Edite Amorim, from Thinking-Big, was the guest speaker for two Training Camps about Entrepeuneurship at ANJE (National Association for young Entrepeuneurs),  in Oporto.
For almost one hour, and right before dinner, around 20 young vibrant entrepeuneurs heard about Edite Amorim's experience on creating and developing the project THINKING-BIG.
There were two Training camps (November 26th and December 17th), and in each of them, the space was full of open eyes and practical questions, to help projects grow.

Last 21st of January 2012, Varazim Teatro, in Póvoa de Varzim, turned the lights off and created a space for a training about Creativity and Innovation. A group of 10 different people, interested in the theme, gathered to learn and share some concetps. Bocks to creativity, activities to unblock it, techniques, processes,... With some great laughes and vibrant debates, the 4 hour session got great positive feedbacks.

(Pictures by Rita Rocha)

_ A practical 4 hours class in Lisbon, with Musicians. These professionals working at health and social settings, contribute for more human health system.
It was a pleasure to share with them some notions about the importance of Body, body expression and awareness for 4 hours, in November, 2011.

(Pictures by Nuno Cintrão)

More info about their work: http://www.musicanoshospitais.pt/ 

Conference about "Think Big, go further - the importance of thinking big for creativity and entrepreneurship" - Porto, Portugal - Cidade das Profissões.
11/01/2012


(Pictures by Nuno Rosa)

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1998). Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement With Everyday Life. Basic Books

A small book with a great doses of practical information about how to transform daily life by making it more engaging. The key? Challenging ourselves with tasks requiring a high degree of skill and commitment.


Some ideas I would like to highlight:
About quality of life: "The quality of life does not depend on happiness alone, but also on what one does to be happy. If one fails to develop goals that give meaning to one's existence, if one does not use the mind at its fullest, then good feelings fulfill just a fraction of the potential we posses." (P.22). 

About creative people: "Creative people are especially good at ordering their lives so that what they do, when, and with whom will enable them to do their best work. If what they need is spontaneity and disorder, they they make sure to have that, too." 
"Most creative persons don't follow a career laid out for them, but invent their job as they go along." (P.107).

About Flow at work: "Because for most of us a job is such a central part of life, it is essential that this activity be as enjoyable and rewarding as possible. Yet many people feel that as long as they get decent pay and some security, it does not matter how boring or alienating their job is. Such an attitude, however, amounts to throwing away almost 40% of life." (P. 101). There are three main reasons, according to the author that jobs may be resented: When the job is pointless (it does no good to anyone); when the work is boring and routine (it provides no challenge); when jobs are stressful (especially when one can't get along with one's supervisor or colleagues who expect too much or do not recognize one's contributions).  
But the author also adds, about it: "Even if we don't want to admit it, the ability to overcome most obstacles is within our hands.(...) It is always a better deal to do something one feels good about than something that may make us materially comfortable but emotionally miserable. Such decisions are notoriously difficult and require great honesty with oneself." (P. 102).
But there are also "great ways to make one's job more meaningful by adding value to it. (...) By taking the whole context of the activity into account, and understanding the impact of one's actions on the whole, a trivial job can turn into a memorable performance that leaves the world in a  better shape than it was before." 
Some examples, like "a supermarket clerk who pays genuine attention to costumers, a physician concerned about the total well-being of patients rather that specific symptoms only (...) can transform a routine job with ephemeral consequences into one that makes a difference.(...) In all such cases, the value  of the job performance was increased because the worker was willing to invest extra psychic energy into it, and thus was able to withdraw from it additional meaning. (...) One must do some thinking and caring beyond what the job description calls for. And this requires additional attention which is the most precious resource we have." But "without some effort a dull job will just stay dull.(...) Our attitude to work usually involves spending a lot of effort trying to cut corners and do as little as possible. (...) If one spent the same amount of attention trying to find ways to accomplish more on the job, one would enjoy working more - and probably be more successful at it, too.(...) In many cases, "a humdrum event  is transformed into a major discovery that changes the way we live because someone paid more attention to it than the situation seemed to warrant. Is Archimedes, lowering himself into the bath, had only thought, "Darn, I got the floor wet again, what will the missus say?", humankind might have had to wait another few hundred years to understand the principle of fluid displacement." (P. 104) 

During my training processes and presentations people often comment the importance of ambition, of "wanting more and more". And very often we reach the point: "Oh... If at least we could earn more money, things would be perfect!". For all of those who keep insisting about it, here it is the Csikszentmihalyi's article I've been talking about, that explains, in a very clear way, what happens with being rich and being happy!
Enjoy it  with a few coins ready to throw to the wish fountain! 
http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~erinm/Mihaly.html 
Source:  American Psychologist October 1999, Volume 54 Number 10 

Today, in "Público", Portuguese newspaper, news that makes us believe in doing something that goes further.
Viagem de oito meses e mais de 4000 quilómetros pelo Atlântico - Mensagem numa garrafa de um rapaz de Nova Iorque encontrada nos Açores
06.12.2011  Por Susana Almeida Ribeiro

Curtis Kipple é um rapazinho de 10 anos que vive em Brockport, no estado de Nova Iorque. Ana Ponte é uma açoriana de 25 anos. Dois desconhecidos que o Atlântico pôs em contacto depois de a criança americana ter escrito uma mensagem lançada ao mar dentro de uma garrafa em Março passado.Quando escreveu a carta, Curtis Kipple frequentava o quarto ano (agora já anda no quinto). Explicou nela o quanto gostava de videojogos e de jogar futebol com o pai. 

Depois de escrita, a carta foi enrolada e enfiada numa garrafa de vidro verde. Em Março, a missiva foi lançada ao mar por pescadores dos Outer Banks, ao largo da Carolina do Norte.

Finalmente, na semana passada (oito meses depois), a garrafa deu à costa na ilha Terceira, Açores. Foi a jovem Ana Ponte, de 25 anos, quem escreveu um email em Inglês e Português que enviou para a escola de Curtis, a Fred W. Hill School, em Brockport.

“O meu irmão e o meu pai acordaram cedo esta manhã e foram para o mar para apanharem uns peixes muito abundantes aqui e encontraram uma garrafa com uma mensagem de um rapaz chamado Curtis Kipple”, escreveu Ana Ponte no e-mail que enviou para o endereço da escola.

O e-mail surpreendeu o actual professor do quinto ano de Curtis, Chris Albrecht, que organizou o projecto do envio de mensagens dentro de garrafas para ensinar geografia e escrita de cartas formais aos seus alunos. “Fiquei completamente surpreendido”, disse Albrecht citado pelo jornal local “Democrat and Chronicle”. “Os alunos demoraram um mês a escrever as cartas e quando o projecto ficou pronto achei que ia dar em nada”, disse o professor, citado pelo mesmo jornal.

Quando o professor contou a Curtis que a sua mensagem tinha sido encontrada nos Açores e que uma jovem tinha respondido ao e-mail, a criança ficou “emocionada”, relata o educador. “Foi uma coisa muito especial.” “Cerca de 80% dos meus alunos nunca viram o oceano. O facto de a garrafa de Curtis ter atravessado o Atlântico é uma coisa fantástica”.

A garrafa de Curtis não foi a primeira a ser encontrada (em Junho já tinha sido encontrada outra na região da Nova Escócia, no Canadá) mas foi a que viajou até mais longe. Mais de 4000 quilómetros.

A professora do quarto ano de Curtis, Amy Stoker, ajudou o professor Chris Albrecht a pôr em marcha este projecto e diz que “a parte incrível desta história não é que duas garrafas tenham sido encontradas, mas que as duas pessoas que as encontraram tenham perdido tempo a contactar-nos. É incrivelmente excitante”.

Stoker e Albrecht esperam conseguir repetir este projecto e contam que já receberam dezenas de cartas e e-mails de todo o país a perguntar mais informações sobre o projecto.

Os professores esperam igualmente conseguir manter o contacto com a família Ponte. 

“Este projecto excedeu largamente as minhas expectativas mais optimistas. Foi uma maneira óptima de ensinar os alunos sobre parágrafos e geografia. Mas o facto de as cartas terem realmente sido encontradas é espantoso”.



Source: "Público", Portuguese newspaper: http://www.publico.pt/Sociedade/menino-americano-e-jovem-acoriana-unidos-por-mensagem-em-garrafa-1523940

This week I've received this Luke Johnson's article from a friend and I thought it could summarize really well my own points of view about focusing our energy to increase our Well-Being. After all, it's all in our hands, isn't it? Here it goes:


"A guide to shaking off the doom and gloom
By Luke Johnson
Almost everyone I know in business is sick of this downturn. The task is to restore confidence, despite various challenges. We need a sense of optimism to revive growth, and to reverse the recent decline in living standards. This can be done with sufficient willpower. I have, therefore, assembled a brief list of suggestions that might boost morale among those entrepreneurs who are finding it tough.

