Having a good and healthy outlook on life is an essential element of living well. Positive emotions, such as hope, interest, joy, love, compassion, pride, amusement, and gratitude, set a tone for our lives. Whatever circumstances may surround us, if we can live with positive emotion, we can be happy and we can encourage others.
- Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you. [attributed to Walt Whitman, based on his iconic work Leaves of Grass.]
- Say something positive, and you’ll see something positive. [Jim Thompson, founder of Positive Coaching Alliance]
“. . . the capacity to experience positive emotions may be a fundamental human strength central to the study of human flourishing.” “Whether in a personal or professional context, humans thrive when they feel positive emotions such as happiness, hope, joy, compassion, and gratitude.” “Growing evidence finds associations between positive emotions and other positive outcomes, including job success, good relationships, and better health . . .”
Seligman’s positive psychology marked a turning point in his life, and in the field of psychology. “Positive psychology is a branch of psychology focused on the character strengths and behaviors that allow individuals to build a life of meaning and purpose—to move beyond surviving to flourishing.” It “places its emphasis on the study of positive emotions, happiness, fulfillment, genius and talent, strengths, high performance, and understanding how humans can function at their best, not just how to fix them when they show signs of a mental illness, which has been the traditional focus of psychology.”
“Positive mental health is anticipated to develop and flourish when pleasant feelings are nurtured.” “Within limits, we can increase our positive emotion about the past (e.g., by cultivating gratitude and forgiveness), our positive emotion about the present (e.g., by savoring physical pleasures and mindfulness) and our positive emotion about the future (e.g., by building hope and optimism).”
Real
True Narratives
Technical and Analytical Readings
- Jane Gruber, ed., The Oxford Handbook of Positive Emotion and Psychopathology (Oxford University Press, 2019).
- June Gruber & Judith Tedlie Moskowitz, eds., Positive Emotion: Integrating the Light Sides and Dark Sides (Oxford University Press, 2014).
- Michele M. Tugade, Michelle N. Shiota & Leslie D. Kirby, eds., Handbook of Positive Emotions (The Guilford Press, 2014).
Photographs
Documentary and Educational Films
Imaginary
Fictional Narratives
Poetry
Music: Composers, artists, and major works
The music of Cajun, Creole and Zydeco traditions is almost unfailingly upbeat. “Cajun music is an accordion- and fiddle-based, largely francophone folk music originating in southwestern Louisiana. Most people identify Cajun music with Louisiana’s Acadian settlers and their descendants, the Cajuns, but this music in fact refers to an indigenous mixture with complex roots in Irish, African, German, Appalachian as well as Acadian traditions.” “Both Cajun music and the Creole music that evolved into Zydeco are the products of a combination of influences found only in Southwest Louisiana. According to Alan Lomax in his notes to a CD collection of field recordings in Louisiana that he and his father, John Lomax, completed in the 1930s, 'the Cajun and Creole traditions of Southwest Louisiana are unique in the blending of European, African, and Amerindian qualities.'”
Top Cajun artists include:
- Riley Family Band, “La Vie de Riley” album (2022) (48’);
- “Cajun country revival” (2018) (99’);
- BeauSoleil Quartet, “Cajun music from Louisiana” (74’);
- Michael Doucet, with his playlists;
- Dewey Balfa, with his playlists;
- Iry LeJune, “The Definitive Collection” album (67’);
- D.L. Menard, with his playlists;
- Harry Choates, with his playlists;
- Dennis McGee, with his playlists;
- Wayne Toups, with his playlists;
- Pine Leaf Boys, with their playlists;
- Lost Bayou Ramblers, with their playlists;
- Alphonse “Bois Sec” Ardoin, with his playlists;
- Nathan Abshire, with his playlists; and
- Austin Pitre and The Evangeline Playboys, “Opelousas Waltz” album (54’).
Similarly, Creole music and its top artists:
- Amédé Ardoin, with his playlists (his death);
- Cedric Watson, with his playlists; and
- Geno Delafose, with his playlists., and on Millenium Stage in 2016.
. . . and Zydeco music, with its top artists:
- Clifton Chenier, with his playlists, and “The King of the Zydeco” album (77’);
- Buckwheat Zydeco, with his playlists;
- Boozoo Chavis, with his playlists;
- Queen Ida, “Mardi Gras!” album (1993) (54’);
- Rockin’ Sydney, with his playlists;
- Rosie Ledet, with her playlists;
- Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr., with his playlists;
- John Delafose, with his playlists; and
- Corey Ledet, with his releases.
Fun with the blues:
- Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite, “100 Years of Blues” album (2020) (52’)
Compositions:
- Jacques Offenbach, Gaité Parisienne (1938) (approx. 45-46’) “is a 1938 ballet based on music by Jacques Offenbach, arranged by Manuel Rosenthal. SYNOPSIS: Café Tortoni, Paris, during the Second Empire. Various members from all levels of society meet, including upper-class aristocrats, high society-ladies, as well as a lower-class flower girl, along with the professional can-can dancers.”
- Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 9 in E major, Op. 14/1 (1799) (approx. 14-16’): the first and third movements are unremittingly positive; the second movement provides a little contrast with opening sounds of doubt or angst but these are quickly converted into aural sunshine.
- Vasily Kalinnikov, Symphony No. 1 in G Minor (1895) (approx. 37-39’): “Each movement is referenced in turn, with the noble first melody of the second movement rounding things out. Before that grand conclusion, though, comes about nine minutes of unbridled joy, surely one of the most exuberant concluding symphonic episodes in the 19th-century symphonic canon.”
- Kalinnikov, Symphony No. 2 in A Major (1897) (approx. 37-40’)
- Camille Saint-Saëns, Piano Quartet in B flat Major, Op. 41 (1875) (approx. 32-33’)
- Michael Haydn’s symphonies are uplifting little baubles of sound.
- Eivind Groven, Hjalarljod Overture (1950) (approx. 6-7’) is inspired by a shepherd’s call.
- Thomas Arne, six organ concerti (1787) (approx. 86’)
- Michael Haydn, Concerto for Flute and Orchestra in D Major (c. 1765) (approx. 19’)
- Antonio Rosetti, Violin Concerti in major keys: C Major, C5, III8 (approx. 22’); D Major, C6, III9 (approx. 19’); D Major, C7, III7 (approx. 19’); D minor, C9, III5 (approx. 19’); E-flat Major, C10, III6 (approx. ); F Major, C11, III4 (approx. 18’); A Major, C13, III10 (approx. )
- Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, Piano Sonata No. 1 (1876) (approx. 24’)
Albums:
- Paul Bley, “Indian Summer”, with Ron McClure and Barry Altschul (1990) (59’)
- Steven Halpern, “Comfort Zone” (1979) (73’)
- Deuter, “Land of Enchantment” (1988) (98’)
- Jimmy Cobb, “This I Dig of You” (2019) (67’) is “a solid, joyously swinging set of mainstream jazz.”
- George Cables, “I’m All Smiles” (2019) (58’) “is the most playful recording this trio has released yet. It's hard to be sure where the song is going until Cables decides to let his left hand draw out the four note lead-in to the chorus. In some ways this is his method of winking at his audience, knowing that at this point in his career they are wary enough to follow along with his amusements.”
- Michael Arnowitt & ImproVisions Jazz, “Sweet Spontaneous” (2018) (131’)
Music: songs and other short pieces
- Justin Timberlake, "Can't Stop the Feeling!" (lyrics)
- American Authors, "Best Day of My Life" (lyrics)
Visual Arts
- Konstantin Makovsky, Happy Arcadia (1889-90)
