PEOPLE WHO know me know that, generally, I'm a pretty upbeat, happy person. Sure, like everyone, I've had and continue to have my fair share of life's ups and downs, but I refuse to let the downs defeat me. When life deals me lemons, I just go on and make some lemonade.
I have often wondered: What makes people tick? Why are some people perpetually happy, while others are perpetually depressed? Mostly, I've wondered what the connection is, if any, between happiness and health?
In my search for answers to these questions, I decided this summer to enroll in a "Foundations for Positive Psychology" online course offered by the University of Pennsylvania.
Now, before I explain what positive psychology is, let me explain what it isn't. Positive psychology is not about walking around with a perpetual grin, being ecstatically happy while denying or ignoring the bad things that might happen in our lives.
To the contrary, positive psychology is about acknowledging the inevitable challenges that arise for us all and having the courage to face those challenges. It's choosing to see the glass as half full, instead of half empty.
No, this isn't just self-help chatter. Positive psychology is rooted in scholarly texts, and it's scientifically proven, too. It is perhaps best defined as a new discipline and lifestyle practice to make daily life more fulfilling.
The Web site for the Positive Psychology Center at Penn describes it as the "scientific study of the strengths and virtues that enable individuals and communities to thrive." The site also explains that "this field is 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."
As for that connection between health and happiness, positive emotions appear to play a significant role.
A landmark study by Carnegie Mellon University psychology professor Sheldon Cohen demonstrated that happy people were less likely to become ill, compared to more pessimistic subjects, when exposed to a cold virus.
Cohen's research found that - regardless of age, race, gender, education or body-mass index - people with positive outlooks had higher immunity, were less likely to catch a cold and, when they did, had milder symptoms.
