Breathe
By Arlen Solodkin
To achieve a full life we must take care of every aspect and area, both personal, work and relational. Have you ever heard of the SPIRE model?
It was developed by Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, happiness guru, co-founder of the Happiness Studies Academy as well as the certificate in Happiness Studies, which can be obtained in Mexico through the Instituto de Bienestar Integral.
Tal Ben-Shahar, who was part of the group of leaders who initiated the Hope Circuit movement in Mexico City in recent days, developed this model that refers to the five aspects of well-being that we should all take care of: spiritual well-being (connecting with something greater than oneself), physical (food, exercise, rest and contact), intellectual (people who are curious and always learning live longer), relational (spending quality time with our loved ones) and emotional . Hence the acronym "SPIRE".
Nurturing and cultivating these areas of your life so that they are balanced is what will lead you to feel fulfillment and happiness. Happiness has been studied for centuries, but it was Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, who consolidated it as a discipline to study it from the perspective of psychology, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, biology, history, art, economics, theology and neuroscience.
Happiness is closely linked to resilience and the factors that help us increase our happiness also make us stronger to face adversity. Elements such as hope, optimism, imagination and self-efficacy are keys that allow us to build the reality we desire.
An example taken from real life and masterfully brought to film by director Christopher Zalla is the movie Radical. In it, Mexican actor Eugenio Derbez plays the role of teacher Juarez, who challenged the educational system, created new ways of teaching and inspired vulnerable students to explore and expand their capabilities.
One of the key aspects to boost the capabilities of children and young people is comprehensive education, from early childhood to adolescence. The educational system in Mexico has several shortcomings, such as coverage, quality and lack of resources, although it also has weaknesses in terms of content. Integral education is not only composed of numbers and letters; it must also seek the integral wellbeing of its students, which includes the mind, the heart and the will, which must also be nurtured and cultivated.
Positive education is a fundamental element in people's lives. In fact, studies show that there is a strong correlation between hope and academic performance. People with high levels of hope tend to have a greater sense of self-efficacy and a greater ability to overcome obstacles on their path to success.
The educational system must be based on promoting an education that fosters the development of the strengths of the heart, mind and will; working with intrinsic and extrinsic psychological needs -being useful, adding value and feeling valued-, fostering a culture of appreciative inquiry -being able to project oneself in the medium and long term and to dream- and assuming integral responsibility at all levels of the educational environment.
We need to respond to the needs of the context and create optimal learning environments and structures; recognize that education is more than the teaching of intellectual subjects and that we must provide an integral formation; include the teaching of well-being, happiness and resilience, since they promote the optimal development of people not only for a good academic performance but also for a good development in life.
Change must begin in each one of us, and if we are also leaders, the power to influence others is even greater, whether it is a teacher in a classroom or a boss in an office or a parent with a child. A leader's emotions are contagious, both for good and for bad. That is why every leader must seek positive leadership and for this it is essential to apply the Science of Happiness.
There are four elements that every positive leader must have:
1. Be clear on the purpose and mission. The leader is able to convey what the goal, mission, objective and why it is important.
2. Connect with others. The leader connects each person on the team to that purpose.
3. Know how to appreciate others and give them value. More than 80% of employees worldwide do not feel valued in their workplace. When a person feels valued and recognized, they increase their productivity and creativity and do not seek to change their place of work, thus increasing the retention of talent in the company.
4. Transmit high positive energy. A leader's emotions are contagious, i.e., emotions such as passion, excitement, positivity, are very important in a leader.
Be the change you want to see in the world. You have the reins of your life and the power to make the reality you live the one you always wanted, both for yourself and for your community.
*founder and director of the Instituto de Bienestar Integral and Hope Circuit meeting
**ABOUT HOPE CIRCUIT
Hope Circuit is the international meeting that brings together the most recognized leaders in the fields of integral wellness, happiness and human progress; which will take place on November 23rd and 24th at the Westin Hotel in Santa Fe, as the first of other actions that seek to create a more positive future for Mexico. In the next publications we will share practical tools and the findings of world leaders who will be at Hope Circuit, such as Dr. Martin Seligman, considered one of the most influential psychologists of our times; Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar, professor of the most popular course at Harvard University or Andrew Schwartz, director of the World Wellbeing Project, in order to challenge the status quo and enrich our community so that together we can find solutions that will help us build a future of greater optimism, empathy and hope.
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The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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