Today I am thinking about the intersection of privilege, resources, community, mental health, and positive psychology.
I am passionate about positive psychology and about helping people find ways to increase their happiness. But I do have questions.
How can I account for and address the fact that I am working from a position of incredible privilege?
How helpful are the tools I use and suggest to people who are marginalized by systemic racism, or who don’t have access to the resources I do for any number of reasons?
Are there ways to make these tools more applicable to a wider audience, or are they only useful given a baseline of ease?
I don’t know. What do you think?
seriouslyhappy2.com 
Excellent question in my mind, Diana. I have been in places where positives and affirmatives are required, and feelings denied. From a mental health standpoint, this is dangerous. I’m all for the positive, and learning what we can from all life situations. When feelings are denied, learnings can be as well. Denial is a cornerstone in building a life of addictive behaviors and substance abuse. Learning to acknowledge, accept, and manage feelings in a healthy way is a part of maturity. Our society has not done well with that historically because it is more important to ‘look perfect’ in various aspects of life, keeping the focus external, instead of being present with the internal. And sitting with someone and being present with what is going on internally for them is a hallmark of the love and compassion that eventually bring peace and positive for them. It is like the difference between forcing a product and trusting the process. The latter includes letting go of the outcome. We cannot control our own or anyone else’s life, try as we might. We can support one another in our individual life processes.
Bottom line, those who are not in ease will likely have needs for support that are both internal and external in ways that are different from those in ease. As Philo of Alexandria first said, “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.”
Oh yes, I agree! Denying feelings can be not just negative, but harmful.
Positive Psychology isn’t about denying the challenges of the human experience, but is the study of the strengths that enable individuals and communities to thrive.
As Christopher Peterson puts it, “Positive psychology is the scientific study of what makes life most worth living. It is a call for psychological science and practice to be as concerned with strength as with weakness; as interested in building the best things in life as in repairing the worst; and as concerned with making the lives of normal people fulfilling as with healing pathology.” — “What Is Positive Psychology, and What Is It Not?”, Psychology Today
What I am wondering is how well these ideas work for folks who don’t have their basic needs met. Can the ideas, tools, and exercises be helpful to all people, or do they mainly apply to people whose physiological and psychological needs are mostly met?
As I am developing the Seriously Happy products and tools, I want to stay aware of my own privilege. My goal is to make the tools as accessible and useful for as many people as possible. In order to do that, I have to challenge my assumptions and look for things that I take for granted. Lots to think about!!