Living with Gratitude and Finding Inspiration: Editorial Notes

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MAPP Love and Connection: IPPA World Congress, 2019. Photo courtesy of the author.

MAPP Love and Connection: IPPA World Congress, 2019. Photo courtesy of the author.

“To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, to enact gratitude is generous and noble, but to live gratitude is to touch Heaven.” —Johannes A. Gaertner

Where do you find inspiration? I often find mine in nature, music, dance, travel, and in the life-giving power of positive relationships, the true realization and embodiment of “Other People Mattering.” My life-changing MAPP year was filled with profound connections, and gratifying inspiration.

One of the biggest surprises around my MAPP experience is in the uplifting positive connections, goodness, and opportunities the MAPP Alumni Association offer. MAPP love has lifted me up and inspired me. Over my 2007-2008 MAPP year, I was in awe of the compelling conversations, the deep thinking and learning, the brilliance, and the kindness of my classmates. I have made some deep friendships with members of other classes as well, and that has filled me with great joy.

Making Dreams Come True

Dr. Gloria Park, MAPP, my 2008 Teaching Assistant (TA), unknowingly at the time, helped make my dream of getting a PhD come true. Gloria was my TA for Service Learning, Dr. James Pawelski’s class, and I thought the world of them. After graduation, Gloria called me to see if I’d be interested in applying to collaborate, to co-present, a symposium for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology. I immediately said, “Yes!” and we created an impactful presentation around Physical Activity as a Positive Institution: An Examination of the Body in Positive Psychology. I was thrilled to work with Gloria. It was also a real honor to meet her doctoral advisor, our Symposium Discussant, Dr. Michael Sachs, Temple University Kinesiology: Psychology of Human Movement Chair.

After my presentation, Dr. Sachs asked to talk with me. He and I met and Dr. Sachs asked I’d be interested in applying to Temple for their PhD program, and to work as a Social Sciences Teaching Assistant! I was happily shocked, and immediately applied for the Kinesiology: Psychology of Human Movement program. I was determined, and after four years of dedication, luck and hard work, my attainment of my PhD from Temple University became a reality in 2015. I feel awe from that experience and deep gratitude to Gloria for her role in serendipitously helping me reach a long time goal and dream.

Where do you find inspiration? What or who inspires you?

Authors, Aren Cohen and Sean Doyle, both MAPP 2, inspire me.
Aren and Sean were both “upper classman” to me during my MAPP 3 year. Thanks again to Aren and Sean for sharing their huge talents, formidable dedication and outstanding service. Here are their “Up Close and Personal” bio briefs:

Aren of Aren Cohen and Associates has been volunteering with Elizabeth Warren’s campaign since April. Her most recent grassroots project is collaboration with the New York graphic artist Raymond Forbes-Schieche. Together Aren and Raymond have published the story, ELIZABETH WARREN’S APPLES: Parents, Teachers, & Children on medium.com: http://bit.ly/32ju3ri

Sean Doyle is a poet and lawyer. Sean is passionate about finding ways to use language to help people discover the beauty and hope, the meaning and goodness, in their lives. Sean’s essays and stories are an invitation to discovering how to fall deeper in love with life. His new book, Mud and Dreams, invites your to discover the beauty, goodness, and meaning in our lives: https://amzn.to/2nHtk4a

Two recent graduates, Erica Mohr and Susie Patterson, both MAPP 2018, have taken up the charge, in planning the year’s MAPP Alumni Association FETE. The Fete was started by 2008 MAPP Graduate, Arthur Fullerton. The MAPP FETE is a day of learning and celebration planned by, and for, MAPP Graduates.

Erica and Susie are doing an extraordinary job producing this year’s event, which will be held on Friday, October 18, 2019. These dedicated professionals are setting a high bar for excellence, innovation, connection, and positive action. Further, both truly care about the work AND each other. Susie called it a “labor of love,” and both women have found joy in the experience of working so well together in what will be an amazing day. What inspires you? I asked Erica and Susie about the FETE planning:

For Fete 2019, we (Erica Mohr and Susie Patterson) wanted to achieve 3 things:

  • CONNECT with one another

  • INSPIRE with stories of how our colleagues are spreading positive psychology in unique and scaled ways

  • And commit to APPLY Positive Psychology in a new way in life or work. To achieve these goals, we’ve filled the day with short, TedTalk-style general sessions, breakout sessions, co-creation sessions focused developing new applications, and ample hang-out time.

Here is their outstanding Draft Agenda for MAPP Alumni FETE 2019: http://bit.ly/31dIwDV Good on you, Erica, Susie, Fete Committee, Sponsors, and Presenters!

What actions are inspiring to you?

Donna Hemmert, MAPP 2015, Positive Voices, shared a lovely quote from Erin McLoughlin, MAPP 2017, pictured here with Bec Vargus Erin: “I didn’t know Bec, but she was my angel-rescued me by retrieving my (IPPA World Congress 2019) poster after I left it on a plane. I’m glad she’s bringing another little positive person in the world.”

Carin Rockind, MAPP 2011, has announced October 18 is Women's Global Happiness Day. It is the first-ever worldwide initiative to help eradicate women's depression by teaching positive psychology. To register or for more information, contact: womensglobalhappinessday.com.

In closing, I’m sharing this photo of my Senior Dance Fitness students who are a true source of my gratitude, and inspiration by virtue of their positive determination, sense of fun, and service.

The January/February 2020 Volume 1 of MAPP Magazine will feature the 2019 MAPP Fete and Summit, Positive Clinical Psychology, and more international MAPP Alumni News. Here’s hoping you will find inspiration, and the urge to positive action from this volume of MAPP Magazine.

PS We would love to hear from you. Please reach out with your MAPP story ideas that you would like to contribute, or see here. Thanks and cheers!

—Elaine

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Elaine O’Brien (C'08)

Elaine O’Brien, PhD, MAPP 2008, earned a doctorate in 2015 from Temple University. Her dissertation was Kinesiology: Psychology of Human Movement, and attended the University of Oslo, studying “Positive Psychology Across Cultures.” Elaine presented with Drs. Chris Peterson, Yukon Zhao, and MAPP alumni at the 2010 China Positive Psychology Conferences. Elaine is a vanguard Health and Fitness Industry leader, member of IPPA’s Health/Wellbeing Leader Team, a USAID Resilience and Thriving Course provider, new MAPP faculty member for Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, and Infijoy course “Moving with Joy,” creator, now in post-production.

Elaine’s passion is around building the power of connection, and helping people moving with intention, meaning and love: positive and transcendent movement.