If you've ever stepped inside my office you may have noticed a bunch of books on my shelves from a wide variety of people - psychologists, philosophers, self-help gurus, political heroes, etc. I'm a bowerbird of ideas - I take bits and pieces from all of them. There are a couple of books by Martin Seligman on my shelves - the 75 year-old American psychologist who co-founded 'positive psychology' around 20 years ago. I was introduced to the concept of positive psychology when

Guest blogger Jackie Cooper 'Positive psychology' pioneer (and grump) Martin Seligman spoke recently about what's new in this new stream of psychology, and how he learnt how to be optimistic (detailed in his new book, The Hope Circuit). Here are a few doable positive psychology tips and takeaways: How to give up on being grumpy Three positive things you can do at work Plus, three random takeaways Anxious, grumpy, popular and highly criticised Martin Seligman is not a naturall

Thanks everyone for joining me at the May Board KickStarter breakfast and, in particular, to our fabulous speakers Jacinta Carboon and Vicky Papachristos for their informative, insightful and interesting stories and tips. Here's a summary of some of their take-out messages: Summary of key points Back yourself! (even if people say you have 'no chance'!) Do a practice interview before the real thing; consider working with a coach. Practice your elevator pitch, based on your per