Passion, Commitment, Personal

Meaning and Professional Success

SOCIAL SCIENCES
J. CASTELLANOS, PH.D.
 Life Meaning Viktor E Frankl
On Discovering the Meaning of Life
"The meaning of our existence is not
invented by ourselves, but rather
detected." p.157
"What matters, therefore, is not the
meaning of life in general, but rather
the specific meaning of a person's life at a
given moment." p.171
"We can discover this meaning in life in
three different ways: (1) by doing a deed;
(2) by experiencing a value; and (3) by
suffering." p.176
On Fulfilling One's Task
"A man who becomes conscious of the
responsibility he bears toward a human being
who affectionately waits for him, or to an
unfinished work, will never be able to throw
away his life. He knows the "why" for his
existence, and will be able to bear almost any
"how."
p.127
Dont aim at success the more you aim at it and
make it a target, the more you are going to miss
it. For success, like happiness cannot be
pursued; it must ensue . . . as the unintended
side-effect of ones personal dedication to a
course greater than oneself.
Frankl, Viktor E., Man's Search for Meaning,
Washington Square Press, Simon and
Schuster, New York, 1963.
 Life Challenges

Time lines Limited exposure to

passion
Family Pressures
Peer pressure
Community Demands
Gender Expectations
Mixed Feelings of Life
Meaning Immediate demands
 How Does One Navigate?

Resilience Self-confidence

Persistence Support

Perseverance Outreach

Motivation Resources

Perspective Religion & Spirituality

Goals are Dreams with a Deadline
 Life Meaning

What do you want for

your professional career?
Why are you doing it?
What are you going to do
to get there?
What are your short and
long-term goals?
What will be your social
contribution?
 What is Success?

Courage

Vision

Action
 Why is Success Important?

Success is connected:

Happiness

Well being

Personal Satisfaction

Life long living

 What Predicts Subjective Well-Being

Does Not Predict SWB Predicts SWB

Income Social contacts, soc. integration

Age Goals:

IQ a. Congruent goals

Attractiveness b. Meeting goals

Not having psychopathology

Genes (40%-80%)

Personality (+ extroversion, optimism) -

Neuroticism
Culture (+ in Latin countries)
 Goals and Subjective Well Being (SWB)
SWB enhanced by pursuing intrinsically satisfying goals
Prison evidence:
I need self-acceptance, meaning Suffer more
I need biceps, abs Suffer less
Goals that meet fundamental needs happiness
Goals and culture
West promotes self-completion, pers. goals happy
East promotes community, social goals happy
Internally congruent goals
Likes activity, outdoors, excite. ___ Fireman? ___ CEO?
 Happiness and HeathNun Study

General Findings More Details

What leads to longer life, Nun study
* Sample = convent nuns
Review nuns convent applications, why
want to be nuns
Rate applications for happy vs. negative tone
Happy: Glory of God, rapture, serenity
Psychologist Deborah D. Danner of the University of
Kentucky and her colleagues analyzed the nuns'
letters for positive emotional content, then related
them to the nuns' survival between the ages of 75 to
95.
Further, lifespan increased by 9.5 years for nuns
whose autobiographies contained the most words
referring to positive emotions, and by 10.5 years for
nuns who used the greatest variety of positive-
emotion words.

Unhappy: Avoid sin, teach damnation Other research has shown that the 5 strengths with
the biggest impact on fulfillment and happiness are:
* Survival rates 60 years later 1. Capacity to love and be loved
Happy nuns: 80% still alive 2. Gratitude
3. Hope and optimism
Unhappy nuns: 55% still alive 4. Zest
5. Curiosity

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilry-1-ucnA
 Self Structure and Well Being
Actual Self: Who you truly are, heart of hearts, at your core. Values,
likes, desires
Other selves: Self as student, friend, son/daughter, etc.
Self Congruence: Are all your various selves consistent with your
actual self
Traits: Qualities that make up your selves: (pos. = skilled, kindly,
competent; neg = selfish, lazy, jealous, etc.)
Negative Elaboration (NE): Degree that different kinds of negative
traits apply to your different selves.
QUESTION: How do congruence and NE affect SWB?
 What is Success for YOU?

