ABOUT DR. RUSS BUSS AND MOMENT-TO-MOMENT OPTIMISM
First, Dr. Russ Buss is first and foremost a website about learning how to live optimistically in our daily lives. The key feature of the website is a blog entitled, “Moment-to-Moment Optimism.”
Second, Dr. Russ Buss is a mythical Positive Psychologist. The character Dr. Russ Buss is based, in part, on the 35 year experience of an actual psychologist who has worked in education, business, and mental health settings. The character and message of Dr. Russ Buss is further enhanced by an editorial staff of writers, performers and lay individuals who help make the message of “learning to live optimistically in each and every moment of life,” relevant to everyone in all walks of life.
Finally, the Positive Psychology message is firmly grounded in the research and professional literature known as Positive Psychology, Attribution Theory, Cognitive Psychology and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy.
Staff Biographies
Dr. Russ, President and Founder
Dr. Russ received his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from Indiana University-Bloomington in 1973. For twenty years he taught undergraduate and graduate courses in Educational Psychology, Organizational Leadership, Communications, and Child, Adolescent and Adult Motivation at Purdue University, University of Maryland and University of Illinois. He spent six years as a high school principal. During this time Dr. Russ published over 75 scholarly articles and co-authored six books on student and teacher motivation, self-concept and self-esteem, leadership development and career/work motivation.
In the early nineties, Dr. Russ re-specialized in Counseling Psychology and completed a post-doctoral internship at Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital. He did another two year post-doctoral fellowship at Hurley Medical Center/Michigan State University College of Human Medicine in Child and Pediatric Psychology. He has spent the last fourteen years providing psychological services to children, adolescents and families in a private, outpatient psychological practice.
In 2008 –with a desire to take 35 years of psychological knowledge learned in academia and fine-tuned through the experience of one-on-one counseling with children and adults—Dr. Russ began the third major phase of his career: sharing his knowledge of “positive psychology” and self-improvement with the general population, worldwide.
In November of 2008, he began his blog, “Moment-to-Moment Optimism.” Since April of 2009, he has been writing daily entries for Moment-to-Moment Optimism. Dr. Russ desires to teach others how to view life as one continuous learning curve filled with multiple “do-over” opportunities so each and every moment of life can be seen and developed as an opportunity for personal growth and positive self-improvement.
MISSION OF MOMENT-TO-MOMENT OPTIMISM
Teaching
Our number on goal is to teach readers and viewers the core principles of Moment-to-Moment Optimism so they can develop their internalized personal philosophy of optimism and implement specific and practical strategies to improve optimism in all aspects of their lives.
Learning
The writers, producers and staff of Moment-to-Moment Optimism want to get your feedback and comments about what is helpful or unhelpful so we can improve our efforts to bring to you the most worthwhile and useful knowledge and information about learning to live optimistically.
Be Humorous
We will use humor as a common form of presentation. Sometimes the message is most clear and useable when it is embedded in some humor. Humor encourages us to smile and laugh at life and ourselves – making it easier to let go of the negative.
Role Models of Optimism
A regular feature of Moment-to-Moment Optimism will be stories about “Heroes of Optimism.” People who have one or more heroic moments of optimism that can be shared in print or video to serve as a roll model for taking on and overcoming a very difficult challenge in life.
Find Optimism Everywhere
Our editorial staff is committed to searching literature, history, politics, business, economics, pop culture, religion, film, contemporary, classical and world music, children’s literature, and sports worldwide and throughout the history of humankind to create a large and accessible data base of knowledge and information about optimism that readers and viewers can have at their finger tips in a large and comprehensive Library of Optimism.
Soliciting Audience Contributions
We are actively soliciting the contributions to Moment-to-Moment Optimism from our readers and viewers. Contributions can include: 1) specific suggestions related to any of the above categories for inclusion in the Library and Archives of Optimism, 2) an originally authored story of optimism that is submitted for publication on the blog, 3) nomination for a “Hero of Optimism,” 4) nomination for an “Optimistic Business or Company,” 5) submission of a homemade serious or funny video of optimism, 6) original photographs reflecting optimism, 7) nomination of outstanding movies, songs, poems or other literature reflecting optimism, 8) send us your favorite quote or quotes reflecting optimism, 9) like us – refer us to your friends by forwarding the link, post the link on your Facebook page or other social media network, and 10) Comment daily or as often as you can on the Optimism Blog.
How to make a contribution: Send your idea and or contribution to: Attention Associate Editor: laura@drrussbuss.com. We will gladly give you full credit to your contribution by listing your name next to its publication, or as you wish, contributions may remain completely anonymous and confidential.
Solid Science
The writing and recommendations made about living life optimistically will be based on the best available and most up to date basic empirical and theoretical published scientific work in psychology and other relevant social, biological and medical sciences.
Fight Pessimism
A very famous researcher and writer on the subject of depression once said in advice to professionals who might be counseling or doing psychotherapy with depressed patients: “Don’t let the patient’s depression get you down.” Pessimism and pessimistic statements abound in the news, on the street, at work and even at home in our families. Twenty-five percent of the population will suffer one depressive episode lifetime – that’s a boatload of pessimism. Moment-to-Moment Optimism will do its best to bring you very specific strategies to fight the tyranny of pessimism.
Multi-Media Approach
Moment-to-Moment Optimism will be delivering its message through original writing,
video, film, and audio broadcasts about the subject of optimism.
Business and Organization Consulting and Training
Moment-to-Moment Optimism offers Speaking Engagements, Consulting, and Training Seminars on creating, developing and sustaining a culture of optimism to help enhance employee satisfaction and productivity.
For information about Speaking, Consulting, or Training contact laura@drrussbuss.com.
Optimistic Organizations, Businesses and Companies
Moment-to-Moment Optimism seeks to recognize and feature in print and or video medium Organizations, Businesses and Companies that reflect the essence and spirit of Moment-to-Moment Optimism and delivery of their goods, products or services.
To inquire about or nominate an organization, business, or company designation as “Model of Optimism” (your own or another’s) contact: Senior Associate Editor: laura@drrussbuss.com
Moment-to-Moment Optimism will present information in both broad, about optimism in general, and specific, application of optimism to specific populations, issues, types of organizations, and types of jobs. Thus, we will run special features related to children, parents, teachers, executives and managers, health and wellness, diet and exercise, sports, politics, global warming, world peace, and others as they may occur.
Children
Moment-to-Moment Optimism has a special dedication to teaching children from birth how to live optimistically. The are many stories of Optimism contained in children’s literature and the quintessential story is The Little Engine That Could. So be on the look out for special features that focus on children and adolescents.
The Big Idea - Think About It
Moment-to-moment Optimism on a small scale hopes that its message can be a factor and a force for change in the micro-moments or any individuals life who aspires to find more and more moments of optimism to build on each and every day. Moment-to-Moment Optimism believes that on a grand scale the more people, organizations, and cultures that learn to live in the optimistic perspective taught here can teach their children, employees and inhabitants to live in greater harmony, life satisfaction and human advancement.
MYTHS OF OPTIMISM
The words optimism and pessimism are used everyday in the paper, on TV and in casual everyday face to face conversations. Phrases such as “Wall Street is Optimistic,” the President gives Upbeat Optimistic message, GM retirees pessimistic about future, Coach is Optimistic about the upcoming season. Such messages focus on outcomes, success and failure, rather than on the process of improvement and making progress towards goals. Thus, one major purpose of Moment-to-Moment Optimism is to show what Optimism is and is not - to dispel major myths about optimism and pessimism.
Myth # 1 – “Don’t Worry Be Happy”
A song by the above title made famous by musician Bobby McFerrin seems to tell us that if we just “don’t worry” then “it will soon pass.” The song implores us to go Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! Be Happy! Moment-to-Moment Optimism is not about putting on a “happy face” and pretending everything is all right in the world. That’s an Ostrich’s approach to Optimism.
The song does say everybody had problems: “rent is late the landlord might litigate,” “no cash, no style,” “no gal, no smile.” Our view of optimism embraces problems and the challenge of dealing with and overcoming or making progress towards overcoming problems each and every day.
Norman Vincent Peal, famous author of books on the theme, “The Power of Positive Thinking,” has various versions of the following conversation he often had with Negative Thinkers that went something like this:
Negative Thinker (NT): Dr. Peal, please tell me how to get rid of my problems.
Dr. Peal: Why would you want to do that?
NT: Oh! Life would be so much better, and I wouldn’t have any stress.
Dr. Peal: Yong man, the day you have no problems and no stress is the day they are putting you six feet under.
NT: Six feet under – what do you mean?
Dr. Peal: You see, the joy of life is all about having problems to face and try and solve everyday. Taking on the challenges embedded in our problems is what makes life exciting even exhilarating at times.
McFerrin’s song is very right about one thing when it says: “worry will double our trouble.” Worry without action, without trying to figure out a way to solve the problem leads to panic, anxiety, and the frozen fear seen in “the eyes of a deer in the headlights.”
