Dear members of the Mount Lilydale Mercy College community
I suspect that we all know of people, who have had great opportunity and yet never seem content, while others who have had to overcome adversity seem so happy. Why is that?
An example might be something like: Jack is often in trouble. He is always late with his homework. He criticises other people. He seems to always dislike the world. Anna has a sunny personality. She is well organised, finds plenty of time for work and play and has lots of friends. Jack comes from a happy, comfortable, hardworking and loving family. Anna’s father passed when she was a baby and her mother suffers from a debilitating disease. Money is short and Anna has to care for her younger brother. Why is Jack so grumpy and Anna so happy?
The answer of course lies in outlook and resilience. Life has many ups and downs, how we deal with the difficulties we face often depends on the choices we make. Resilient people are able to recover quickly from setbacks. By working on one’s psychology, a more resilient self can eventuate, so you can enjoy the good that life brings and not be defeated by the tough times.
I am constantly lifted by the positivity of many around me who remind me to be thankful and enjoy each moment as an excellent recipe for happiness and resilience.
An article I reread recently gave three ways to capture the benefits of positive psychology:
1. Express gratitude
Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what you have — from a roof over your head, to good health, to people who care about you. When you acknowledge the goodness in your life, you begin to recognise that the source of that goodness often lies outside yourself. In this way, gratitude helps you connect to something larger than your individual experience — whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.
Set aside a few minutes every day and think about five large or small things that you're grateful for. Write them down if you like. Be specific and remember what each one means to you.
2. Leverage your strengths
To reap the benefits of your strengths, you first need to know what they are. Not many people know what their strengths are. If something comes easily, you may take it for granted and not identify it as a strength. If you are not sure of your strengths, you can identify them by asking someone you respect and knows you well, by noticing what people compliment you on, and by thinking about what comes most easily to you.
Certain strengths are most closely linked to happiness. They include gratitude, hope, vitality, curiosity and love. These strengths are so important that they're worth cultivating and applying in your daily life, even if they don't come naturally to you.
3. Savour the good
Most people enjoy the pleasure in special moments, like a wedding or a holiday. Everyday pleasures, on the other hand, can slip by without much notice. Savouring means placing your attention on pleasure as it occurs, consciously enjoying the experience as it unfolds. Appreciating the treasures in life, big and small, helps build happiness.
Multitasking is the enemy of savouring. Try as you might, you can't fully pay attention to multiple things at once. If you're scanning the computer screen and listening to music during breakfast, you're not getting the pleasure you could from that meal — or the computer, or the music. If you're walking the dog on a beautiful path but mentally worrying about jobs you have to do, you're missing the moment.
— Positive Psychology: Harnessing the Power of Happiness, Mindfulness, and Inner Strength, Harvard Medical School (Year unknown)
These concepts have been re-enforced for me over these past weeks in several ways.
Firstly, I have been offering my support by attending ‘The Calling’ ceremonies of the Year 9 Rite Journey program, which is celebrated in Houses, with parents in attendance. COVID-19 restrictions have meant that these ceremonies have been postponed and altered, and yet the Year 9 team persist with a great positive attitude, supported by many, many colleagues. These are very positive experiences and I congratulate all staff, students and parents involved. To support these ceremonies, Catherine’s Cafe has been set up to offer hot drinks. This, too, has created a very positive interest by the general public who pass by and question the concept, including some who are homeless. It was also a great opportunity for our VCAL students to show some real leadership in service to others.
A second reminder came from our history, as I continue to read about our heritage as we launch our 125th anniversary celebrations. An article, posted in The Lilydale Express on Friday 24 January 1896, titled ‘The New School’, stated:
On Monday morning the new school was opened for the first time. The attendance, it was expected, would be very good, but the actual results exceeded the promoter’s highest expectations. The Rev. Father Hennessy was present, and when the Rev. Mother opened the school, 46 children were present. On Tuesday the attendance was about 52, and yesterday it had increased to 56. It is expected that when the school again opens on Monday that about 65 children will be in attendance. The children seem happy in their new surroundings, and there is every possibility of the school reaching the standard of success desired.
I suspect the Sisters at the time were well aware of the great amount of work that was to come, yet they were positive in their outlook and trusted they had been gifted with the skills and support they would need. I wonder as to the measure of their success in 1896.
Let us, too, remain positive in outlook as we move forward together in this year of 2021, the year of our 125 Years celebrations, and the year in which we will celebrate a resilience that was, and is now, so evident.
In the Spirit of Catherine
God bless
Philip A Morison
Principal
