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Flourishing
by
At a time of deep crisis the notion of flourishing seems unimaginable. However, distinguished psychologist Maureen Gaffney believes passionately that not only is it possible for us to flourish, but in an increasingly uncertain world, it is essential that we plan to do so.
Flourishing is about achieving a deeper sense of well-being, meaning and purpose despite, and indeed ve ...more
Flourishing is about achieving a deeper sense of well-being, meaning and purpose despite, and indeed ve ...more
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Paperback, 320 pages
Published
October 27th 2011
by Penguin Ireland
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I'm not usually a devotee of self helps books, but this book is potentially life changing. Lightbulbs popped in my head every few pages. Rather than glibly promote positive thinking, it explains why we think negatively and why we need to reinforce positive experiences to counteract the negative ones. Saying that no one drives you crazy without your cooperation, or that dwelling on a problem actually makes it worse, may seem like stating the obvious to some, but it is one thing to comprehend thes
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I loved Maureen gaffney a other book the way we live now. With this book I got a lot of insights and valuable information but it took me 7 days to read because it was so sense with information some of it slightly repetitive. I particularly enjoyed the relationship and personality info as well as the first hand stories. All in all I got a lot from this book but struggled to get through parts of it.

This book is phenomenal! It is extremely well written and inspiring. It is one of those books where I ended up highlighting 1/3 of the book and I review those highlights again and again. It is very insightful and opens the door to so many topics dealing with personal well-being and growth. Inspired by this book I now have at least 10 new books on my to read bookshelf, e.g. on post-traumatic growth, optimism, focus, goal-setting etc.

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This book tells you exactly the things you wished you knew from the very start of life. The author used simple language and elaborate explanations to talk about the complexity of the human brain and how we can take this beautiful creation into advantage to make ourselves flourish in all aspects of life.
A very recommended read for everyone and anyone who’s looking for inspiration to take charge and upgrade your life, and to be a more efficient, positive human being as a whole! Very thankful to h ...more
A very recommended read for everyone and anyone who’s looking for inspiration to take charge and upgrade your life, and to be a more efficient, positive human being as a whole! Very thankful to h ...more

Could be framed as Dr Gaffneys Magnum Opus. A distillation of the past few decades of Positive Psychology research, and practical advice and activities suggested. The Ten Step framework for Flourishing (being in a state where positive experiences negate more inherently impactful negative ones) includes activities that are all largely solid and achievable. In fact, the sheer volume of information and strategies within make it a book that will become a source of ongoing reference.

Not your typical self-help book. It's more a collection of the author's research and ideas on what it meant to flourish. I found it very helpful, and am going to go through it again to pull out what I need to apply in my life. Very well-written.
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A great insight into life and how we can be our best in all areas of it.
As ever, Maureen Gaffney is practical and descriptive and 'Flourishing'is one of those books worth dipping into in the future as a reference tool. ...more
As ever, Maureen Gaffney is practical and descriptive and 'Flourishing'is one of those books worth dipping into in the future as a reference tool. ...more

Apr 23, 2012
Penelope
added it
I'm surprised that i'm enjoying this book, as I find the topic too similar to all of the self-improvement stuff. However the book is contemporary and well researched and well structured, and helpful.
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Apr 17, 2013
Aislingcoughlan
is currently reading it
Ii

I enjoyed this book, although I don't think there was anything especially new here. But I'm always looking for studies that show students how they can be successful. And this one had several :)
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Very academic read for an audience who requires simplicity. I'd probably not recommended it to clients.
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“The essence of learning to be grateful is to learn to want what you have.”
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“In traditional societies, we could explain away setbacks and failures as God’s will, or fate, or bad luck. Now, there is no hiding place for failure. There is an assumption that if we”
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