21 DAY CHALLENGE:
POSITIVITY PORTFOLIO
21 DAY CHALLENGE: POSITIVITY PORTFOLIO HELLO FRIEND Did you know that research suggests that emotional intelligence (EQ) is twice as strong a predictor of later success than IQ? What is IQ? IQ stands for intelligence Quotient and concerns your ability for logical thinking, problem solving, processing information and making connections. You spend A LOT of time at school developing this... but what about your EQ? Seeing as your EQ ability is 2x as important as your IQ, wouldn't it be a good idea to develop this too? Well, great news! Over the next 21 days you will learn, develop and practice your EQ, with the focus on helping you to develop your POSITIVE emotions. BY doing this, not only will you have a huge advantage over those who haven't (most people), you also get to feel more POSITIVE and happier. Pretty cool huh? However, our challenges are only for those who are brave enough and are willing to commit to completing them. If that sounds like you, then sign your name on the dotted line below and let's have some fun:
Signed: _______________
date __/__/__
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS Check each day off as you complete your tasks. What happens if you miss a day? Don't worry, just pick up where you left off... tomorrow is another day! DAY
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21 DAY CHALLENGE: POSITIVITY PORTFOLIO WHY A POSITIVITY PORTFOLIO? Here's a question for you... Do you think your brain is biased more towards being POSITIVE, or is it more NEGATIVE? If you said negative... you'd be right! But, do you know why this is?
Well, us humans didn't always live in such nice safe environments, in fact, many many years ago the world we inhabited was very dangerous. No nice warm comfy houses for shelter, or trips to the supermarket to buy our food, instead we had to hunt to eat and we slept outdoors, so in order to SURVIVE we had to become very good at sensing and avoiding DANGER. Those who survived were the best as avoiding dangerous situations and so our brain today has this 'negativity bias'. However, the world we live in is much safer, so we don't need to worry about being eaten by a pack of wild wolves, but our brain is still wired that way. In fact, in our modern world the opposite skill is required- a positive attitude and outlook helps you do better in school, work and lead a happier life. And so the POSITIVITY PORTFOLIO is designed to help redress the balance.
THE PORTFOLIO The POSITIVITY PORTFOLIO is the brainchild of Positive Psychologist Dr. Barbara L.. Fredrickson and we love it for 2 reasons: 1. it helps you to explore your positive emotions- which is important (see above). 2. it can be of great help in the future- if you are feeling a bit low or in need of a boost, just look through your portfolio and let the positive feelings flow.
We have designed this 21 day challenge around 10 important POSITIVE Emotions:
joy gratitude
serenity interest
hope pride
amusement inspiration
So, are ready to explore your emotions and begin to feel more POSITIVE? Great news, we explain how the challenge works next.
awe love
21 DAY CHALLENGE: POSITIVITY PORTFOLIO HOW THE CHALLENGE WORKS For the next 21 days you will have 3 missions to complete each day:
MORNING:
a quick mission to help you start your day in a positive way.
DAY:
a mission to help you focus on positive emotions during the day.
NIGHT:
a night mission that will bring together what you have learned and send you to sleep feeling great.
Each activity is really easy to do and will only take you a minute or two. To make life easier, we printed off our workbook and left it next to our bed, so we remembered to do each morning activity and daily mission when we woke up, and to do our night activity just before bedtime. Write down where you will leave your workbook and when you will do your missions below:: I I I I
will will will will
leave my workbook: do my morning mission: do my daily missions: do my night mission:
WHEN YOU SEE THESE SIGNS When you see the notepad it's time to write. When you see the stopwatch it's time to pause and let the feelings created by your words wash over you for 10-20 secs. When you see the high five symbol, guess what? Yep, it's time to high five and celebrate. When you see the box, it's time to put a big tick in it- let everyone know you have completed the task.
DAY 1: JOY MORNING: what
is one thing in your life that brings you joy?
It doesn't matter what it is, big or small, just something that you find pleasure and JOY in. Make sure you write down why...
DAY: enJOY
your day, no matter what.
Your mission today is simple: enJOY your day. But what if something bad happens? Good question, the trick is to not see the things that happen as 'good' or 'bad', but to simply try and enjoy the day. The great news is, you're alive, you get to experience the magic of living. Sure, sometimes things don't always go our way, but we soon forget. And even then, whatever happens pales into insignificance compared to the pure JOY of being alive. Take that feeling with you today and be determined to enJOY it- whatever happens.
NIGHT:
bring JOY to others.
Can you think of something you do that brings other people joy? Maybe a family member or a friend. It's nice when we bring JOY and happiness to others, write something you do below.
DAY 2: GRATITUDE MORNING:
you are a pretty amazing person, so...
