First thing in the warm weather?

We’re all a little like the Tin Man once the winter is ending … uncreaking, derusting, getting moving.

What’s the first thing you’ll do in the warm weather?!

Here are some of mine:

  • Walk around!
  • Breathe
  • Enjoy the morning sun
  • Plan some weekend outdoors things – biking, walking by the water
  • Drive with the sun roof open!

It’s Question Friday. Come on in and chat in the comments!

Games and Positive Psychology

I read over at Phil Windley’s Technometria about these great fun games that Jane McGonigal is creating using Positive Psychology principles. Some of the Positive Psychology ideas that Phil says Jane mentioned in her talk are (from Phil’s site):

* Quality of life is the primary metric for evaluating everyday technology
* Positive psychology is a principle influence for design
* The public expects tech companies to have a clear vision of a life worth living

* To succeed, a brand or product must increase real happiness, the new capital.

I’m especially interested in this because playing games increases your positive emotion, and we know from Fredrickson and Losada’s work that a positive emotion to negative emotion ratio of 3:1 contributes to increased world view, a broadening of intellectual resources, and a building of intellectual, social, and physical capital (meaning that you have more reserves to do what you want to do in life). Here is Jane’s site and some interactive games she’s created.

Do you guys have suggestions for how games can influence your day-to-day life or your weekends or your interactions with friends?

Some New Video Projects Online

JUSTIN.TV
This is one guy for the past nine days wearing a video-camera on his head all day, every day. The front page says “he won’t take it off until he dies.” Follow him live at justin.tv. My brother Allan is a big fan of this idea and this project and sees huge value in it. I like the idea a lot. It’s like the most detailed realtime participatory blog you’ve ever seen.

NEWSATSEVEN.COM
This is an NSF grant project of creating news using avatars to tell the news and gather it together. I like that it uses both news stories and blog reactions. That’s relevant to how people actually look at a topic – both in the news and online in blogs. Enjot newsatseven.com.

Both cool sites. I’m especially looking forward to following Justin.

Newness

Just as you think you have something going well and straight and regular, it’s time to shake it up! Really. How long can you keep the same straight, regular going – and have it be enjoyable to you or to your colleagues, your readers…?

It’s got to always have a lot of pizazz! A lot. And you may come up with ideas that don’t work, but you may come up with a lot that do! And you get into the habit of creating newness, creating life.

In the comments are some ways I’m thinking of playing with newness on the Positive Psychology News Daily site.

The worst thing ever

This is so absolutely wrong – what’s happening to Kathy Sierra (she received death threats and disgusting things were blogged about her and very disturbing images were made of her on other sites – you should know that if you’re going to click through). There’s an expression, “Throwing diamonds to the swine.”

She has had wonderful posts. She’s a real person. She has been as for the community and for moving the world forward as possible. And then this happens.

Ok, you can say some person is sick. You can say some person is disgusting. But what really, really sucks is that this instills terror in Kathy. How absolutely wrong. How absolutely wrong.

I really hope the police can trace the person and people by their IP addresses, by their posts. So wrong. So wrong for her to be in this situation.

Posted in All

What to do (and what NOT to do)

Go act! (Don’t doubt yourself.)

Laugh at yourself, but don’t ever aim your doubt at yourself.
Be bold. … Have the nerve to go into unexplored territory.

~ Alan Alda

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world.

~ Marianne Williamson

Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.

~ Dale Carnegie

Do what you’re great at. (Don’t underestimate yourself.)

Insist on yourself; never imitate.

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson quotes

Don’t be humble; you’re not that great.

~ Golda Meir

Too many people overvalue what they are not and undervalue what they are.

~ Malcolm S. Forbes