Positive Strategies For Work & Life, written by Tom Rath
In the early 1950s my grandfather Don Clifton was teaching psychology at the University of Nebraska when he noticed a major problem: The field of psychology was based almost entirely on the study of what is wrong with people.
Strictly merlin’s speculations: And as previously cited in the prior post Negativity Kills, Don’s review of one specific case study by Dr. Wm E Mayer of the 1000 N Korean American POW’s altered the entire focus of his career and life. And I maintain that we as His ambassadors, if we would answer His spiritual call affirmatively, between our years of 15-23 yrs of age when accompanied with His transformation & empowerment, and with the necessary discipline, encouragement & mentoring, as Gallup proved 50 years later with their boatloads of data, that His kingdom legacies would abound, perhaps not so well known here on earth, but during those reunions & impromptu meet & greets in heaven, the journey dots will finally be connected…. And our glorification with Him will be recognized & eternally enjoyed. Remember, Jesus is always invitational & it is never too late to begin, except AFTER the trumpet call!
Don began to wonder if it wouldn’t be more important to study what is right with people.
So, over the past five decades, Don and his colleagues conducted millions of interviews missing on the positive instead of the negative.
Early in his research Don discovered that our lives are shaped by our interactions with others. Whether we have a long conversation with a friend or simply place an order at a restaurant, every interaction makes a difference. The results of our encounters are rarely neutral; they are almost always positive or negative. And although we take these interactions for granted, they accumulate and profoundly affect our lives.
During the course of Don’s work in the 1990’s a new field of study emerged: Positive Psychology, which focuses on what is right with people. Today many of the world’s leading scientists study the effects of positive emotions.
In 2002, Don’s pioneering work was recognized by the American Psychological Association, which cited him as Grandfather of Positive Psychology and the Father of Strengths Psychology. That same year, Don learned that an aggressive and terminal cancer had spread throughout his body. Knowing his time was limited, he spent his final months doing what he did best and what people who knew him well, would have expected: helping others focus on the positive.
Although Don had written already written several books including the best seller, Now Discover Your Strengths, he asked me to join him in writing one last book – one based on a theory he created in the 1960s. People had been asking Don to write this book for decades as a result of the theory’s popularity. Over the past forty years, more than 5000 organizations and one million people have applied this theory. And people always passed it along to friends, colleagues, and loved ones.
Based on a simple metaphor of a “dipper” and a “bucket,” Don’s theory carried profound implications and simplified his life’s work for others. So in his final months, Don and I worked night and day to assemble the most compelling differences he had gathered over half a century of work. Although Don was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, we continued to work on this book whenever he had the energy – which was the majority of the time.
We sat in his study for hours, reviewing the research, statistics, and stories, we thought you would find compelling. As Don’s health deteriorated, I read sections to him and took notes on his feedback. He reviewed every section wanting each story and insight to resonate with you.
For my part, I was honored to be Don’s partner in creating this book. He was my mentor, teacher, role model, and friend. We were exceptionally close, and I cherished the time we had together. I was always motivated and inspired by his vision. And Don knew that I had been touched deeply by his theory throughout my life. As we will describe in Chapter Four, applying Don’s Theory of the Dipper and the Bucket energized and probably save me in my own battles with cancer.
In hindsight, I think this project also gave Don additional energy in the final stages of his fight with cancer. He had spent his life trying to make the world a better place one person at a time and he understood that completing this book would make a difference. We finished our first draft of this book just weeks before his death in September of 2003.
Over the 79 years of Don’s life, he touched millions of individuals through his books, teaching, and the global business he built. Don reached so many people as a result of his unwavering belief in helping individuals and organizations focus on what is right. (merlin: Can we do any less?)
As you read this book, we hope that you will discover the power of bucket filling in your own life.
Tom Rath
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5 Steps For Creating The Art in Our Life With God