ACTEC Trust & Estate Talk Counting Down, Counting Up, Flourishing: Part 2 of 4
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Aug 12, 2025 In this insightful discussion, Steve Akers, managing director and senior fiduciary counsel at Bessemer Trust, delves into how positive psychology enhances estate planning. He emphasizes the importance of counting up rather than down, shifting perspectives on happiness. Akers shares insights from key studies, including the PERMA framework, highlighting the vital role of social relationships in achieving fulfillment. He also addresses sleep's impact on brain health, underlining its relevance in fostering well-being and longevity.
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Positive Psychology’s Founding Shift
- Positive psychology reframes psychology from fixing illness to building human flourishing.
- Martin Seligman launched the field to study what makes life worth living, not just what goes wrong.
Relationships Predict Lifelong Health
- Longitudinal studies show social relationships predict long-term health and flourishing.
- The Harvard study found relationships beat medical tests for predicting reduced disease and cognitive decline.
Brain’s Negative Bias Explained
- The brain encodes negative events more deeply because they demand more processing.
- That negative bias explains why bad experiences often dominate memory and attention.
