Sunset at Ventura Harbor

While recovering from successful lung cancer surgery I started taking daily walks in my Camarillo neighborhood. I was still short of breath which meant slow, deliberate steps, and looking down for my own safety. One day I noticed this perfect, heart shaped leaf on the sidewalk, so I stopped and snapped this photo on my […]

I snapped this photo on my iPhone about 1 hour after my Mom passed last Saturday. Leaving her bedside and heading outside with James he pointed up to the sky and told me to look up. We both felt that this was a gift from my Mom: her beautiful soul. While I was heartbroken of […]

This image captures how MAPP opened a new horizon for me. Standing inside the stone walls, I see what was a life shaped by prior roles and expectations and through the opening, I see what MAPP revealed: possibility, purpose, and a future I have agency in creating. The wet, uneven ground reminds me that the […]

In 2022, my younger daughter, Ariela, created one of the greatest birthday gifts for me: a photo collage that captures our family in moments of joy, happiness, and celebration. Since that birthday, Ariela’s collage has prominently sat facing me on my desk, reminding me of the gratitude I have for her and my entire family. […]

“Raising children…is vastly more than fixing what is wrong with them. It is about identifying and nurturing their strongest qualities, what they own and are best at, and helping them find niches in which they can best live out these strengths.” (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000, p. 6)

I built a life brick by brick, the one I was told to build career, family, success a house that never felt like home. I gave until I vanished, over functioned to be worthy, mistaking effort for love, and still the ground whispered, look up. But the world waited patient as trees, rooted in their […]

It’s been five years since I finished my capstone, and I feel two things simultaneously: 1) that I have done absolutely nothing to infuse positive psychology into the world and 2) that everything I have done and continue to do is rooted in positive psychology because there’s no way for it not to be. It […]

My experience at MAPP has shaped so much of the work I do on a daily basis. Beyond my work, when I think about the enduring impacts of my degree – I immediately think about my family. Learning the science of strengths has shifted my perspectives as a parent, wife, and mother. I more intentionally […]

Since I started MAAP this fall I’ve been trying to share with my daughter everything I’m learning about positive psychology. She’s about to turn 4. As soon as I was back from Immersion Week, I got her a red cape and a green cape and explained to her that when she wears the red cape, […]

The Courage to Pursue the Third Act of Life

Under the Montana sky, I’m reminded of what Marty set in motion twenty years ago—a way of seeing human potential not as theory but as daily practice. His work has shaped how I help students navigate uncertainty and imagine purposeful futures as they consider their educational path and place in the world. In the photo, […]

My greatest challenge as a MAPPster became my greatest gift to offer others. Inspired by Positive Psychology and because of my own struggles at MAPP, I began to examine a positive approach to adult ADHD — and it became my capstone topic. I now coach ADHDers with a strength-based approach. Positive Psychology is for everyone […]

MAPP gave me the parenting skills to raise a self assured, kind, humble, fearless citizen of the world.

Captured here is the moment before immersion; that still breath before surrendering to the cold. The plunge has become a living metaphor for my MAPP journey: the descent into discomfort, the awakening of agency, and resurfacing renewed. It also mirrors the work of my capstone, where I propose somatic practices to be more than just […]

Ever since I graduated from MAPP in 2006, I have helped other MAPPsters express themselves in writing, whether in online articles at Positive Psychology News, Psychology Today, or LinkedIn, academic papers, or books. Another MAPPster calls me the midwife of words. I am not really sure how many books I’ve helped deliver, but here are […]

Since 2005, I’ve lived the science of happiness — not as a destination, but as a garden tended with purpose. The historic WEHVFUN Victorian resort in Rehoboth Beach has become my living laboratory of Positive Psychology since 2021 — a place where laughter is the common language, gratitude is practiced, and joy is cultivated as […]

Thank you MAPP for the wonderful opportunities for growth, learning, connection, and meaning. Since returning to my duties as a full-time lecturer at my university, I’ve been astounded by the ripples and resonance of positivity sharing positive psychology has had for my community here in Malaysia. Here is a session we ran on character strengths […]

This photo was taken the day my two sons and husband (he was taking the picture) came to see the new office where I would begin offering in-person therapy and coaching sessions. It’s not just a physical space—it’s the embodiment of the clarity, courage, and commitment that MAPP helped me build. MAPP has continue to […]

This photo captures the newest graduating class of Elevating Leaders, a program my company, Tangible Group, has designed and taught at the corporate executive level for nearly two decades. Our curriculum is rooted in positive organizational resilience and well-being, shaped by what MAPP and the MAPP community has taught me. I have the joy of […]

A collection of 24 children’s books based on VIA character strengths. Interweaving Seligman and Suess, these stories engage children (and all those around them, family teachers, advocates, guardian, etc.) to develop strengths so we can live our best lives. With reflection questions, vocabulary words, and movie and book suggestions to help embody the strengths, character […]

Reflection for MAP 20th Anniversary Submission Through the lens of Flourishing in Adoption, I see the intersection of my life’s purpose and the science of positive psychology. My journey in the MAPP program has deepened my belief that every story within the adoption constellation—adoptee, birth parent, and adoptive parent—holds the capacity for growth, resilience, and […]

Self portrait

This photo captures the essence of Jaxon, Harlowe and Haven with bright eyes full of promise and warmth.

Grateful! www.growglobalresilience.com

I remember when we founded the Canadian Positive Psychology Association in 2012, I went for a walk with Marty and asked him for his advice as we embarked on this exciting journey. His answer: “Have a conference.” We had no money, no bank account, no website…nothing. But a handful of us organized a very successful […]

Sometimes I feel like I’m applying Band-Aids to broken legs. But when I get a thank you note from a workshop participant or see seeds of self efficacy from my daughter in this post-it that she put on her , it gives me hope that the good news of positive psychology might one day lead […]

Filipino Cebuano native language that means ” Go on in life and live with full positivity “

This image captures a fatigued ferry worker sitting in listless thought as the city hums and speaks beyond the views of the frame. This image captures a rare pause, an unexpected moment of calm and reflection amid the rhythm of Toronto’s bustling atmosphere and workings. Shown in stillness, I see beauty in the woman’s quiet […]

In the picture of Marina Tiutiunyk, my sons are in Ukrainian national shirts – vyshyvanka that remind them who they are, far from home. At Charity Centre Agapas we have found a new community where belonging and pride in our roots grow side by side. Toronto sheltered us, and we have found here peace, gratitude, […]

Just a cute dog that wished you had a nice day.

The autumn afternoon sun shines into the chapel of Trinity College, University of Toronto

The city stands still as light peaks through an autumn sunset; students prepare for a weeknight soccer practice.

Casa Loma peaks behind Toronto’s transitioning trees; a neighbour’s window offers a moment of joy to those passing by.

27 King’s College Circle, Toronto, ON M5S 1A1 People are playing volleyball at King’s College Circle. Toronto is a city of connection: between people, between historical architectures and modern buildings, and between humans and nature.

In the picture by Marina Tiutiunyk at the Charity Centre Agapas during the Kids Talent Festival, my sons, Luka and Efrem, boys from Ukraine, stop to explore the children’s art exhibition. Far from fear, they find in Toronto what every child deserves – curiosity, safety, and joy. In this peaceful moment, childhood and hope return.

a meditative moment among people

Cruises glide in golden hour gleam, Toronto shines — a city of dreams, Where hope, be it mighty or small, Rises with every skyline call.

Photo by Ukrainian refugee Marina Tiutiunyk made at Charity Centre Agapas in Russian Orthodox Christ the Saviour Cathedral, Toronto. There are two volunteers on the picture: one is Ukrainian fleeing the war, the other is originally from Russia. Toronto has become a place where hope feels safe, kindness unites, and everyone belongs.

A sea of people fills the streets at Do West Fest — a celebration of culture, music, and unity under the summer sun. This moment captures Toronto’s vibrant spirit and the joy of coming together.

Captured at Do West Fest in Toronto, this photo celebrates community, culture, and connection. Under the summer sun, people gather to enjoy music, food, and each other’s company — a vivid reminder of what togetherness truly means.

Taken at Yonge-Dundas Square, this long-exposure shot captures the fleeting pace of city life — a rush of lights, motion, and moments blending together. It reflects the constant flow that gives Toronto its unique rhythm and beauty.

At Yonge-Dundas Square, the city moves in endless rhythm — people crossing, lights glowing, and life unfolding frame by frame. This image captures the pulse of Toronto and the fleeting beauty found in motion.

Captured at Yonge-Dundas Square, this image reflects the heartbeat of Toronto — people rushing by, lights flashing, and the city in constant motion. It’s a reminder of the energy and connection that urban life brings every day.

Captured on Queen Street West, this photo shows Toronto’s rhythm — a streetcar gliding past as the CN Tower stands tall in the distance. It reflects the beauty of urban life, where art, motion, and architecture come together in harmony.

As the CN Tower rises in the background, children and adults soar through the air at the Canadian National Exhibition. This image captures the carefree joy and shared excitement that make Toronto summers unforgettable.

Captured at the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto, this photo reflects the vibrant spirit of togetherness that defines summer in the city. People from all walks of life gather to celebrate, creating a colorful scene of joy and unity.

Beauty and Harmony is the results of good diversity

In the world full of hardship and troubles, Stand out and be the change , To bring Joy and Happiness.

Taken along Broadview during afternoon photowalk , edited in a poster comic style.