Getting accepted to a
school
Getting an internship
Selecting a fulfilling
career
Completing the degree
Acceptance to Graduate
School
Finding a job
 What is Success?
Failure
Did you dig in
Did the brain push itself
Did they think broadly,
comprehensively
Didnt work
Love what you are doing
Do things with passion

Steve Ballmer, CEO

Microsoft, Stanford
 Success and Passion
Feeling something fully Passion
Strong connection and Talent Scout
contact Value of Education
Keen sensibility to the Enrichment of Learning
ambient tone of things Curiosity
Cultivating energy of falling Intuition
in love with effort
Make genuine contact with Following your interest
others Connecting the Dots
Emotionally engaging Look back
Sensitive to the presence or
absence of vitality
Concerned with
relationships

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc
 What is Success?

John Wooden

A place of mind which

is a direct result of self
satisfaction in knowing
you made the effort to
do the best to which
you are capable

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MM-psvqiG8
 John Wooden, A Game Plan for Life

7 Point Creed
Be true to yourself
Make each day your masterpiece
Help others
Drink deeply from good books
Make friendship a fine art
Build a shelter against a rainy day
Pray for guidance and give thanks for your blessings
everyday
Joshua Wooden, His father
 Life Values

Kindness Meaningful relationship

Gentleness Fight for something
greater than yourself
Responsibility
Consistency
Share Knowledge
Honesty
Integrity
Respect
Empathy
Compassion
Forgiveness
Reconciliation
 Character for Success
Motivation Balance between pride and
Good attitude humility
Service Peace of Mind
Creativity Be realistic with your plans
Confidence Life Meaning
Open-Minded Long term focused
Flexible Love what you do
Passion hunger Believe you will do well
Drive Persistence
Peak performance Resilience
Knowledge
Skill
 Never let your fear of failure
prevent you from going forward
The team that makes most mistakes is
the one that wins the game
We are all here to give back
Never expect a reward in return

There is nothing stronger than kindness

Abraham Lincoln

Make each day your masterpiece

John Wooden
 Emilio Estefan and Success
Positive Attitude It is about humanity
Motivate and inspire Give back
One moves the body and the Look to the future
other the soul
Learn from challenges
Take risks when you see the
outcome
Honor Family
Be yourself
Get an education, keep
developing your skills
Do what you love to do
Develop a plan
Work hard and smart
Expect resistance
 Oprah Winfrey and Success:
Service and Passion
As you become more clear about who you really are,
you'll be better able to decide what is best for you -
the first time around.

The thing you fear most has no power. Your fear of it

is what has the power. Facing the truth really will set
you free. .

Do the one thing you think you cannot do. Fail at it.
Try again. Do better the second time. The only
people who never tumble are those who never mount
the high wire. This is your moment. Own it.

Real integrity is doing the right thing, knowing that

nobody's going to know whether you did it or not.

Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from

focusing on what excites you.

The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can

change his future by merely changing his attitude.

The whole point of being alive is to evolve into the

complete person you were intended to be.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSiKn7mgGxE&feature=relmfu
 The Power of Service
Always aim at complete The best way to find yourself
harmony of thought and is to lose yourself in the
word and deed. service of others.

Happiness is when what

you think, what you say,
and what you do are in
harmony.

Strength does not come

from physical capacity. It
comes from an indomitable
will.
 Questions for Thought

What about life are you most curious?

What attitude do you most often radiate?

How do you treat people from whom you cannot

gain?
 Five Keys to Thrive - Tony Robbins

Feel and Strengthen the Mind

You can change things around

Feed your mind

Stand guard on the door of your mind

Messages will start to take meaning
1 hour a day, perspective
Read or Listen to something motivation
Mans Search for Meaning

As a man thinketh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpc-t-Uwv1I
 Five Keys to Thrive - Tony Robbins

Work on your physical body

Strengthen the body
Exceed your maximum strength
Push yourself
Fear is a physical state

Get a role model that inspires you

Have them show you the way

Believe there is a pathway

 Five Keys to Thrive - Tony Robbins

Get a plan
Get momentum

Take some action

Progress happiness

Feed and Strengthen your SPIRIT, be grateful for

your all the good things in your LIFE
 The Art of Fulfillment

Appreciation and Contribution

Emotional Intelligence
Understanding the dynamics between people

You can only feel so much by yourself

Acknowledging personal contracts
Smile, thank you
 Personal Introspection

Attentiveness, Awareness, and Insight

What is your personal power?

How do you feel about your surroundings?
What lifts or motivates you?
What clutters your vision?
What is your personal intent?
In all human affairs there are efforts, and there are
results. The strength of the effort is the measure of
the result. Not chance.

James Allen