President’s Column: Why do we Suffer?
This is perhaps the oldest and most urgent question. The proverbial Job raised the question. The wise man Solomon raised the same question. Countless philosophers and psychologists have wrestled with the mystery of suffering. After four decades of research, I still do...
A Festival to Celebrate the Human Spirit
It is the worst of times; it is the best of times. But we cannot celebrate the best without overcoming and transcending the worst. This fundamental principle of flourishing is what we want to covey at our forthcoming Meaning Conference. By all accounts, it is the most...
Transcend the Pandemic: How to Redesign the Future of Work
Abstract The coronavirus has drastically changed the world of work and demands a redesign for organizations and individuals in order to meet the numerous new challenges, such as working remotely and a reduction of resources. In this paper, I propose a...
7 Reasons Why the New Normal May Be Good for You
COVID-19 is a wakeup call. It will return in some form if we do not learn the lessons from it and make the necessary changes. COVID-19 has turned the world upside down and shaken the very foundation of our civilization. But it has also provided a rare opportunity for...
COVID-19, Social Isolation, and the New Science of Adaptive Loneliness
Abstract This article was initially published as the President’s Column for the October 2020 edition of the Positive Living Newsletter. We were born alone, we suffer alone, and we die alone. It becomes increasingly difficult to ignore this existential reality in the...
How a Healthy Dosage of Self-Transcendence can Overcome COVID-19
Abstract This article was initially published as the President's Column for the July 2020 edition of the Positive Living Nesletter. Never before have so many people experienced such a high level of stress and anxiety. Frontline health workers and service providers are...
Coping with the Mental Health Crisis of COVID-19: A Resilience Perspective
We are now living through an unprecedented time. COVID-19, the worst pandemic in modern history, has fundamentally changed life as we know it. Everyone’s life is disrupted. The virus is more contagious and deadly than anyone had expected. There seems no end to how bad...
The Positive Psychology of Persistence and Flexibility
What are the most valuable life strategies essential for survival and resilience? What are the most common traits shared by successful athletes and CEOs? More importantly, what are the virtues most important in living the good life? My answer to all the above...
New Year’s Resolutions: Four Proven Ways to Make Them Stick
In this holiday season, life can be very stressful for many people. It can be due to too many festive activities or the awkward moments during family gatherings. It can also be due to the painful loneliness of spending Christmas and a new year alone and grieving the...
What is the Greatest Need Today? Responsibility is the Key to Surviving and Thriving in Dangerous Times
Abstract In a democratic society, people are free to choose, but are not free from the consequences of their choices. A sense of responsibility towards the self, others, and a higher authority serves the important function of guiding people to make the right choices....
How I Cracked Nature’s Code for Positive Mental Health: Introduction and My Search for Meaning
President's Column for the Positive Living Newsletter (July 2019). Read the rest of the newsletter here.Introduction The answer to my lifelong search for meaning and happiness in times of suffering seems surprisingly simple: To live a meaningful life regardless of...
Let Your Vulnerability be Your Strength
President's Column for the Positive Living Newsletter (March 2019). Read the rest of the newsletter here.Are you worried about being vulnerable? “Vulnerability” is derived from the Latin word vulnerare (to be wounded); it describes the potential to be injured...