Myth # 2 – An Optimist is Pollyanna
Myth two is actually a double myth. The first myth is about the word Pollyanna having come to mean some kind of blithe belief that everything will work out OK no matter what. The second is that the Optimist takes such an Ostrich approach to life.
The 1913 children’s novel by Eleanor H. Porter was about a young orphan, Pollyanna, who’s life centered around the “Glad Game.” The goal of the game, taught to her by her optimistic father, is to find something positive in every situation. For example, finding a pair of crutches instead of a hoped for doll inside an attic truck, her father exclaimed something like – “We can be glad about the crutches because we don’t need them.” Or, exiled to the attic by her aunt as punishment, Pollyanna learns to appreciate the scenic view out of the high up attic window. Or, limited to a meal of bread and water she exclaims how much she loves the flavor of bread and taste of water. Even in her darkest hour having lost her legs in a car accident, believing she will never walk again, she is helped by all those she has helped to regain the spirit of the glad game and takes action to go to a specialized hospital where she does walk again.
Far from being a story about blind unrealistic optimism, the story embodies the essence of the philosophy of moment-to-moment optimism, situations, even the most dark and dire can be broken down into parts in the moment to find something positive. And when we play the Glad Game as Pollyanna taught it we gain energy to move forward and find solutions to our problems.
Myth #3 – What an Optimist Really Needs is a Good Dose of Pessimism
Not so! Optimism is about – “Yes, I can!” and Pessimism is about – “No, I can’t.” Pessimists not only believe in the inevitability of failure, but in their own inability to make a difference. Optimists believe in effort and that all goals are impossible if you do not try. Optimists DO NOT believe in the converse – “All goals are possible if you try.”
They do believe: “Progress towards any goal is possible with effort.” A 59 year old optimist who never tapped danced in his life may not plan to tap in a Broadway musical, but he sure as heck can take lessons and with effort and practice have a lot of fun and become a better and better “tapper” over time.
Myth # 4 – You learn Optimism by Getting Hugs, Told Your Loved and You Are Special No Matter What
Getting hugs, being told you are loved and special lead to good feelings, but teach you nothing about optimism. Optimism is about taking on challenging goals, working to overcome difficulties, and trying your hardest. The quintessential children’s story of optimism is told in the “Little Engine that Could.”
Myth # 5 – Optimists have Unrealistic Goals
False. In fact Optimists most enjoy a challenging goal, one that is neither too easy or too hard. They avoid easy goals because little self-satisfaction comes from that kind of accomplishment. Extremely hard goals are throw away goals, give you an excuse for failure and lead to self-handicapping, e.g., “I don’t think I’m very good at this so I’m not going to try and I save face because everyone knows it was a near impossible goal.
In fact, Optimists are known to try their hardest when their subjective estimate of success is around the 50/50 range.
THE MEANING OF THE MOMENT
Life is lived in moments. One moment you can be sitting on a lovely sunny veranda sipping a cup of tea and the next moment receive a phone call about some problem tragic or untoward event. But really, what is a moment? In our view, a “moment” is a thought or image captured in our inner voice, a “thought bubble” about ourselves, our future and the world around us. Events captured or represented in a “moment” are not bound by time as a “thought bubble” can imagine “The Hundred Year War” or “I’m really embarrassed right now.” While the event represented is not bound by time, the “thought bubble” itself occurs in a fraction of a second or two. “Thought bubbles” can be remembered, recalled and strung together to create continuous moments, episodes, journeys or life stories of optimism. Optimism first and foremost must be seen as a mental event, mental representation, perception or view of an event or action of self or others. The “unemployment rate” is a statistic or event. How you choose to view the event is up to you. Your view, captured in a moment or series of moments, is under your direct mental control. Your thoughts are YOUR THOUGHTS and NO ONE BUT YOU CONTROLS YOUR THOUGHTS. Learning to be optimistic means: developing the ability to capture your thoughts in the moment so you can play “stop action” look at them from outside yourself in an emotionally detached manner, and then, as necessary, learning to change that content from a pessimistic to optimistic perspective.
A DEVELOPING AND ONGOING STORY - OUR PLEDGE
Moment-to-Moment Optimism will be putting out a continuous stream of original and referenced existing information in its website, blog, videos, other publications and productions. We are a work in progress. We will always be a work in progress. We want to learn from you and make improvements each and every day in what we do and how we do it. As we evolve together with you joining in partnership with us over the next days, months and even years we commit to do our best to deliver the “very best of the spirit of Optimism.”