Alrighty. Here's a REALLY quick look at a few of my favorite Big Ideas from the PhilosophersNotes on one of my favorite books "The How of Happiness" by Sonja Lyubomirsky. Wow. 10 Minutes goes fast! 
PhilosophersNotes TV
More Wisdom in Less Time
The How of Happiness – Episode #2
141 Responses to The How of Happiness – Episode #2
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Loved the episode! And you were a bit like a fired up TV salesman at moments ("We've got 20 seconds more, how about this..." - and looking pretty serious here
) 
You're selling all those great ideas I can't resist so now I'm off to check out that Note...
hehehehhe. that's hilarious. i was getting all serious as the shot clock was expiring and there was SO much more goodness to explore! too fun. it'll be fun to learn how to navigate the 10 minute shot clock! thx for your support, dom!
bruh... good look. i think you did a great job... especially with the time allotted.
I'm committed to 15-30 minutes of meditation twice a day and working out 3 times a week!
What does the "best self" journal entry look like?
thx, mozart! that time flies!
LOVE your commitments! quick note on that: research shows that when you make specific times for commitments the odds of them getting done go up dramatically (check out the Note on The Power of Full Engagement for that!) (and my personal experience on the meditation: first thing after the morning pee and tooth cleanin' is prime time for meditation! doing it there 95% of the time and ~100% of the time thru the first 100+ days made it stick more easily!
re: the best self journal entry, this is how sonja describes it in the book: “There are many ways to practice optimism, but the one that has been empirically shown to enhance well-being is the original Best Possible Selves diary method. To try it out, sit in a quiet place, and take twenty to thirty minutes to think about what you expect your life to be one, five, or ten years from now. Visualize a future for yourself in which everything has turned out the way you’ve wanted. You have tried your best, worked hard, and achieved all your goals. Now write down what you imagine. This writing exercise in a sense puts your optimistic ‘muscles’ into practice. Even if thinking about the brightest future for yourself doesn’t come naturally at first, it may get there with time and training. Amazing things can come about as a result of writing.”
FUN!
I'm so psyched that you started PN TV with positive psychology!! And I love that I can now get my wisdom on visually as well as by reading and listening to PN's!!
and I'm so psyched YOU'RE so psyched! hmmm... gonna do happy for no reason manana... maybe I should just bust out all the Positive Psych titles first! that'll be fun.
You keep this up...you're gonna need white house aids to organize your fans...I'm really feeling you what you're saying especially today in this here video entry, because I just interviewed Bruce Lipton and Steve Bhaerman authors of Spontaneous Generation and a great psychologist, Henry Grayson earlier today, and you know I'm interviewing Katie Hendricks next week., interviewed the Goddess last week. I'm really feeling the knowledge from the books you've read gaining impetus (the science and psychology) with an intelligence directing your higher purpose with strategies to live better and share value....it's so cool...of course, I'm interviewing you soon....what a stew: people, inspiration, knowledge, science, wisdom...so glad you're blazing this trail...just wanted to say, "I am feeling this process you share...I go Ahaaa!"
hey pauline! thank you!!! so excited to share more and appreciate your kind words!
yayuh!!! thx so much, bro!
keep on rockin and looking forward to connecting soon!
yeah..will do..and an edit on the title...which I joked with Bruce about this afternoon...how my wires get crossed from time to time....which actually is: "Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future and How to get There from Here"
Great info Brian! I love your insight on the science of happiness! Gotta check out your note and get all the info! Keep up the good work and keep it coming! =-)
In Health,
-Brian
awesome!
thx, brian! i think you'll love it and I think I'm gonna kick it off with the first 10 episodes on the positive psych/the science of happiness. that'll be sweet!
hey john! that's AWESOME re: the GratitudeLog posting. it's been so cool for me and i think you'll love it! I've made a 100% commitment to do it for a year straight (with an asterisk for the days I consciously choose to be 100% offline!
and AWESOME (!!!) on the exercise!!! amen. one of the things she says is that the reason exercise outperformed both the zoloft and zoloft + exercise groups is that peeps felt a sense of "*I* did this! I can make myself feel better!" vs. those on the medication who didn't have the same sense of empowerment b/c of the drug. powerful stuff...
really appreciate your kind words and totally fired up to share more!!!
This was great! And I didn't even have to climb on my motorcycle to go to the Yoga Barn. Thanks Brian!
hehehehhehe
you rock, robin!
smiling imagining you and your beautiful self rolling up on the moped!
love and hugs!
Thanks Brian, your enthusiasm is contagious & your notes are like movie trailers for the books!
Hey would it help if you had a timer widget on the screen instead of you announcing it every so often?
hey dilip!
thx for the kind words and ideas! i just recorded 4 more before i head out for 5 days and i think i am figuring out how to chillax on the timing issue!
This is AWESOME!! So excited to see the next one! xoxo
thx, darlin!
it a very good motivation i a m expecting more from you Brain
thx, shepherd!
Hey Bri, Dude! I'm loving the new look and feel of this segment of your journey. Everything is looking so bright, I actually didn't think you could top yourself but you did. AWESOME man! Peace and Namaste brother. Alvin
wow. thx, alvin!!!
big hug and a deep bow with a big smile.
Brian - It was SO good to have an opportunity to see you in person- leveraging video is going to ROCK your world. I love watching you communicate not only your vast knowledge, but your enthusiasm! It's absolutely addicting! So happy to have been able to witness your progression with Philosopher's Notes...since you were in Bali to now! Keep it up!!!!!
huge smile and thx, ash!!
so excited to share all that's in store and really appreciate your support!
Wow, 10 minutes goes quick when you're interested. Brilliant idea in giving us a shot of wisdom in 10 minutes. Now, there's no excuse for lack of enlightenment. Thanks for sharing the wealth of your knowledge.
The practice I am going to take up is posting my daily top 5 to GratitudeLog.com (I hope you don't mind if I copy your format.)
& Let me VOUCH for exercise vs antidepressants! I just lost 40lbs. in 6 months and have added a significant amount of muscle and strength. Like medicine, you have to keep up with it, but exercise/training is so much more integral in how it positively effects many areas of your life vs. simply applying a psycho-pharmaceutical fix.
Great episode and cheers to Happiness. This may just be the "True North" to which we can set our intentional compass.
Hi Brian, thanks for the wisdom.
It´s an inspiration to see somebody with so much purpose and energy. And for me it is really useful to have some sore of curation on all these wisdom books. Because there´s so much outhere, so thanks again!
On the constructive side: I thinks that you are mentioning the 10 minutes issue to many times in the notes. That would liberate a minute or maybe two for more explaining.
Anyway, cheers from Chile
thx so much for the kind words and great feedback. i know, huh?!? i was a little out of control with the timing. hehehe. i think i chillaxed on it a bit in the last few i just recorded!
big hugs from ojai, CA!
OMG! Amazing first Episode on one of the 100 Notes. Super inspiring. These Episodes are an awesome complement to the 100 Notes which I love having on my iPhone. Truly powerful. Super excited to see your future episodes.
I could not agree more about the power of expressing daily gratitude. Sooooooo simple and yet so powerful. Truly the fastest way to raise your happiness set point by 25% and it is scientifically proven! Fun!
If you want to follow Brian on GratitudeLog, you can find him here:
http://www.gratitudelog.com/brianjohnson
I love reading your daily list of the top 5 things that you are grateful for each day. Makes it so much easier to stick to this habit when you have someone like Brian lead the way!
yayuh!!
go gratitude log!!!!
big hugs, bro!
Awesome stuff. Telling all my friends about this. So excited to be part of this launch.
dood! you guys rock and I'm giddy to be creating together!
bug hug and a high five for your inspiration to bring mind valley into the world!
Wow. I am stunned with how impressed I am with what you're doing. I received SO much value out of that 10 minute clip! Your enthusiasm is incredible and the information inspiring. Thank-you! What a gift your work is providing for the world.
wow! thx, kat!!!
gave me tears in my eyes!
sending a huge hug and lots of love and appreciation!
I totally agree with exercise's positive effect on happiness. Exercise releases endorphins in the brain that promotes happiness. I'm not so sure about "tickling yourself" though. I thought it is not possible to get the same effect when tickling oneself as when someone else tickles you.
cool on the exercise! i was kinda joking with the tickling yourself and agree it's far better when someone else does it for us, huh!?
Brian!! How awesome! I must now read the book. I'm already working on most of these. So can you touch on #8 which was increasing flow experiences? Thank you
thx, donna!! i'm gonna touch on that when I do the episode on Flow within the next 10 days! fun. !:)
Yo Brian. great stuff bro. Lovin' the TV vibe. Crushinator!
1 thing? gratitude practice.
love,
jayson
hehehe. thx, bro! to gratitude and crushinators!
Thank you so much for your wisdom, compassion and love, Brian!
"50% of happiness is genetics."
That's true. But here's the good news:
Newsweek: DNA & personality is not destiny. It can change.
http://www.newsweek.com/id/170381
(That means we can potentially change that 50%!)
2. Surround yourself with happy people. Your social circle shapes your brain, cells and even DNA. (Credit: Dr. Goleman, Social Intelligence.)
3. Your friend's happiness will increase yours by 15%. In fact, it will even increase your friend's friends happiness too.
Got more on my twitter http://twitter.com/BriceRoyer
With love and compassion,
Brice
awesome, bryce! thx for sharing!
i thought that 50% already being under our control was phenomenal news to begin with!
Hey Brian, Love the shows. My number one must do action item for happiness and the hardest is goals. I know I need them, but all my goals seem quite intrinsic. I want to be the best me I can be (bla bla). I don’t have definitive actionable steps to take. Know any go resources?
awesome, rob!
can you define your intrinsic goals in more detail?
it's my favorite episode so far
Wow! Brian, I love this!! This really validates a lot of the work that we're doing with parents and the studies of Daniel Siegel and the brain. What I'm learning (and teaching) with parents is that we are actually 'brain sculptors' for our children, especially in the first five-six years of their lives. So, what you're saying here gets me so jazzed, because I just think about how we are really affecting the future of our kid's happiness levels by our own happiness levels and what we are modeling for our children.
