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Writer's pictureTami West, PhD

Intermission: Lessons from Positive Psychology

Welcome back to Consider Yourself Hugged! Click below to watch, or Click here to listen to Episode 181.


*Disclaimer:

The information in this show is not intended to be therapy or to address your individual situation. It is information based on experiences, opinions, and research. If you need further help, please reach out to one of the resources at the end of the show notes, or others in your area.



In this special Intermission episode, I take a moment to reflect on the three most significant lessons I've learned during the first seven modules of our Positive Psychology course. These lessons have deeply impacted my personal growth and outlook, and I believe they can resonate with anyone striving for greater well-being.


Lessons/Questions so Far


1. Do You Want to Get Well? This lesson, drawn from both scripture and personal experience, challenges us to confront whether we are truly ready to embrace healing and change. In John 5:3-6, Jesus asks a man who has been an invalid for 38 years, "Do you want to get well?"


Here's the verses:

The Healing at the Pool

Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. [4] [b] One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”


For me, this question is about more than just physical healing—it’s about confronting deeper emotional and mental struggles. Tim once asked me, "What made you decide to change?" I had lived with anger, anxiety, and fear for so long that it became my way of coping. Healing meant stepping into unknown territory, admitting my own contributions to my problems, and embracing the new challenges that come with change.


This question is relevant to all of us: Do we really want to get well? Healing brings new complexities—different relationships, personal revelations, and sometimes even resistance from those who liked us better in our brokenness.


2. Do You Want to Engage? One of the key concepts in Positive Psychology is the idea of active engagement. Living well requires more than passive hope; it requires conscious effort. In the course, we discussed how true flourishing comes when we immerse ourselves in meaningful activities, relationships, and goals.

This lesson reminded me that we are not spectators in our own lives. Whether it’s improving our emotional health, relationships, or physical well-being, we must be intentional in our choices and fully present in our everyday experiences.


3. Do You Want to Practice, Even When You Don’t Feel Like It? Finally, perhaps one of the most profound lessons I’ve learned is the importance of practicing well-being, even when you don’t feel like it. There are days when it’s easier to fall back into old patterns or when the effort seems too great. But sustained growth and transformation come from consistent practice.


In the modules, we’ve talked about how positive habits—gratitude, mindfulness, resilience—need to be cultivated regularly. It’s not about perfection; it’s about showing up and doing the work, even on the hard days. Just like a muscle, well-being gets stronger with practice.


Stay tuned for the next episode, where we’ll continue our exploration of positive psychology and dive deeper into practical strategies for enhancing your well-being. Thanks for staying with us through this!


Promised Resources

 

As I've always asked in the past, please pass the show link along to your friends and subscribe, download, and review wherever you are listening. If you’re a woman and you haven’t joined our private FB group A Place for Women, please do that now! It’ll be your source of encouragement. I'd love for you to follow my Tami West Seminars Facebook page as well. If you'd like to know more about my Mental Health First Aid Courses, contact me at 615-497-7714 or tamiwest@tamiwest.com.


And until next time, Consider Yourself Hugged 😘🤗



Michelle Kixmiller, MSN, MAE, RN, APN, PMHNP-BC 

Michelle Kixmiller is a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Licensed Educator. She works with children and adults with mental health needs including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, autism, schizophrenia, and obsessive compulsive disorder. Michelle served as a public school teacher and science department chair for over a decade when a family tragedy pulled her in a different direction. The death of her younger brother after a multiple year battle with depression and alcoholism led her to pursue a career in the mental health field. She went back to school to become a registered nurse graduating and gaining experience as a critical care nurse at a level 1 regional burn center prior to completing a graduate degree to become a mental health nurse practitioner. Her vision is holistic care through teamwork to create a more peaceful school environment for students and staff alike. No one should have to struggle alone. Michelle currently works full time for a non-profit community mental health center at an outpatient clinic and works PRN for an inpatient crisis stabilization unit. When not at work she loves spending time with family, traveling, watching movies (not scary ones), running (slowly), and Crossfit. Contact Michelle at Silver Lining Psychiatric Solutions, 615-378-7713 or mkixmill@gmail.com. 


Thanks for joining!


I hope this has been helpful today, and thank you for joining! As I've always asked in the past, please pass the show link along to your friends and subscribe, download, and review wherever you are listening. If you’re a woman and you haven’t joined our private FB group A Place for Women, please do that now! It’ll be your source of encouragement. I'd love for you to follow my Tami West Seminars Facebook page as well. If you'd like to know more about my Mental Health First Aid Courses, contact me at 615-497-7714 or tamiwest@tamiwest.com.


And until next season, Consider Yourself Hugged 😘🤗


Mental Health Resources:






Tami West, PhD

Stress and Mental Health Expert Dr. Tami West uses her entertaining and compelling style to shine a new light on how to transform your life and discover solutions to life’s challenges.

Tami has worked in a variety of industries including healthcare, school nutrition, corporate sales, and 10 years as a public-school teacher. In 2013 she received her PhD in Human Development, studying the connections among stress, emotions, and identity.

Dr. West has spoken in 48 states across the US, as well as the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. In any given year, Tami speaks to groups with audiences consisting of anywhere from 100 to 3,000 people.


Dr. West is the author of several successful publications including three books: The Stress Club, Life Without the Monsters and Thrive. When she's not speaking or writing, you might find her with her traveling with her husband and family, reading historical fiction, or watching Big Bang Theory.


Tami connects with audiences through real experience, cutting edge research, and transparent stories – all sprinkled with humor! She will make you laugh, cry, and shine a refreshingly new light on life's challenges.


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Contact Tami at tamiwest@tamiwest.com or follow her at Tami West Seminars. 




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