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Dear Members of the FSA:
There is an emphasis on gift-giving during the holiday season. For some, the best part is finding just the right gift that will place a sparkle in someone's eyes and happiness in their hearts. You may occasionally see advertisements saying, "best gifts – for your loved one," these range from ornaments, mugs, t-shirts, but the best gift is one we must give to ourselves. Entrepreneurs have a hard time with this, and yes, I am talking about self-care. So, I want you to think about this quote by Parker J. Palmer, "Self-care is never a selfish act, it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others."
Dr. Martin Seligman, Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania and founder of positive psychology, concluded that five elements of lasting "well-being" fall under the mnemonic PERMA.
- Positive Emotions: We need positive emotions in our lives. Positive emotions include hope, attention, happiness, love, compassion, satisfaction, amusement, and gratitude.
- Spend time with people you care about.
- Do activities you enjoy. Listen to uplifting or inspirational music.
- Reflect on things you are grateful for in your life.
- Engagement: When we engage in a circumstance, task, or project, we experience a state of flow: time seems to stop, we lose our sense of self, and we are in the moment. Engagement is much more powerful than simply being happy, but happiness is one of the many byproducts of engagement.
- Participate in activities where you lose track of time when you do them.
- Practice living in the moment during daily activities, even mundane tasks.
- Spend time outside, experience the environment, watch, listen, and observe what happens around you.
- Do those things that you excel at, your character strengths.
- Relationships: As humans, we are "social beings," and good relationships that make you feel supported, loved, and valued by others are essential to our well-being. People who have significant, positive relationships with others are happier than those who do not.
- Become part of a class or group that interests you.
- Find out more about people you don't know well; ask more questions.
- Develop friendships with people you are acquainted with.
- Reconnect with people you haven't spoken to in a while.
- Meaning: Meaning comes from attending a cause bigger than ourselves. Whether this is a specific deity or religion, or a reason that helps humanity somehow, we all need value in our lives to have a sense of happiness.
- Get involved in a cause that matters to you.
- Find things you connect with by trying a new activity.
- Think about how you can use your passion to help others.
- Spend quality time with people you care about.
- Accomplishments/Achievements: Many of us strive to better ourselves somehow, whether we're seeking to master a skill, achieve a worthwhile goal, or win in some competitive event. As such, accomplishment is another important thing contributing to our ability to flourish.
- Set specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART) goals.
- Reflect on your past successes.
- Celebrate your achievements.
I wish you to be good stewards of your gift(s), experience total well-being, flourish in your life, and work today and always!
We look forward to sharing many inspiring speakers in the upcoming year, starting on January 8th with Bob Burg, CSP and Rick Goodman, CSP. Be sure to register for the Chapter meeting early, and as a reminder, we offer in-person and virtual options.
May peace, joy, hope, and happiness be yours during this holiday season and throughout the New Year!
Join us on January 8, 2022, for our next FSA Chapter Meeting with Bob Burg and Rick Goodman!
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