Moment-to-Moment Optimism

By Dr. Russ

The Dr. Russ Buss 2009 Year in Review

Below are the Dr. Russ Buss Baker’s Dozen Best Blog Posts for 2009 and the reason for their selection.  There were 249 Moment-to-Moment Optimism blog posts in the year. 

I have presented the blogs in chronological order, resisting the “cultural press” to rank them 1-13.  Such ranking defeats the spirit of optimism as #13 would certainly feel inferior to #1 for no good reason that I can muster. Despite the American cultural penchant to want to know the “Best of the Best,” I simply say each post is unique and a “Best Blog of 2009” in its own right.

Obama Inspired Self-Confidence, 1/25/09

Selected because President Obama’s inauguration was one of the major news events of 2009 and because his expressed view of OPTIMISM in his inaugural speech was consistent with the Dr. Russ Buss view in Moment-to-Moment Optimism: take on challenges; remember our 19th century forefathers traveled to a new land and started over; greatness is never given, it is earned; optimism is NOT for the faint of heart; those who prefer leisure over work; those who seek only the riches of pleasure and fame.

Valentines Optimism and Self-Confidence, 2/12/09

Selected because it focuses on the core dynamic of long term relationships: as our relationships go along over time what once were “Attractors,” personality traits that drew us to fall in love with our partner, become “Repellers,” personality traits that appear to make us romantically incompatible with our partner.  Charming becomes annoying; brave becomes reckless, generous becomes wasteful, and brilliant becomes boring.

The Optimistic Diet, 3/23/09

Selected because this post extends the principles of Moment-to-Moment Optimism to dieting and health related behaviors.  The Optimistic Diet does not focus on the diet, per se, but on the psychology of staying on the diet. The Jackie Monroe Show episode, “Marshmallow Meltdown” is part of this post.

Are you a Highly Reactive Pessimistic Fool? 4/1/09

Selected because it introduces the humor of the HI-REP-E-FOO (pronounced (hi as in hello; rep as in repetition; e as in eh; and foo rhymes with boo.) What is a HIREPEFOO? A HIREPEFOO is emotionally over-reactive to the fear of looking foolish. HIREPEFOO's trap themselves in the pessimistic cage of their own making with the belief that there is nothing they can do to change their circumstances.

Teach Optimism to the Family Michael J. Fox Style,  4/22/09

Selected because Michael J. Fox’s view of parenting is featured when he writes, “There’s a truism about parenting that goes like this: When your first baby is sucking on a pacifier and spits it out onto the floor . . .  you immerse it in boiling water . . . . With your fourth child, you let the dog lick it.”  He goes on to say: “If all the risks are removed from a child’s environment, the child will be doomed to a life of playing it safe.”

Michael J. Fox ABC TV Special:  Always Looking Up, The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, 5/9/09

Selected because on this date we arrived at the final destination of the month long Michael J. Fox Book Buss Tour with Dr. Russ Buss as we tuned in to the ABC special featuring Michael and his worldwide quest for optimism. A seven and a half minute You-Tube video was produced of Jackie Monroe’s live interview of four individuals reacting to the show during each commercial break; featured in the post.

Ten Tips for an Optimistic Marriage, 6/22/09

Selected because the wedding of Dr. Russ’s brother to Adrienne gave the opportunity to apply the Dr. Russ Buss “principles of optimism” to the interpersonal dynamics of creating and maintaining a long term successful marriage.

Core Principles of Optimistic Living, 8/24/09

Dr. Russ formally penned the “Thirteen Core Principles of Optimistic Living” which serve as the basis of “Optimism Seminars” and a comprehensive measure of “Optimism” named the “ROSIE” (Russ Optimism Strategy Inventory Evaluation).

Parents Can Teach Children to be Resilient Optimists, 8/27/09

Selected because the post explains how to apply “Core Principles of Living Life Optimistically” to the task of parenting children from the perspective of optimism. Twenty-six messages that parents can use over and over to convey and teach an optimistic spirit to their children, filling them with resilient self-confidence and self-worth are shown.

Optimistic Stamina Quiz, 9/22/09

Selected because the OPTIMISM STAMINA QUIZ is formally published and described in this post.

Best Practice Parenting Tips for Raising Optimistic Children, 9/24/09

What are some of the "Best Practices" parents can use to raise an optimistic child?  The post was selected because it summarizes the “best practice” advice from some 72 posts on “Optimistic Parenting; a concise set of practical parenting strategies that can be used to teach optimism to children in these tough times.

Teach Bully Resistant Optimism to Stop Bullying, 10/8/09

Selected because the incidence of being a victim of bullying is ninety percent between 4th and 8th grade.  The post teaches parents and teachers how to build a child's self-worth and self-esteem with specific bully resistant optimism skills.

Create an Optimistic Organizational Culture, 12/01/10

Selected because in this post, Dr. Russ Buss synthesizes ten guidelines for building and maintaining an “Optimistic Organization;” one that exudes a “Culture of Optimism.”