Olein Webster, SI Surrey Hills
Our second speaker of the morning was George Anderson. A lively presentation that got us all thinking. Hopefully inspired us to make new resolutions to become more active, helping us become more positive.
He spoke about Positive Psychology, moving people from being just “OK” to flourishing. Remembering the safety briefings on aircraft – “Fit your oxygen mask before helping others” – he encouraged us to look after ourselves so that we can look after others. Think of 3 things each day to make you grateful – gratitude is a positive attribute to encourage.
What makes time “meaningless“ for you – in other words, what do you do where you are so involved in the activity that don’t notice the passage of time. Do something that is meaningful and significant. Meaningful is a good word that applies to our work as Soroptimists.
George’s philosophy is “Progress not Perfection” – improve a little each day, but without worrying that it isn’t worthwhile if you can’t make huge changes.
He encouraged us to become more active physically – uninterrupted sitting constitutes a substantial risk to physical and mental health. The audience took part in the activity he suggested – standing and stretching part-way through his presentation. Get up from your desk or chair every so often and move around. He talked about creating ripples to inspire others.
We were inspired by his case studies of his clients – including an 82-year old woman who was the world indoor rowing champion. Never too late for any of us!
You can find out more about George on his website and follow him on Twitter.