Flourishing in Life, Work and Careers


Book Description

Happiness in one aspect of our life can positively impact our satisfaction within other domains of our life. The opposite also rings true. Today's generation of working people have often been called the generation who want it all. But can we really




Mass Flourishing


Book Description

In this book, Nobel Prize-winning economist Edmund Phelps draws on a lifetime of thinking to make a sweeping new argument about what makes nations prosper--and why the sources of that prosperity are under threat today. Why did prosperity explode in some nations between the 1820s and 1960s, creating not just unprecedented material wealth but "flourishing"--meaningful work, self-expression, and personal growth for more people than ever before? Phelps makes the case that the wellspring of this flourishing was modern values such as the desire to create, explore, and meet challenges. These values fueled the grassroots dynamism that was necessary for widespread, indigenous innovation. Most innovation wasn't driven by a few isolated visionaries like Henry Ford and Steve Jobs; rather, it was driven by millions of people empowered to think of, develop, and market innumerable new products and processes, and improvements to existing ones. Mass flourishing--a combination of material well-being and the "good life" in a broader sense--was created by this mass innovation. Yet indigenous innovation and flourishing weakened decades ago. In America, evidence indicates that innovation and job satisfaction have decreased since the late 1960s, while postwar Europe has never recaptured its former dynamism. The reason, Phelps argues, is that the modern values underlying the modern economy are under threat by a resurgence of traditional, corporatist values that put the community and state over the individual. The ultimate fate of modern values is now the most pressing question for the West: will Western nations recommit themselves to modernity, grassroots dynamism, indigenous innovation, and widespread personal fulfillment, or will we go on with a narrowed innovation that limits flourishing to a few? A book of immense practical and intellectual importance, Mass Flourishing is essential reading for anyone who cares about the sources of prosperity and the future of the West.




Vocation


Book Description

How shall we live? What is the good life? What is the value of a person? What is my place in this world? Is God active in this world? These are questions that have been asked in every culture and in every era. From the Hebrew concept of Shalom (wholeness/well-being) to the Greek concept of Eudaimonia (happiness) and even to the American notion that all people have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, great thinkers have pondered what it means for humans to flourish. The doctrine of vocation uniquely answers these questions. A certain level of security, prosperity, and freedom are essential components of human flourishing. God provides these components by working through humans in their stations in life such as parents and police (security), farmers and bankers (prosperity), and soldiers and governments (freedom). And yet there is more for which we strive. We are the type of beings whose wonderment drives us to the pursuit of knowledge, justice, and achievement. In short, we desire to be justified. We want to be valued. We want to be right or just. We strive for epic-ness. But no mere human adulation will satisfy. Nor can we justify ourselves before God with our broken lives. God justifies Christians through Christ and then uses them. God adds another component to human flourishing: purpose. He uses Christians in his economy of love to take care of the world. He lifts us from the ordinary to accomplish the extraordinary, even as we pursue ordinary tasks. For the Christian, these stations become callings or vocations. This can only be fully appreciated if the Christian knows that he or she is free from pleasing God through works. Once the Christian is freed from this burden the whole of the Christian life is reoriented to the free exercise of love towards neighbor. It is the highest calling, the truly good, flourishing, and happy life.




Flourishing


Book Description

Psychology has made great strides in understanding mental illness, but how much has it learned about mental health? When people want to reflect upon the good life and how to live it, they turn to philosophers and novelists, not psychologists. The emerging field of positive psychology aims to redress this imbalance. In Flourishing, distinguished scholars apply scientific analyses to study the good life, expanding the scope of social and psychological research to include happiness, well-being, courage, citizenship, play, and the satisfactions of healthy work and healthy relationships. Their findings reveal that a sense of meaning and a feeling of richness emerge in life as people immerse themselves in activities, relationships, and the pursuit of intrinsically satisfying goals like overcoming adversity or serving one's community through volunteering. This provocative book will further define this evolving field.




Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Positive Psychology


Book Description

Many have wondered if there is a key ingredient to living a full and happy life. For decades now, scientists and psychologists alike have been studying the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive. The positive psychology movement was founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play. At the same time, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)—a mindfulness-based, values-oriented behavioral therapy that has many parallels to Buddhism, yet is not religious in any way—has been focused on helping people achieve their greatest human potential. Created only years apart, ACT and positive psychology both promote human flourishing, and they often share overlapping themes and applications, particularly when it comes to setting goals, psychological strengths, mindfulness, and the clarification of what matters most—our values and our search for meaning in life. Despite these similarities, however, the two different therapeutic models are rarely discussed in relation to one another. What if unifying these theories could lead to faster, more profound and enduring improvements to the human condition? Edited by leading researchers in the field of positive psychology, Mindfulness, Acceptance, and Positive Psychology is the first professional book to successfully integrate key elements of ACT and positive psychology to promote healthy functioning in clients. By gaining an understanding of "the seven foundations of well-being," professionals will walk away with concrete, modernized strategies to use when working with clients. Throughout the book, the editors focus on how ACT, mindfulness therapies, and positive psychology can best be utilized by professionals in various settings, from prisons and Fortune 500 business organizations to parents and schools. With contributions by Steven C. Hayes, the founder of ACT, as well as other well-known authorities on ACT and positive psychology such as Robyn Walser, Kristin Neff, Dennis Tirch, Ian Stewart, Louise McHugh, Lance M. McCracken, Acacia Parks, Robert Biswas-Diener, and more, this book provides state-of-the-art research, theory, and applications of relevance to mental health professionals, scientists, advanced students, and people in the general public interested in either ACT or positive psychology.




