Within this context, success varies from one individual to another. What may be meaningful to one individual may not be meaningful to another. One of the main principles learnt in this course is taking personal responsibility. This particular principle is important primarily because it asserts that one holds their life in their own hands. It is up to an individual to take personal responsibility for their lives, as opposed to looking to others to bring positivity into their lives. In specific, Chapter 8 of the course dealt with self-efficacy, optimism, and hope. These three elements are very important in helping an individual to achieve their goals. Self- efficacy deals with personal conviction that one has the capacity to achieve their goals. When one has this confidence, they can take personal responsibility by doing what is necessary in order to achieve their desired results. Optimism involves the nature of an individual not to be easily deterred by adversity. This trait is commonly explained using the half- full/ half- empty glass analogy. In this analogy, an optimist may view a glass filled halfway with water as being half- empty, meaning that they appreciate the fact that the glass has some water, though not fully. On the other hand, a pessimist may view the same glass in negative light, since it is not full. Optimists tend to be happier, since they always see the better side of things. Hope involves the conviction that things will get better, regardless of current conditions, even when everything points to a negative outcome. .
Knowledge of human strengths is another core principle learnt in this course. In specific, this was learnt in Chapter 3. Some of the classifications and measures of human strengths used in the last decade include the The Gallup Themes of Talent, The Values in Action (VIA), The Search Institute's 40 Developmental Assets, and the Clifton Strengths Finder. Within this context, strength is described as an individual's capacity to act on their desires to achieve their desired results.
