candle and meditated for a minute at a time, staring at the center of it and trying to focus on an image in our heads. This was very difficult, and after several tries, we decided to try closing our eyes and focusing on an image. This was much easier, although still difficult to keep other thoughts from distracting us. After that we decided to try to be Henry Sugar, whom we had just read about, and to see if we could use our intuition to guess, first if each playing card in a shuffled deck was black or red, and then what suit each card was. This was a lot of fun. After that we discussed "The Wonderful Life of Henry Sugar" by Roald Dahl. After that, we decided that we were going to make vision boards. We went to Office Max, and found lots of cool supplies to make our vision boards, and binders: including some stickers, sparkly paper, and some very cool gold tape.
After we came back to school and ate lunch, we decorated our binders and worked on our vision boards for the rest of the day.
On Friday morning, we started by meditating for 15 minutes to some music. After that we talked about the first skill in "Before Happiness" by Shawn Achor. It is a very interesting book that we spent a lot of time discussing. Then we wrote and shared about three events during our life that made us who we like being today. Then we wrote down some goals, and shared one with the group so that we would be held accountable for it and actually get it done.
After we ate lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon decorating our vision boards.
After we came back to school and ate lunch, we decorated our binders and worked on our vision boards for the rest of the day.
On Friday morning, we started by meditating for 15 minutes to some music. After that we talked about the first skill in "Before Happiness" by Shawn Achor. It is a very interesting book that we spent a lot of time discussing. Then we wrote and shared about three events during our life that made us who we like being today. Then we wrote down some goals, and shared one with the group so that we would be held accountable for it and actually get it done.
After we ate lunch, we spent the rest of the afternoon decorating our vision boards.
The Beginning of Positive Psychology
Tuesday
Ah! The first day of Positive Psychology! Our first day was all about setting up our J-Term and making our daily schedules. We started off the day by writing down about 20 of our biggest values. Then we broke down the values and organized them into each other, making them into broader topics. as we got down to fewer categories, we learned about what our biggest values are.
Next we took about 15 minutes to meditate. By meditating every day, we hope to live in the present moment more, and become more calm. We used a song that had uneven beats called binaural beats and would draw us back to being in the moment more easily. After a lunch break, we decided to go for a walk to Hermann Park. Once we got to the park, we explored the lesser known Japanese garden. We saw a crawfish, a lot of birds, a frog (well we only heard it), two lizards, koi fish, turtles, fish, ducks, some squirrels, and a few dogs. We took our time, savoring the experience of nature and really enjoying being outdoors. When we just stopped and looked, and took everything in, we noticed so much more than we would have.
Wednesday
Our second day started off with a guided meditation for around 18 minutes. I prefer meditating with music, but I do like hearing another voice, to bring me back from trails of thought. We also got our books, Before Happiness by Shawn Achor. For lunch we all went out to Nippon to savor the food there. We tried to slow down and really enjoy the food we were eating. I’d say we were pretty successful.
It was pretty cold that afternoon, so we decided to stay inside, and we watched some fascinating Ted Talks about positive psychology. One of the talks that really stood out to me was by a woman named Jill Bolte Taylor, who was a neuroscientist. When she had a stroke, she was a bit excited to be able to study “from the inside out” as she said. One of the most interesting things that happened during her experience, was that she could “turn off” her left brain. The left brain is a negative voice inside your head, telling you about all the negative outcomes a situation can bring. With some time and practice, Taylor is now able to control when she turns on her left brain, and when she can turn it off.
Ah! The first day of Positive Psychology! Our first day was all about setting up our J-Term and making our daily schedules. We started off the day by writing down about 20 of our biggest values. Then we broke down the values and organized them into each other, making them into broader topics. as we got down to fewer categories, we learned about what our biggest values are.
Next we took about 15 minutes to meditate. By meditating every day, we hope to live in the present moment more, and become more calm. We used a song that had uneven beats called binaural beats and would draw us back to being in the moment more easily. After a lunch break, we decided to go for a walk to Hermann Park. Once we got to the park, we explored the lesser known Japanese garden. We saw a crawfish, a lot of birds, a frog (well we only heard it), two lizards, koi fish, turtles, fish, ducks, some squirrels, and a few dogs. We took our time, savoring the experience of nature and really enjoying being outdoors. When we just stopped and looked, and took everything in, we noticed so much more than we would have.
Wednesday
Our second day started off with a guided meditation for around 18 minutes. I prefer meditating with music, but I do like hearing another voice, to bring me back from trails of thought. We also got our books, Before Happiness by Shawn Achor. For lunch we all went out to Nippon to savor the food there. We tried to slow down and really enjoy the food we were eating. I’d say we were pretty successful.
It was pretty cold that afternoon, so we decided to stay inside, and we watched some fascinating Ted Talks about positive psychology. One of the talks that really stood out to me was by a woman named Jill Bolte Taylor, who was a neuroscientist. When she had a stroke, she was a bit excited to be able to study “from the inside out” as she said. One of the most interesting things that happened during her experience, was that she could “turn off” her left brain. The left brain is a negative voice inside your head, telling you about all the negative outcomes a situation can bring. With some time and practice, Taylor is now able to control when she turns on her left brain, and when she can turn it off.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)