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Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence QUOTES

Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence QUOTES

61 " to help our ancestors survive, the brain evolved a negativity bias that makes it like Velcro for bad experiences but Teflon for good ones. "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

62 " Your perspective on the facts—the context in which you place them and the meaning you give them—really shapes your experience of them. In particular, finding positive meaning in negative events, which is called reframing, is helpful for coping and recovery. This is not to suggest that a tough experience is any less painful, or that it is all right for people to mistreat you. My point is that even a horrible event or situation may have some opportunities in it for a positive experience. "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

63 " Your brain is the most important organ in your body, and what happens in it determines what you think and feel, say and do. Many studies show that your experiences are continually changing your brain one way or another. This book is about getting good at changing your brain for the better. "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

64 " The mind (and brain) takes its shape from what it rests upon, and you’re letting it mold itself around the positive experience that you are taking in. "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

65 " well-being becomes increasingly unconditional, "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

66 " Deep down in the emotional memory centers of your brain, imagined experiences build neural structures through mechanisms similar to those that actual, lived experiences use. "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

67 " And even when they do see a jewel, they rarely feel anything about it. Jewel after jewel left behind, lost forever. But it doesn’t have to be this way. With a little intention and skill, you can take some seconds here and there each day to weave a handful of these jewels into the fabric of your brain, your being, and your life. Little moments of ease, pleasure, calm, determination, joy, insight, and caring becoming neural structure. "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

68 " As a father, husband, psychologist, meditation teacher, and business consultant, I’ve learned that it’s what we actually do both inside the mind and out in the world that makes the most difference. "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

69 " Trust yourself. Taking in the good helps you see the good in yourself, and in the world and other people. "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

70 " Liking without wanting is heaven, while wanting without liking is hell. "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

71 " When you notice something good in your experience, gently encourage it to last without trying to hold on to it. Your brain tends to keep looking for something new to want. By repeatedly taking in experiences that you like without tipping into wanting them, you could gradually undo the habit of wanting itself. "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

72 " In effect, the negativity bias is tilted toward immediate survival, but against quality of life, peaceful and fulfilling relationships, and lasting mental and physical health. This is the default setting of the Stone Age brain. If we don’t take charge of it, it will continue to take charge of us. Tilting toward the positive simply levels the playing field. Taking in the good corrects for the two tendencies of the negativity bias: This practice decreases negative feelings, thoughts, and actions while increasing positive ones. And over time, taking in the good can help you experience that your core needs for safety, satisfaction, and connection are finally fully met. "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

73 " It’s quite remarkable to recognize that your awareness in any moment usually contains some positive elements. Unless you’re overwhelmed by something terrible, in your stream of consciousness right now are aspects of the peace, contentment, and love you’ve always wished for. "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

74 " Our ancestors could make two kinds of mistakes: (1) thinking there was a tiger in the bushes when there wasn’t one, and (2) thinking there was no tiger in the bushes when there actually was one. The cost of the first mistake was needless anxiety, while the cost of the second one was death. Consequently, we evolved to make the first mistake a thousand times to avoid making the second mistake even once. "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence

75 " The answer to the question of how to grow good things inside your mind is this: Take in experiences of them. This will weave them into your brain, building up their neural circuits, so you can take them with you wherever you go. "

― Rick Hanson , Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence