Interdisciplinary Psychology:

Lacey Graves

2-27-08

EMP reflection

What a wonderful day it was!!! I was a little apprehensive about having to fill out the paper, it turned out to be easier than I thought(though I still had some difficulty). The EMP itself was not as fun as enjoying the time spent with classmates. I was a little disappointed that the one thing I vividly remember from the last time I went there (8 years ago) was not still there, or at least I couldn’t find it. That would be a Jimi Hendrix shrine complete with a full sixed wax sculpture.

Jill Story

Positive Psychology Field Trip

Experience Music Project

This is my experience before, during, and after going to the Experience Music Project (EMP) in Seattle with my Positive Psychology class on February 23, 2008.  Before taking this trip I really had no idea what EMP was. I had no idea where EMP was even located. I go to Seattle often and regularly attend women’s Storm basketball games during the summer months.  I think it is great that there are women’s sports and that they have created the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). What I hadn’t realized was that every Storm game I have attended I walked right by the EMP. I always wondered what that building was. When I asked Lisa where the EMP was, she described the building and I knew exactly where it was.

I found this book very interesting and informative. I really got a fulkl understanding of how I think  sometimes when things are not going right for me. The thought process that I use is very intriguing to me, for the way my mind works shows me that sometimes I have the ability to not process what I see and hear in the right manner. I love the four principles or pillars that they talk about in the book. They are what is going to help me with my thinking. I find that I need to know myself to make any changes which means that I need to work on at least three or four of my strengths to improve my resilience. I plan on working on the first two as soon as possible. I find that I have to avoid the thinking traps that the book talks about.

As I began reading this book I was reminded of a quick fix, self-help, follow this and your life will be wonderful thing. As I read further it became clear, as stated, “quick fixes rarely last.” As outlined these skills are intended to provide the substance for improving ones ability to endure adversity in a healthy manner.

The one important aspect of this and any other set of rules, guidelines, roadmap, and inner-journey is the person’s willingness to do the work, follow the rules, and walk the talk. There are many people that get involved in the “flavor of the month” program to improve life with the expectation that this time it will “fix” me. Obviously it does not and never will work that way. The payoff must be of importance and a person must believe it can happen for them and be willing to do the work to get there.

The Resilience Factor 

            We live in a culture filled with victims. It seems that every time anything unfortunate happens to us, we immediately skew reality and defend our egos with a vengeance. It’s never my fault and everyone else is out to get me. This kind of attitude is constantly in the news, portrayed in movies and television, and acted out in every day life. It’s frustrating on so many levels, but it’s especially frustrating when I read about techniques for increasing resilience and see how well they actually work. The theme of the text seemed to be that if people were more well equip with resilience techniques, the overall happiness and tolerance of people would increase. Why is it then, that this resilience information isn’t more widely available?