HAPPINESS / POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY Happiness is Easier than You Think – In Fact it is WHAT YOU THINK You don’t have to go far to find prescribed ways, programs or courses, spiritual practices and new-age approaches claiming to be the ticket to happiness. Some of them give the secret away for free, others you have to pay for the privilege of utilizing the wisdom of their secret to happiness. But there is another way. Of course there is, and you knew it was coming. But this is not a new way to happiness, it is as old as the oldest spiritual traditions we have records for. It is even supported in many ways by some of the more popular paradigms today, particularly neuroscience. So what is this neurologically supported secret to happiness with ancient spiritual roots? Simple, change the way you think, think about thinking and lean towards OPTIMISM. 1. YOU are what you THINK 2. YOU can CHANGE how YOU Think 3. Meditation, Metacognition (thinking about thinking) and Optimism Facilitate Brain/Mind/Thinking Changes Martin Seligman, one of the fathers of the Positive Psychology movement, has been contributing a great deal to our understanding of happiness for more than 20 years now. “Optimism is invaluable for the meaningful life. With a firm belief in a positive future you can throw yourself into the service of that which is larger than you are.” (Martin Seligman) Happiness is not so much something you DO or LEARN, it is more about what you DON’T do and what you UN-learn. Moving past patterned and socially or media-reinforced ways of thinking. Changing the way you think about yourself, your place in the world and your relationships with others. To coin a popular cliche, learning to look at the world as a glass of water half full and not half empty. Sounds too simple to be true doesnt it? Well think about it this way. It does and has worked for millions, probably billions of people across millennia. It is free, and there are no risks to trying. What have you got to lose? Start thinking about thinking, change the way you think and above all else… “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” (Bobby McFerrin) “…the capacity to “learn, unlearn, and relearn” emotional behaviors and psychological patterns is, indeed, a form of existential literacy.” (Maria Popova) “…the extreme individualism and ambition our society worships has created a culture in which the fear of failure dictates all.” (Maria Popova) “Pessimists can in fact learn to be optimists, and not through mindless devices like whistling a happy tune or mouthing platitudes…but by learning a new set of cognitive skills.” (Martin Seligman) “Teaching children learned optimism before puberty, but late enough in childhood so that they are metacognitive (capable of thinking about thinking), is a fruitful strategy.” (Martin Seligman) #positivepsychology #martinseligman #transpersonalpsychology #happiness #meditation click-to-read-mo.re/p/3Voz
Posted on: Sat, 09 Nov 2013 16:58:38 +0000
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