Virtues, Narrative, & Resilience; Key Findings of the Life Paths Project on the Laws of Life Essay and Pathways to Resilience

ways to strengthen character and promote thriving for millennia. In recent years, two avenues have shown promise for these goals: narrative writing and positive psychology. One of the first narrative programs, the Laws of Life Essay, was developed by Sir John Templeton in 1987. For over 25 years, it has been helping middleand high-school students tell their stories and think about their strengths. For the Laws of Life Essay program, students are asked to reflect on their values and to write about them. The Life Paths Research Program conducted the first scientific study of the original Laws of Life program. This report presents a summary of our findings, drawn from numerous scientific papers. Inside you will find information on: 1) The Resilience Portfolio Model. Understanding strengths is the key to showing how narrative & other programs work. 2) New measures that capture many under-studied strengths. 3) The 1st data showing the positive impact of the Laws of Life Essay. 4) Other findings on virtues. Key Findings of the Life Paths Project on the Laws of Life Essay and Pathways to Resilience

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