Adventures in Positivity was a little idea I had over a year ago. A concept that has since sprouted and grown wings to gently reshape my business and hopefully, inspire others to play with the theories and science of positive psychology in their own lives.

It’s time for a change. I’ve been a life coach for over 12 years, and using positive psychology with professionals for the last 6. My business has largely been shaped by what clients have wanted and needed. And, I’ve allowed that direction to guide me. I’ve always felt I needed to present a professional image, and held back a little part of who I am and that’s never quite felt like the authentic me….. Or, perhaps I’m simply evolving again?

This year is a big one for us. I’m finishing my Masters in Applied Positive Psychology at Melbourne Uni and we’re planning on leaving in November to travel for a year. We’re doing a big lap of Australia with the kids in our caravan. (Affectionately known as Macy.) The plan is to home school the kids, present workshops on positive psychology as we travel, and basically, pack as much fun and adventure into our lap year as possible.

It’s humbling to have the opportunity to share what I know about positive psychology and help people put it into practice in their own lives. Somehow, when I speak, people understand and appreciate what I’m saying. (The obvious caveat here is that my children and husband are clearly immune to this.) Most people feel connected to my message and I think, most people relate to me as a human being as opposed to a positive psychology expert. Until now, I’d somehow missed that little pearl of wisdom. When I open up about my challenges as a Mum, my insecurities as a speaker and my failings in general, regardless of whether my audience is full of corporate suits or preschool teachers, people seem to get it.

So, I want to be a little bit more open with how I use positive psychology. Adventures in positivity is going to be about our journey. We’ll blog about how we deal with the mishaps a normal family faces, how we play with the science a little, what works, and what doesn’t. Hopefully, we’ll have a bunch of fun along the way as we build our wellbeing.

There’s a funny term is science called an ecological fallacy. This is what happens when we take assumptions from one study or research paper and assume it will hold true for everyone. I want to be really up front here. This blog is about my experience with positive psychology. Any science is only a prediction of what may happen, given a certain set of circumstances, within a certain demographic. To assume that a gratitude exercise is going to make everyone happy, would be to commit the crime of ecological fallacy. Because gratitude certainly doesn’t work for everyone.

So here, I want to put the science of positive psychology to test in my family, through our travels and adventures and be playful with it all. (Let’s face it, they’re available and willing guinea pigs. LOL) Everyone is different and so the way we apply positive psychology must be different too. I’m hoping, that our blogs might inspire you to try something new. Not because you know it will work, but because you’re open to playing with ideas until you find something that improves your wellbeing and really brings you lasting joy.