... what is one thing about YOU, that you are grateful for? It could be your resilience, your sense of humour, work ethic or the fact that you are a good friend. Write down what you are grateful for and why...
DAY: show
your gratitude.
How did you feel when you wrote down what you were grateful for about you? Feels good doesn't it? Today you are going to spread that feeling around by: 1. Say thank you to everyone you come into contact with. 2. Tell someone you know that you are grateful for them and tell them the reason why you are grateful. It could be a friend you are grateful for them always being there for you. How about a parent or caregiver who cooks and cleans up after you. Or, a teacher who takes the time to explain when you don't quite understand. The person I am grateful for is: I am grateful for them because:
NIGHT:
one thing you are grateful for.
And to finish the day off perfectly, what happened today that you are grateful for? Remember to write down WHY you are grateful it happened.
DAY 3: SERENITY MORNING:
feeling calm and peaceful.
Today we are going to start the day feeling peace and calm. Go to our YouTube channel lifehacks4kids and click on the MLSR: 21 days- Serenity playlist. You have 4 different serenity sounds to choose from: 1. Tibetan Bowl music (our personal favourite) 2. Indian Flute Music 3. Sounds of Nature 4. Sounds of the Sea Listen to one of these as you get dressed see how calm, peaceful and SERENE you feel
afterwards.
DAY: acceptance. “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” ― Lao Tzu Lao Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher and writer. We love this quote because it sums up serenity perfectly. Your mission today is to ACCEPT everything. Don't try and fight it or resist. Sometimes this is difficult to do, as our instinct is to try and force things to make them happen. Instead today, accept everything that happens with good grace.
NIGHT:
a word of advice...
Hopefully, you've had a nice serene day. Looking back, what is the ONE piece of advice you would give your morning self. That person who listened to the serenity playlist... what advice would you give them?
DAY 4: INTEREST MORNING:
keep feeling fascination.
The world is a pretty amazing place, full of incredible and wonderful things. Crazy places, animals, people and objects... So, the question is: what fascinates you the most... and why?
DAY: talking
of fascinating...
Let's not forget about you! What could be more fascinating than you? Write down ONE thing that you have learned about yourself since you started this 21 day challenge.
NIGHT:
explore some more.
Tell us ONE positive thing that you learned from your day today.
DAY 5: HOPE MORNING:
changes...
If you think about it, hope is about change. It's a feeling or desire for a particular thing to happen. So, what do you hope happens today? Make sure that what you write is within your control, so think 'have a great day' rather than 'win the lottery'.
DAY: back
to you again amigo/a.
What sort of person do you hope to be in life? Let's not worry about what you want to do (i.e. job/ work), but rather what sort of person do you hope to BECOME! Do you want to be happy, or successful, do you want to travel, or help people, do you want to try lots of new things, or stay close to your family and friends? Do you want to create things, or run a business, do you want to explore, make discoveries or keep learning. Dream BIG... and write it down.
NIGHT:
explore some more.
Tell us one positive thing that you learned from your life experience today.
DAY 6: PRIDE MORNING:
what one thing are you most proud of?
It's good to remember your accomplishments, it makes you feel good and gives your confidence a boost. Write down the thing that you have done in your life that you are MOST proud of and WHY you are proud of it.
DAY: take
pride in others.
Being proud isn't just about you and what you do. It's important also to take pride in the achievements of others. Take a moment now and write down the name of someone you are proud of and why. It could be a family member or a friend. What did they do that made you feel proud of and for them?
NIGHT:
what did you do today?
Write down ONE thing you did today that made you feel good about yourself? Why did it make you feel good?
DAY 7: AMUSEMENT MORNING:
laughter IS the best medicine.
Who, or what, makes you laugh your socks off? What is it about them/it that makes you laugh?
DAY: rubbish
jokes are the best
Your mission today is to tell a really terrible joke to 5 people... see if you can make them laugh. Choose one of the jokes below, or use one of your own. Q: What is brown and sticky? A: A stick. Q: What do you call a deer with no eyes A: No idea! (no eye deer) Q: Did you hear about the restaurant on the moon? A: Great food, no atmosphere. Q: Want to hear a joke about paper? A: Nevermind it's tearable..
NIGHT:
one thing.
Write down ONE thing that made you laugh today. Hopefully, you should have lots to choose from!
DAY 8: INSPIRATION MORNING:
inspiration.
Inspiration is about wanting to be excellent. There are lots of inspiring people in this world... who inspires you? What do they do that you find inspiring?
DAY: inspire
yourself.
Your have some impressive qualities yourself, let's see if you can inspire YOU. Think of a quality or a strength that you have that is INSPIRATIONAL. You might be honest, work hard, you might always try your best, or have fun. Choose one and then write a paragraph about why it is important to you: MY INSPIRATION QUALITY OR STRENGTH IS: IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE:
NIGHT:
a job well done.
