Details: Focus on the Good Stuff: The Power of Appreciation, Mike Robbins, 2007

Categories: Non-Fiction, Self-Help

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In 15 words or less: Appreciative Living 101

Acc-ent-u-ate the Positive

The theory of focus on what works has been around for a long time, way before Baloo the Bear was singing “accentuate the positive” in the Jungle Book movie.

However, the last 5 years or so have seen leaps forward in neuroscience, the science of how the brain works. And with it increased recognition that creating new possibilities is best done by focusing on what works - and using that as a foundation for “what next…”

It’s simple - and difficult

Even though our brains are wired to respond to what’s positive - scientists can actually see the brain rewire itself when thinking like this - that doesn’t mean it’s easy to do.

Most of us I suspect have had lots of training at focusing on what’s not working and making that the heart of the conversation.

Focus on the Good Stuff is a good place to start if you’d like to shift your way of thinking and your behaviour. While none of his 5 Principles are new, they can help you change the way you see the world.

Principle #1: Be Grateful
Principle #2: Choose Positive Thoughts
Principle #3: Use Positive Words
Principle #4: Acknowledge Others
Principle #5: Appreciate Yourself

If you like this, you might also want to look at:

Positive Psychology Coaching, Robert Biswas-Diener & Ben Dean. For anyone in the coaching field, this is a great book to have on your shelves. My coaching actually changed as a result of reading this - it’s a useful combination of research, insight and practices.

Quiet Leadership, David Rock. Rock is leading the coaching world at the moment, connecting leadership and coaching to the way the brain works and the latest developments in Neuro-Science. He’s currently working on a book that makes these connections explicit. Quiet Leadership is a book that lays out a coach approach and lays a foundation for his next work.

Appreciative Inquiry Handbook, David Cooperrider et al. For change at an organizational level, Appreciative Inquiry is an increasingly popular (and successful) approach. Cooperrider is the “guru” of the field, and this is a comprehensive book

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