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Expecting and taking action towards a positive future.
Hope is about seeing the world as ‘glass half full’ and having positive expectations for the future. When you are hopeful, you have goals for the future, you believe they will be achieved, and you behave in such a way that promotes the realisation of your beliefs. Optimistic people have broad perspectives, take action to attain their goals and believe they can make positive things happen in their lives.
Students with hope might:
Teachers with hope might:
Being aware and thankful for the good things that happen in life.
When you are grateful you look for the good in the world and appreciate things that happen to you, or are given to you, which positively influence your life.
Gratitude is a strength that works as an antidote to our negative emotions. By noticing and appreciating the good things in life, we focus on and appreciate the present moment. Looking at the world with gratitude makes us participate in life; to live in the now.
Gratitude is always a choice. It’s about appreciation, not expectation.
This blog post explores the importance of gratitude in our lives.
Students with gratitude might:
Teachers with gratitude might:
“Gratitude is something of which none of us can give too much. For on the smiles, the thanks we give, our little gestures of appreciation, our neighbours build their philosophy of life”.
Noticing and appreciating beauty, excellence, and skilled performance in various domains of life.
Appreciation of beauty and excellence relates to the human tendency to feel powerful transcendent emotions when noticing beauty in the world. This may be experienced as feelings of awe, wonder or elevation. People with this strength love the arts- music, literature or art. They are easily moved by nature, spiritual experiences or even a beautiful mathematics equation. This strength is outward looking; when people experience awe they can have a broader sense of perspective in their personal lives, a deeper sense of connection to humanity and a renewed sense of purpose.
Students with appreciation of beauty and excellence might:
Teachers with appreciation of beauty and excellence might:
The ability to generate and appreciate the 'lighter side' of the moment.
Humour relates to the ability to experience and ignite laughter in others. People strong in the humour strength are able to see the lighter side in a situation. Humour is a ubiquitous, highly ingrained, and largely meaningful aspect of the human experience and therefor is a highly valued trait. People with humour as a strength make strong connections with others and can build positive relationships. Humour also contributes to both our physical and psychological well-being and boosts positivity and optimism. There is research that indicates that humour is often the springboard for creativity in the workplace.
Students with humour might:
Teachers with humour might:
Having beliefs about the meaning and purpose of the world we live in.
Spirituality relates to the ability to hold coherent beliefs about the 'big picture' meaning and purpose of the world we live in. People who have spirituality as a strength have a clear idea of how they fit within the larger scheme. These beliefs shape their values and provide faith. Research indicates that spirituality is a strength that is strongly correlated with higher life satisfaction. A more expansive view of the world is associated with increased gratitude, compassion, a greater sense of connection and understanding of meaning and purpose.
Students with spirituality might:
Teachers with spirituality might: