In December 2017, I announced that 2018 will be the year of Positive Powerful Possibilities in Coach Iyabo land – #PositivePowerfulPossiblities. We have spent the last four months exploring the various nuances of positivity and why we need it in our lives to be our very best selves. We throw around that word and don’t realize how much goes into it. Precious readers, you spent the last four months stirring up your internal ecology to prepare to move outward and step into your power. Next newsletter will begin to delve into the concept of power and it will be amazing! I am particularly excited about the next section of writings that start next week.

Today’s post is a summary of the last four months with links to each subject.

1. We started out defining positivity and addressed “mindset.” We talked about the difference between a learner’s mindset and a fixed mindset.  If you do not have a growth mindset, it is difficult to learn and expand yourself.
2. We learned how to fine tune positivity by first tapping into our awareness. Awareness is the first thing that we have to tune into to enter into cultivating positivity.
3. We then explored our sense of desire and listed out what we actual have that strong urge for. We got permission to want and learned to become aware of our desires.
4. Then we talked about the paradox of choice where we discovered that there are multiple right choices.  We realized that we always have choices and it is an act of positivity to exercise choice.
5. We learned from the father of Positive Psychology how to develop learned optimism, the companion optimistic feeling which accompanies positive thinking and how this helps us cultivate hope.  Here we learned that positivity is a way of thinking and optimism is the feeling that accompanies the thought.
6. We then talked about the necessity of reflection on past events to glean lessons and maintain positivity with reframing.  Reflection on past events does not have to be scary. The past is not a fact – it can be reframed into something positive.
7. We learned how to detect “niceness” and determine if it was real or not. We discovered that we sometimes inadvertently use niceness to as a cover-up because we do not trust how we feel.
8. We discovered how hope is vital to positivity. It is religious terminology but also a way of connecting with a larger moral purpose.
9. I introduced you to a powerful vision process that I use before my workshops and public speaking engagements. The capacity to visualize is how we soothe our feelings and we are always doing it, but do we do it to intentionally enhance our positivity or practice fear?
10. We learned the value of confidence in being yourself. We discovered that there is a difference in confidence, self-esteem, and self-assurance.
11. We discovered that enthusiasm means “God Possessed.” Enthusiasm is always the evidence of our motivation.
12. We discovered the one sure thing that kills positivity. After developing the positivity muscle, we had to make sure we do not self-sabotage our success.
13. We discovered that some of us are actually merely surviving instead of thriving. We addressed how to work with brain science to make sure that we move into intentional thriving.
14. We discovered the Japanese concept of Wabi-Sabi where we take the broken pieces of our lives and reclaim them as something beautiful. If you do not integrate the shadow side of your life, you are not able to transform and be the best version of you.
15. We discovered how to intentionally use our happiness hormones. We discovered the difference between joy and happiness.
16. We discovered the three forms of happiness and how to move into deeper forms of happiness with our work. To create a meaningful life, we have to incorporate our values and our strengths into our work.

Enjoy!