Ernest G. Olson, BA, MS, LA, Ph.D.
Dr. Olson holds a
Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, is an author, popular
speaker, and longtime educator. Now, a
California State University professor emeritus, he has expanded his role
as speaker, author, and consultant. He
is a founding consultant with GATE Educational Consultation Services located in
Beijing, China, as well as adjunct professor in design at the International
Academy of Design and Technology in Sacramento, CA. He also conducts in-service training and
gives motivational presentations to business, educational, and public interest
organizations. Trained as both a
behavioral scientist and a graphic artist, he weds these seemingly diverse
disciplines into a highly entertaining, creative, and uplifting series of
workshops and presentations. His diverse background includes certifications in Traditional Chinese Therapies from the Berkeley Acupressure Institute, as well as Legal Assisting Certification from the University of California, Davis. In his spare time he writes kayaks, swims, writes novels and draws cartoons.
| Books and Publications
In my teaching, research, and writing, I have focused on understanding the role of joy and happiness in one's development and personal growth. In each of the following books, in one way or another, I follow that theme:
- Personal Growth and Development Through
Leisure (Kendall Hunt)
- Perspectives on Leisure (Kendall Hunt)
- Optimal Performance Zone: A Place Where
Everything is Better (along with Wayne Bennett, a TeamWorx Publication).
(For a free download go to the Bookd and Publications page.)
- Metaphorical Interactive Games for the
Classroom (OPZ Publications). (For a free download, go to the Books and Publications page.)
- How to Hang Loose in an Uptight World.
(Out of print, but the message is still relevant).
Novels: I’m constantly looking for ways to stimulate
both hemispheres of my brain. As you may
know, there is a great amount of literature that supports the idea that exercising
the brain is just as important as exercising the body. Fiction writing seemed to be a good way to
exercise both the creative side of my brain as well as the more serious
analytical side. My novel writing
began with an entrée into the 57 word novel contest sponsored by the Sacramento News and Review. I found it so much fun that I just kept
writing, and now I’ve completed four unpublished novels. I’m happy to share them with you if you have
an interest in the musings of an amateur, recreational writer. Visit Books and Publications to meet
Chesterfield Belton Oldenberger
professor of botany and creater of occasional chaos (3 books,) along
with other literary recreational musings.
Workshops and
Speeches
I once told my daughter I was soon to give a motivational speech, she
replied, “You aren’t a motivational speaker, you are a redirectional speaker,
you direct people back to fundamental truths they already know but may have
forgotten or stopped practicing.” She was right.
I have been a commencement and college speaker, keynote speaker, and conducted a host of workshops. Here are
some of the topics on which I can speak and/or conduct workshops. For Conferences, Corporations, and Organizations:
- Humor in the Workplace Works
- De-Stressing the Distress
- How to Hang Loose in an Uptight World
- Finding and Staying in the OPZ (The Optimal
Performance Zone)
- Peak Performance in the Classroom (Teacher
or Student Editions)
- Using Humor and Games to Make Learning Fun
- Motivating OPZ Behavior in the Classroom
- The ABC’s of Creativity in the Arts
- Acupressure for Couples
- Qi and the OPZ
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