??Thoughts on Optimization (and Optimism)
Elizabeth Auguste
Bioversity Lab Operations Cohort 5 | ServSafe Manager Certified | Licensed Massage Therapist | Advocate - Health Equity, Social Equity & Education | Passionate About Wellness, Biotechnology, Systems & Patient Advocacy ??
??Themes: optimization, optimism, intentionality, purpose, actualization, systems, embodiment
Sometimes, instead of typing questions into Google, I use YouTube.
It's a very helpful search engine, especially at ~800 million videos uploaded and counting.
The first thing I typed in was "how to be more clear in intentions" and I came across this beautiful video:
??HOW TO SET INTENTIONS (POWERFUL METHOD)
It talks about how to co-create intentionally with conscious self and collective awareness. Also, this conversation is a lot about how we each have a different versions/definitions of "optimal".
?? I deal with a lot of FOMO (fear of missing out) and am still working on counteracting the "inability" to be in more than one place at a time - I don't want to be everywhere all the time, but sometimes. (Truly I keep wanting to get an AI Notetaker so they can attend virtual meetings I can't make.)
And then I typed in "how to be clear about God in my life" because I believe in God and that's important to me, that I live a life grounded by Heaven.
I came across this video from Freedom in Thought:
Become Who You're Afraid To Be | The Philosophy of Carl Jung
It talks about becoming and actualization and how to leave room for the parts of yourself you may have rejected.
What for you all creates an optimal, optimized life?
How do you become who you want to become, who you feel you are?
Is it about what you do/create?
Relationships formed? How many people your life touches?
Is it only an internal decision? How much of an optimized life requires external awareness?
??As a systems thinker, and in my work, I think about optimization and development and people all the time, but optimization looks different to everyone.
In this go-go world, also, sometimes effectiveness and functionality come at a cost - mental health, sleep, finances. The quest for perfection may also be one of the most siloing and isolating experiences but can be also very rewarding. There are also people who don't believe in perfection, so that's another discussion. There are also many social factors at play.
These types of conversations do open up a can of worms - this is also about ideals, values, and character. What about the times when something we do (in freedom of self) hurts another person? So many nuances!
??What say you?
I'm generally a hopeful person - so although I have met many people who may not understand why I am a seeker and lifelong learner, and even others who have been discouraging, I genuinely want everyone to be able to live a life where they feel free and healed. I don't know if we all need to be civically minded or entrepreneurs or work in the non-profit space. Maybe it's mostly about empowerment, awareness and leaving space for the dreams of others to manifest, regardless of what we may personally think is best?
??Optimization is a noun, meaning:
an act, process, or methodology of making something (such as a design, system, or decision) as fully perfect, functional, or effective as possible
I talk about these things a lot because I'm really passionate about embodiment (science/psychology) and cognitive dissonance (especially related to mental health, immunology, and the nervous system).
related: neurophysiology, culture, circumstance, body, form, narrative, social interaction
embodiment is a noun
1 one that embodies something
领英推荐
also, a tangible or visible form of an idea, quality, or feeling: the representation or expression of something in a tangible or visible form:
(When I typed this back into 微软 to find the original source Microsoft Copilot responded, "That’s a thoughtful definition. It seems you’re referring to the concept of manifestation. Manifestation is the act of making something visible or tangible, especially something abstract like an idea, quality, or feeling. It’s about bringing something into existence or making it apparent in a physical or perceptible way. If you’re looking for more information or examples on this topic, feel free to ask!")
?? The Wholebeing Institute, led by Founder and CEO Megan McDonough , describes it like this:
Defining Embodied Positive Psychology | Wholebeing Institute (WBI is committed to spreading ideas and practices that can help individuals and groups live life to its fullest.)
"Engaging the whole—body and mind—integrates the rigorous science of well-being with the lived experience. Embodied Positive Psychology recognizes that well-being requires more than an intellectual understanding; it requires a multidimensional view of wholeness (which we call wholebeing).
Cognitive understanding and knowing is not the same as realizing, living, and experiencing. Embodiment physicalizes an idea, making it concrete in the here and now. As the definition explains, embodiment gives visible form to an idea. By embodying Positive Psychology, you become a walking expression of the idea. Embodied Positive Psychology is the experience of:
??Because we watch documentaries on weeknights, my partner Erin and I watched one called Body Language Decoded on Amazon Prime - it's a good watch. One of the interviewees is Dr. Amy Cuddy , a social psychologist who gave this famous TED talk:
In the documentary, mostly about non-verbal communication, Dr. Cuddy talks about "a really new area of research that some people call embodiment". She continues to say,
"I don't think we know exactly what the mechanism is. I think what we know is that some emotions are tied very closely to certain body expressions, and that that works in both directions because it's hard wired. Some of the most promising areas of this work are in treating post-traumatic stress...
They really carry trauma in their bodies...
These body-based therapies are proving to be really effective, teaching people to sit up more upright and breathe more deeply is in fact, calming the nervous system, communicating through the vagus nerve with the mind... that you are safe. I'm really hopeful that we will learn how to use body-based interventions to treat psychological disorders."
At the end of the documentary (written and directed by Geoff D'eon and produced by Edward Peill), one of the scientists says, "Why are we doing this? I think it behooves every scientist to have an answer. A better understanding of human behavior is the improvement and betterment of society for the ages."
??What do you think is important about understanding your own behaviors? How do you feel about optimization and optimism? Also, as an observer of your own life, and an expert at being you, why do you optimize? To what end?
How and when did you decide you wanted to get better, or change, or do something differently? How do you work on staying balanced (subjectively and objectively)?
Thank you for reading!
Elizabeth
?? ?? ?? Thoughts on Optimization (and Optimism)
Further reading if you are interested:
??