Think today over in your mind... what is ONE thing that you did well today? Something you did that made you feel like you had done a good job.
DAY 9: AWE MORNING:
everything is awesome.
What is the most AWESOME thing you have ever done. It could be ziplining, visiting an amazing place, or making the winning shot, choose ONE and write it down below.
DAY: you
better smile.
Want to have an awesome life? Want to be happy? The key is to SMILE more. So, your mission today is to SMILE at everyone you meet. Smiling is CONTAGIOUS. Give them your best smile, make eye contact and see what happens. Write about your experience below.
NIGHT:
grateful.
What is ONE thing you did, or that happened today that you are GRATEFUL for and WHY you are grateful for it.
DAY 10: LOVE MORNING:
the most powerful positive emotion of all.
Who do you love? Write down at least 5 people that you LOVE.
DAY: what
about you?
It's also incredibly important that you love YOURSELF too and yet we often forget about ourselves. Not today!!! Your mission right now, is to go and find a mirror, look in it and tell yourself:
"I Love You."
NIGHT:
one thing.
What is ONE thing you did today that reminded you of how much you LOVE yourself?
DAY 11: JOY MORNING:
'cos I'm happy...
Can you remember a specific time in your life when you were really happy? Write about what happened and why you were so happy below.
DAY: today
I am going to...
Did you know that what you focus on is what you become. For example, if you focus on the positive and what's good about what is happening, you actually train your brain to notice these things, and the result? A more positive, good, happy life experience. Today your mission is to focus on one of the below. Approach your day with the attitude of the thing you have chosen. See how this affects your experience. look for the POSITIVE enJOY your day laugh more have fun do my best
NIGHT:
one thing.
What did you enJOY about today? It can be a small thing or something amazing, the key to POSITIVITY and happiness is to find the JOY in life, every day. Make sure you make a note of WHY you enJOYed it.
DAY 12: GRATITUDE MORNING:
life is goooooood... yeah.
Write down ONE thing you are grateful for (and why) in your life.
DAY: pass
the gratitude on.
One of the times when we feel most grateful is when people do nice things for us that we don't expect. Choose one of the things below to do for someone today, without asking them first: Of fe r to he lp so m eo ne w it h ne o e m Call a o th s ei e r k st a ud M ie s or ho m ew or k. e e f f o c grandparent a te a o r k). for a chat. ( o r a n y d r in St a rt
Give some old toys or books to a charity. Write someone a "THANK YOU" note.
NIGHT:
m a k in g d in n er .
load Wash up, or her. the dishwas
one thing.
What is ONE thing that you are grateful for about today... and why?
DAY 13: SERENITY MORNING:
a quote.
"Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you." – Lao Tzu Take a moment now, and write down what this quote means to you...
DAY: serenity Serenity or 'inner peace' comes from you behaving in a way that is true to yourself. When you live your life by the rules that you value most, you live a true life. Write down ONE rule that you believe in, a rule that you want to live your life by.
Let this RULE be your focus today.
NIGHT:
treat yourself.
Life can be hectic. Before you go to sleep tonight, lose yourself in a good book. Treat yourself to 15 minutes of peaceful imagination.
DAY 14: INTEREST MORNING:
you are INTERESTING.
Write down ONE interesting thing about you and ONE new thing that you have done recently.
DAY: carpe
diem, or seize the day!
When you get older, you end up regretting the things that you didn't do, rather than the things that you did do. And, a positive aspect of the feeling 'INTEREST' is all about exploring! What is ONE thing in your life that you want to do but, you haven't yet! Or, is there something that you have been putting off because you are a bit scared/ worried? Write it down below, do it TODAY, or make a plan to do it...
NIGHT:
today was interesting.
Often we fly through each day on autopilot without really thinking about what happens too much. If you look at your day through this lens, we bet that loads of little fascinating things happened without you even realising. Stop now, and write down ONE interesting thing that happened today.
DAY 15: HOPE MORNING:
change.
Hope is about positive change, write down ONE positive change you have made in your life. It doesn't matter how big (I decided to be a more positive person) or small (I get up earlier), just something that YOU decided to change about you that is better than before.
DAY: let's
make another change.
Let's keep the hope momentum going shall we? What is ONE change that you could make today that would improve your life or, someone else's life. You might want to get up earlier. Or, help out more around the house. Or, be nicer to your brother/ sister. Get your homework done as soon as you get in. Help others who are less fortunate than you. Tidy your room without asking. Listen more, Or, choose your own and make a COMMITMENT to change, write it below.
NIGHT:
it's been a positive day so...
