I’m flying to Los Angeles tomorrow. I’m leaving my 2 1/2 year old and my 7 month old (whom I’m still nursing, if that isn’t TMI) and I’m leaving them for four days with my mother-in-law. And I’m spending a lot of money to go to the 3rd International Positive Psychology Association conference. (Conferences are expensive! This one is $740. Not to mention the added lectures and workshops that you can go to before and after the event.)
But it will be worth it. I’ve been to the first two and each time I’m learned as much as going to a graduate level course and made good connections (and gotten jobs) from/with the people I’ve met.
The IPPA website as such press worthy quotes as: ”Presentations, workshops, and poster sessions will feature leading-edge research, as well as applications of positive psychology in a variety of fields – from business to education to medicine. Attendees will have the opportunity to discuss the latest research, insights, and ideas, and interact with other people who focus on studying what is best in life and how to create more of it. The internationally diverse audience will consist of researchers, clinicians, educators, students, business owners, coaches, consultants – anyone committed to the science and practice of positive psychology.” Which is all true, actually. There are a few crazies there, but most are students and consultants and wanna be consultants and some researchers.
Martin Seligman and Shannon Polly
What am I looking forward to?
While talks and discussions will cover a wide range of topics, the Congress will feature a particular emphasis on these five themes:
- Positive Development across the Lifespan
- Positive Environments, Sustainability, and Conservation
- The Healthy Body and the Healthy Mind
- Work and Well-Being
- Creativity and Evolution
Featured speakers include Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Richard Davidson, Barbara Fredrickson, Martin Seligman (whom I’m excited to see), and anyone whose written a book you’ve seen on your way through Barnes and Noble. (Does anyone go to bookstores anymore?)
The workshops (for which they charge a fee) fall under three categories:
- •Master Lecture Series, featuring leading scholars discussing their research
- •Research Methods Workshops, offering the opportunity to learn advanced research techniques relevant to positive psychological science
- •Applied Practice Workshops, featuring best practices for applying positive psychology in a range of disciplines
Mostly I’m looking forward to connecting with the 50+ graduates of the Master of Applied Positive Psychology program at UPenn (there is one in London who is a wee bit jealous of the attention we get).
I want to know what they are doing, how they are doing and what exciting things are happening in their lives. It’s going to be one big reunion. But I also want to branch out and meet new people. I tell my participants that when I do my Networking courses. And I want to learn. I want to learn new things and ask questions because I’m curious, not because I want to look good or get noticed. I’m going to be growth mindset this time. And I’m going to be present. And I’ll write some more posts about what I learn (and tweeting when I can).
How about you? What is a situation where you can just BE this week?