• Study history: it helps to put present difficulties into context. Life for almost everyone on earth is better than it ever has been. Societies have always suffered from periodic upheavals, yet in the long run the trend is one of relentless material improvement, mainly thanks to technological advances. Depressions always end, and our collective ingenuity has solved all the challenges of the ages. Our current, temporary adversities will be no different.
•  Avoid the news: read and watch the minimum. Editors believe bad news sells better than good, and in an era of intense media competition,many stories exaggerate and dramatise so as to catch the public’s attention. Brush off the screaming headlines, and your mood will lift.
• Spend time with young people: humans are born with a sense of wonder. But age and experience make too many older people cynical, while rising considerations of mortality can make even hardy souls melancholy. The answer is to surround yourself with friends and colleagues from across the generations to cancel out the gloom.
•  Remain rational: the worst almost never happens – the vast majority of dire forecasts by commentators and supposed experts are simply nonsense. Humankind developed a capacity to imagine terrible outcomes as an insurance policy so that we could avoid them. But being constantly in dread of fresh catastrophes is impractical and taints our judgment.
•  Avoid pessimists: most of us have a bias towards either a negative or positive outlook. You should keep the company of these latter, sunny characters. Seek out those with an upbeat disposition – you’ll find it is infectious.
•  Read the stoics: classical writers like Marcus Aurelius have provided readers with uplifting advice about preserving equanimity amid awful circumstances for hundreds of years. I recommend his Meditations.
• Admit mistakes and then move on: all of us make bad decisions, suffer setbacks and endure failures. It is important to recognize these but once you have accepted the error – and apologized where necessary – start afresh and don’t stay mired in regret.
•  Keep busy: dynamic individuals don’t have time to become depressed. They are too busy striving to make progress. The world is full of more opportunities than ever before – what is needed is entrepreneurial zest and self-discipline.
•  Get fit: doctors have understood for centuries that physical exercise is an excellent antidote to stress and gloom. Endorphins released when you exercise help banish the blues.
• Focus on small wins: every day each of us experiences little victories that can act as encouragement. Note these modest achievements and it will generate a sense of momentum that can propel you.
•  Ignore events over which you have no control: worrying about what will happen to the euro or Wall Street is a waste of intellectual effort. Put exertion instead into your own business and life. Expend energies on aspects of your career that you can genuinely influence.
•  Concentrate on your micro economy: forget the macroeconomic climate. What matters is how you take share in your local market, or whether you can enhance your products to better serve customers.
•  Laugh: psychologists know that humour is healthy. So seek out comedy when you can, listen to jokes – and don’t take yourself too seriously. As they say, a day without laughter is a day wasted.

Of course, there is no magic formula – resilience is hard won, and the path is never smooth. Moreover, delusional optimism can surely be dangerous. But having witnessed brilliant turnrounds of companies left for dead, I know that the power of indomitable leadership in business should never be underestimated. And above all, great generals inspire a belief in a hopeful future. We need some of that inspiration right now."

SOURCE: FINANTIAL TIMES, November 8, 2011

lukej@riskcapitalpartners.co.uk - The writer runs Risk Capital Partners, a private equity firm, and is chairman of the Royal Society of Arts. He is the author of ‘Start it up’A guide to shaking off the doom and gloom - FT.com 

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/64ec93de-095f-11e1-a20c-00144feabdc0.html 10-11-2011

There are some initiatives that makes us positively  proud. Proud for ideas that you recognize that are great, that are made with a lot of attention and detail and that are realy worth it!
Here are some of them happening right now in Portugal, contributing for a better country, for a better everyday mood:

Boas Notícias - (Good News) This website publishes daily the positive happenings/news from Portugal and all around the world.

Nota Positiva - (Positive Note) A free monthly online magazine, developed by Sombra Vertical, about positive events and perspectives happening in Lisbon.   

DOU.PT (I give) - An online community project  to exchange, in a free basis, items that people are not using or needing anymore, helping environment and saving money and resources.

A música portuguesa a gostar dela própria - (Portuguese music liking itself) A platform in which Portuguese music from all kinds, from traditional to very well known, is regularly presented.

The list will continue to grow, I am sure! It's a small country but a lot to tell about! And it's not everything about wonderful but sad Fado.There is also the happy, positive side.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal experience". New York: Harper & Row

Seligman, M.E.P. (2002). Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment. New York: Free Press

Seligman, M. (2011).  Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being. New York.