Write down ONE thing about today that you found POSITIVE, don't forget to write down why.
DAY 16: PRIDE MORNING:
proud of you.
Write down ONE thing that you are proud of about you as a person. What is one part of your personality that makes you feel proud. Are you happy, loyal, creative, fun, or something else? Write down why you feel proud about it.
DAY: I
did a good job
When you do something well, it's important that you give yourself some credit. There's no need to brag, or compare yourself to others, you can be happy inside, knowing that you did a good job. So, when you do something well today just give yourself a mental pat on the back. Say "well done!" to yourself, and bask in the warm glow that this creates. You can and should take pleasure from doing things well, whether that's getting ready for school on time (without being shouted at), to working hard in class, or being kind to a friend, helping someone, completing ALL your homework, or revising for a test (even though you'd rather be playing)... doing the right thing and doing things well, are a source of PRIDE. Celebrate inside when you do them... well done!
NIGHT:
pride.
Write down ONE thing about today that caused you to feel PRIDE, remember to write down why.
DAY 17: AMUSEMENT MORNING:
dance, dance, dance.
Dancing is awesome. It's fun to do and it makes you feel great. When you dance, your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins trigger a positive feeling in the body. So, this morning your mission is to dance around like a crazy person for 30 seconds. No music (apart from in your head). Go crazy, practice new moves... dance like nobody is watching!
DAY: what
did you say?
We love doing crazy stuff. Especially stuff that makes people laugh or wonder what on earth is going on. One of our favourite things to do is say something odd, something that people don't expect. So today your mission is... instead of saying "yes"... you replace it with...
"that'll ding dang do for me" Q: Would you like some breakfast? A: That'll ding dang do for me. Seriously, try it. See how people react.
NIGHT:
feel good.
Write down ONE thing that happened today that made you FEEL GOOOOOOOD, remember to write down why.
DAY 18: INSPIRATION MORNING:
my hero!
Who is your hero? Or, who do you look up to the most? Who inspires you? Write down who and why they inspire you?
DAY: find
an inspiring quote.
Everyone loves a good quote. Quotes are designed to inspire us, to make us think, and to be motivated to take action. Type 'inspirational quotes' into your search engine. Choose a site and read through the quotes until one 'speaks to you'. Then write it down below. Whenever you need inspiring, remember this quote.
NIGHT:
inspired.
Write down ONE thing that happened today that INSPIRED you. Even the smallest things can be INSPIRATIONAL... remember to write down why it inspired you.
DAY 19: AWE MORNING:
nature.
One of the best ways to feel AWE is to spend some time in nature. Nature is pretty awesome. Where is your favourite AWESOME place to spend time in nature? The mountains, the seaside, a park, a forest? Write it down and why it's AWESOME.
DAY: curiosity "The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence. One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely to comprehend a little of this mystery each day." - Albert Einstein
There is a lot going on in this quote, but the message for today is BE CURIOUS. In fact, that should be the message EVERY DAY. Curiosity makes life interesting, curiosity solves problems, curiosity creates art, books, relationships, businesses, new products, technology... curiosity is at the heart of everything that's awesome and new. So be curious, never stop asking questions, never stop looking for answers, life is more AWESOME when you are CURIOUS.
NIGHT:
awesome is about new experiences.
What was the last AWESOME new experience you had? Why was it awesome?
DAY 20: LOVE MORNING:
my family.
Who in your family do you love and why do you love them? We could probably (hopefully) be here all day... so just chose ONE person.
DAY: spread
the love.
Love is a two way street. It's lovely when you feel loved and it's lovely to make others feel loved too. Today you are going to spread the love... you could: tell someone that you love them tell someone that you love what they have done tell someone that you appreciate them for being a good friend tell someone you appreciate what they've done for you tell someone that you love it that they are your friend write someone an appreciation note do something nice for someone you love and tell them you appreciate them CHOOSE ONE (or more) and DO IT today.
NIGHT:
love, love, love
What did you LOVE about today and why?
DAY 21: VALUES, IDENTITY & LEARNING MORNING:
what is important to you about?
Over the last 20 days you have built your own POSITIVITY PORTFOLIO based around 10 key POSITIVE emotions. Please think about (and then write down) everything you have done and why these POSITIVE emotions are important to you.
And now write down what is important to you about that (your answer)?
DAY: I
am a POSITIVE person.
This week you will have collected lots of evidence that will help you to see yourself as a POSITIVE person. Look back through this challenge booklet at your completed work and then complete the sentence below: I know that I am a POSITIVE person because...
NIGHT:
i have learned that...
You have been on a journey of self-discovery these last 20 days, what was the most important thing that you learned about yourself?
WINNER
21 DAY POSITIVE person DAY: I am a POSITIVE CHAMPION