I recently did a podcast interview which was like no interview I had done before. We didn’t talk about the psychology of change, or how I became the first person in New Zealand to graduate with a doctorate right out of prison. We didn’t talk about my viewpoints on prison rehabilitation.
In February, I was privileged to share some time with the Chiefs, a professional rugby union team based in Hamilton, New Zealand.
NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ recently ran a feature on the story of Donnell Hughes, who served 20 years in prison for manslaughter and the sale of narcotics. Hughes entered prison at the age of 17 and credits an in prison education program run by Bard College – The Bard Prison Initiative (BPI) – with giving him a college education.
I came across a study run by Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education about what kids think is important, and believe that it highlights the need to teach youth skills like empathy, thoughtfulness and resilience.
How long does it take to form a new habit? In a study from the University College London on modelling habit formation in the real world, it was found that on average, it takes about 2 months (66 days) for a new behaviour to become automatic.
I want to touch on the subject of how you deal with people who insist on seeing themselves in a negative light. It can be a frustrating experience when you find your efforts of encouragement rebuffed. The situation may end in disagreement, the other person may get angry and distant, and it may all lead to you deciding to say nothing more in the future.