AI Answer
Positive psychology is a field of psychology that focuses on studying and understanding what makes life meaningful and worth living. It emphasizes identifying and building on individual strengths, character virtues, positive emotions, and positive relationships. In contrast to traditional psychology, which often focuses on addressing dysfunction and pathology, positive psychology seeks to promote well-being and flourishing in individuals and communities. It was pioneered by psychologists like Martin Seligman, who shifted his focus from studying learned helplessness and depression to exploring the factors that contribute to a fulfilling and thriving life.

More Happiness + Success with Robert Mack - Terri Cole

We wanted to make sure we're taking care of those things that are um sort of below um sort of clinical line that are clinical issues . Um Positive psychology really focused on what's right about people and signature strengths , character virtues . It's really about happiness and more than that positive emotion , positive relationships .

More Happiness + Success with Robert Mack - Terri Cole

Just give us a little nutshell for sure . So um apply positive psychology is this study and science of what makes life worth living . So most businesses , usual , usual psychology focuses on mental illness and dysfunction and weakness .

More Happiness + Success with Robert Mack - Terri Cole

And then I found ear to and then I found some scientists here and there . And then eventually I was led to positive psychology . But in the beginning , I think it was very simple for me in the sense that I came to a discovery that everything I was doing clearly wasn't working , certainly not in terms of subjective well-being and happiness and peace and all that good stuff .

More Happiness + Success with Robert Mack - Terri Cole

And so , you know , I thought that was odd and I decided to postpone the suicide for like just 15 minutes at the time and it eventually bled into an hour and more or it's been over two decades . But I just started doing some research and , uh , eventually in that research , I discovered positive psychology . Wow , that's just an amazing story .

More Happiness + Success with Robert Mack - Terri Cole

And I know that people who are listening and people who have read your book and people who are , you know , in your world , so many people have struggled with suicidal ideations that are obsessive and that don't go away , like you said , the , the objective circumstances of your life , it's almost like , and I understand the guilt as well feeling like I've done all these things and I've got these things , who am I to quote unquote , sort of feel this way and yet you did feel this way . So , as you found positive psychology , first of all , for people who don't know what it is , would you just tell us a bit ? Just give us a little nutshell for sure .