Road to Flourishing


Book Description

What makes for a flourishing workplace? With compelling case studies from the Best Christian Workplaces Institute along with enlightening personal anecdotes, Al Lopus demonstrates how companies and ministries can accomplish work that matters by building fantastic teams, cultivating life-giving work, attracting and retaining outstanding talent, and much more.




Values and Ethics of Industrial-Organizational Psychology


Book Description

This foundational text was one of the first books to integrate work from moral philosophy, developmental/moral psychology, applied psychology, political and social economy, and political science, as well as business scholarship. Twenty years on, this third edition utilizes ideas from the first two to provide readers with a practical model for ethical decision making and includes examples from I-O research and practice, as well as current business events. The book incorporates diverse perspectives into a "framework for taking moral action" based on learning points from each chapter. Examples and references have been updated throughout, and sections on moral psychology, economic justice, the "replicability crisis," and open science have been expanded and the "radical behavioral challenge" to ethical decision-making is critiqued. In fifteen clearly structured and theory-based chapters, the author also presents a variety of ethical incidents reported by practicing I-O psychologists. This is the ideal resource for Ethics and I-O courses at the graduate and doctoral level. Academics in Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management will also benefit from this book, as well as anyone interested in Ethics in Psychology and Business.




The New Long Life


Book Description

A practical guide to how we can positively adapt to a changing world, from the internationally bestselling authors of The 100-Year Life. "Wonderful . . . This thought-provoking book is a must-read." Daron Acemoglu, New York Times bestselling co-author of Why Nations Fail Smart new technologies. Longer, healthier lives. Human progress has risen to great heights, but at the same time it has prompted anxiety about where we're heading. Are our jobs under threat? If we live to 100, will we ever really stop working? And how will this change the way we love, manage and learn from others? One thing is clear: advances in technology have not been matched by the necessary innovation to our social structures. In our era of unprecedented change, we haven't yet discovered new ways of living. Drawing from the fields of economics and psychology, Andrew J. Scott and Lynda Gratton offer a simple framework based on three fundamental principles (Narrate, Explore and Relate) to give you the tools to navigate the challenges ahead. Both a personal road-map and a primer for governments, corporations and colleges, The New Long Life is the essential guide to a longer, smarter, happier life. "This thoughtful book explores how we can reimagine our days and our societies to make our lives better – not just longer." Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take "Stimulating, insightful and inspirational."' Linda Yueh, author of The Great Economists




Thriving in Digital Workspaces


Book Description

This edited volume focuses on innovative solutions to the debate on human thriving in the fast emerging technology-driven cyber-physical work context, also called Industry 4.0. The volume asks the important question: How can people remain relevant and thrive in workplaces that are increasingly virtual, technology-driven, and imbued with artificial intelligence? This volume includes two major streams of discussion: it provides multidisciplinary perspectives on what thriving could mean for individuals, managers and organisations in current and future non-linear and Web-driven workspaces. In this context, it points to the need to rethink the curricula of the psychology of human thriving so that it is applicable to Industry 4.0. Second, it discusses the new platforms of learning opening up in organisations and the ways and means with which people's learning practices can be adapted to changing scenarios. Some of these scenarios are: changing job designs and talent requirements; the demand for creativity; the need for virtual teams and intercultural collaborations; and changing emotional competencies. This topical volume includes contributions by scholars from across the world, and is of interest to scholars, practitioners and postgraduate students of psychology, organizational behaviour and human resource management.




Fired Up!


Book Description

Imagine this . . . you are leading a team that is full of energy, enthusiasm, creativity, cooperation, and participation. Team members enjoy working with one another and the nature of the work itself. Simply put, the team is a pleasure to engage with and they help you achieve organizational goals − on time and under budget. Sounds great – right? Of course it does . . . but it may not be your reality. Your team’s success is impacted by changes within the work environment, and as a leader, manager, human resources professional or organizational development consultant you are constantly striving to address threats to employee engagement and well-being. One such threat is the global phenomenon: burnout. Fired Up! offers a framework and collection of interconnected principles that can help you build a positive and effective work environment. It serves as a starting point for people leaders (and those that work with people leaders) to understand burnout and engagement while developing a plan of action. Inspired by the stories, anecdotes, and strategies included in the book, you will find support and tools for creating an environment that fosters engagement for your team. Gain an insight into the causes and consequences of burnout, learn how to assess your team and work environment and become aware of the conditions that can shift your team from burnout to engagement.