H+ (Plus) A New Religion?

1. Embrace a Positive Way of Life (H+)

H+ is a way of life that is fully compatible with any other religion or framework: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, etc.

Holistic Positive Living. H+ represents a unique approach to personal development that goes beyond traditional religious or philosophical frameworks. It's not about avoiding sins or following strict rules, but about actively contributing to the world around you. The core philosophy is about recognizing and expanding human potential through positive action.

Key Principles of H+:

• Focus on what you can do, not what you shouldn't do
• Believe in your potential and the potential of others
• Add value to your existing belief system
• Emphasize personal growth through contribution

Inclusive Approach. Unlike many rigid belief systems, H+ allows individuals to maintain their current religious or philosophical beliefs while adding a layer of positive action and personal development. It's a flexible framework that encourages continuous self-improvement and active engagement with the world.

2. Help Others to Help Yourself

You help yourself very directly by helping others.

Contribution as Self-Development. The fundamental principle of H+ is that personal growth comes through helping others. By focusing on making positive contributions, you simultaneously improve your own sense of self-worth and achievement. This approach transforms altruism into a personal development strategy.

Practical Implementation:

• Set daily goals for small helpful actions
• Create a personal "agenda" of positive contributions
• Recognize that helping others is a form of self-improvement
• Develop a mindset of proactive assistance

Psychological Benefits. Helping others creates a powerful feedback loop of personal satisfaction. Each small act of contribution builds self-esteem, creates a sense of achievement, and reinforces a positive personal identity. It shifts focus from self-centeredness to collaborative human potential.

3. Cultivate Happiness Through Action

Happiness is an intended habit – just like dieting. You may fail from time to time, or even most of the time, but you just keep on trying.

Deliberate Happiness. Happiness is not merely a passive state but an active choice that requires intentional cultivation. Unlike the traditional view that happiness is something that happens to you, H+ proposes that happiness can be deliberately developed through specific actions and mindset.

Happiness Strategies:

• Develop thinking skills that provide greater control
• Focus attention on positive aspects
• Learn to adjust to situations while seeking improvement
• Practice directing your mental focus

Thinking as a Happiness Tool. De Bono emphasizes that thinking is a crucial skill for happiness. By learning to change perceptions, solve problems, and understand others, individuals can take charge of their emotional experiences and create more consistent happiness.

4. The Power of Humor and Perception

Humour is a way of cutting the puppet strings that sometimes make us hostage to the world around us.

Humor as a Perception Changer. Humor is more than just entertainment; it's a powerful tool for changing perspectives and reducing emotional rigidity. By learning to laugh and see situations from different angles, individuals can become more flexible and less trapped by limited thinking.

Humor's Psychological Functions:

• Dilutes emotional intensity
• Provides social connection
• Reduces arrogance and certainty
• Enables perception shifting

Lightness of Being. Humor represents an approach to life that doesn't take everything too seriously. It's about maintaining a playful, adaptable mindset that can navigate challenges with grace and creativity, rather than getting locked into single, rigid interpretations.

5. Hope as an Active, Constructive Force

There is hope that, through your own efforts, things will get better.

Hope as Action. Unlike passive hope that relies on external intervention, H+ promotes active hope – a belief that personal effort can create positive change. This approach is particularly crucial for addressing challenges like youth suicide and persistent negative circumstances.

Hope Development Strategies:

• Take personal responsibility for improvement
• Maintain expectation of ultimate success
• View obstacles as temporary challenges
• Contribute to making things better for yourself and others

Psychological Resilience. By framing hope as an active process rather than a passive wish, individuals can develop greater psychological resilience. This approach transforms hope from a feeling into a practical strategy for personal and collective improvement.

6. Health as a Fundamental Human Responsibility

If you are capable of being healthy, it seems careless not to try to be healthy.

Proactive Health Management. H+ views health not as an optional luxury but as a fundamental responsibility. Just as you would maintain a valuable machine, you should invest in maintaining your body and mind as essential tools for contributing to the world.

Health Approach:

• Treat health as a baseline for all other activities
• Recognize that poor health limits your ability to help others
• Make deliberate choices about nutrition, exercise, and well-being
• View health as an ongoing personal project

Holistic Perspective. Health is not just about avoiding illness but about creating optimal conditions for personal performance and contribution. It's an investment in your capacity to engage positively with the world.

7. Pons: Small Acts of Positive Contribution

A pon is a positive sin. That means an action that is helpful, constructive and contributing.

Micro-Contributions Matter. Pons are small, deliberate acts of help that create a cumulative impact. These aren't grand gestures but everyday actions that demonstrate a commitment to positive contribution.

Pon Characteristics:

• Small, spontaneous helpful actions
• Designed to make a tangible difference
• Create a sense of achievement
• Develop a habit of contribution

Personal Development through Action. By consistently performing pons, individuals build a practice of active kindness. This transforms abstract good intentions into concrete, measurable positive actions.

8. Develop a Discipline of Daily Achievement

There is nothing better for self-esteem than achievement.

Consistent Small Wins. Achievement isn't about occasional grand successes but about creating a daily practice of accomplishment. H+ provides a framework for generating consistent small victories that build self-confidence.

Achievement Strategies:

• Set daily contribution goals
• Track and celebrate small accomplishments
• Create accountability through self-imposed penalties
• Focus on process over perfect outcomes

Psychological Reinforcement. By creating a system of daily achievements, individuals develop a positive feedback loop that continuously builds motivation and self-belief.

9. Create a Supportive Community and Organization

Energisers are individuals who put energy into the H+ framework and who provide care and organisation for those who use the framework.

Collaborative Growth. H+ isn't just an individual practice but a potential movement. The framework includes mechanisms for community building, mutual support, and collective development.

Organizational Principles:

• Encourage recruitment and sharing of experiences
• Create supportive networks
• Allow flexible participation
• Provide structure without rigid hierarchy

Community Dynamics. The organization allows for organic growth, with individuals able to become "energisers" who spread the H+ philosophy and support others in their personal development journey.

10. Rituals and Signals of Belonging

Every time you carry out the ritual you are saying to yourself, 'I belong'.

Psychological Significance of Rituals. Rituals provide a sense of discipline, belonging, and commitment. Even seemingly meaningless actions can create powerful psychological connections and reinforce personal identity.

Ritual Functions:

• Create a sense of group identity
• Develop self-discipline
• Provide consistent psychological anchoring
• Signal commitment to a way of life

Symbolic Interaction. The proposed rituals and signals (like the nose-touching gesture) create a sense of community while maintaining individual flexibility.

Last updated: December 23, 2024