Ok, i could go on and on....thanks for this!! Especially the gratitude log. I'm once again inspired to do it as a daily practice. I've been popping on and off of it at times
Lovin' the shows! Keep up the awesomely inspiring work!!
brian for me, I have 2 bookmarks for happiness... 1) Who I AM 2) Who I AM Becoming. namaste bryan
Brian, Please go back to your previous format, or at least continue it. I get no added value from seeing you talking, or drinking your coconut milk, or worrying about how much time you have left. I often cut an past things you write into email I pass on to friends (always citing the source of course). I would not want to send someone one of your 10 minute video's that has 10 seconds of what I think is useful insight) Thanks for your taling about "the how of happiness" That I like.
TS
T.S. imagine starting a long cherished dream. Imagine how excited you are. I would bet that's exactly what Brian is feeling about his new TV venture.
Leave him be to be, do and drink whatever he wants. You would want the same respect if it were your dream.
thx, linda!! i appreciate your support and definitely excited!
hey TS. thanks for the feedback! I've got 600 pages of content in the Notes and decided it was time to try a new format, so here we are. sorry to hear you're disappointed with the change, but hope you reconsider. I promise not to worry about the 10 minutes and hope to deliver more than 10 seconds of value.
Brian I like your new format and I've been watching every episode. I do, however, realize that I am not an auditory learner. So, I listen but it doesn't stick in my brain. I too used to cut, paste, and forward your old version format to friends, co-workers, and family. I won't give up on the new format. I think I need to re-read, "Who Moved My Cheese." ; )
Where can I get a copy of the twelve Happiness Activities, other than buying the book?
we have the Note here, lincoln: http://www.philosophersnotes.com/titles/the-how-o...
(and i think you'd love the book!
we have the Note here, lincoln: http://www.philosophersnotes.com/titles/the-how-o...
(and i think you'd love the book!
I loved this, thank you! My recipe for happiness is exercising in the mornings, cooking lunch and dinner (not eating out) and gratitude. As long as I have these 3 things in my day, I feel amazing. When they get neglected I feel the shift in my energy during the week and the ego creeps in. So grateful that I found my happiness groove.
love it! amazing how nourishing it is to honor our rituals and how easily we can fall out of rhythm, huh?!? thx for sharing and her's to happiness grooves!
Wow! I don't know where this email came from...just showed up in my inbox. I'm really glad it did. Things I do to create happiness for myself are; practice a grateful attitude, give of myself to others, foster positive relationships, meditation and last but very important is that I am always learning new things which keeps my mind active, creates a sense of wonder and joy in being.
awesome, russ!!! thx for sharing and thrilled you dug it!
love the video format - and great note. i'm really enjoying learning the "science of happiness." fascinating.
thx, frank! i LOVE the science of happiness, too! we'll be doing all positive psych from #2-#15! should be fun.
Excellent! Will be looking forward to each episode.
awesome! excited to hear and thx for sharing, marc!
What does increase flow experiences mean? Would be great if you got a Mic but great job regardless.
hey nerd! we're gonna talk about that more when we do this book: http://www.philosophersnotes.com/titles/flow
i have a top of the line mic (like $600) but i'm in a huge room with hardwood floors. think i need to move to a small carpeted room. d'oh! also, when I turn down the volume, the echo goes away for me! thx for the feedback!
This is incredibly helpful. Thank you so much for doing these videos, and for creating and maintaing your website and your inspiration
thx, verica!! i appreciate your kind words and I'm excited to share so much more in 2010 and beyond!
Rock on Brian! Glad to see your face. Your presence is the transmission.
thx for the awesome words, michael. much appreciated and excited to share more!
like your episode 2 very much. i'm a big skeptic and a bit of a cynic. i like that there's scientific evidence to back up the claims in 'the how of happiness' (though i have not yet verified them myself). it makes it easier for me to take seriously. i would really like to hear you summarize a book that deals with suffering and our shadow aspects and how to work with that.
hey ana: i'm gonna do positive psych/science of happiness books from #2-#15 and hope you enjoy. and we'll be doing shadow stuff in various episodes (including debbie: ford's "dark side of the light chasers": http://www.philosophersnotes.com/titles/the-dark-...
hope you enjoy and thx for sharing!
Boy, when spirituality with science started working for me it blew me away, permanently. I hope you get all these ideas going. We may just have evolved to this point from millions of years, but when it happens, it happens rather quickly. We are into a whole new mindset for the world. I wouldn't miss it for anything. Of course I pick and choose what I like, but I have never seen so much in one place. I'm pumped. It looks like we can practically download an education into the brain real fast, shortcutting a lifetime of learning. The next step is to attach electrodes to the brain, I'm sure.
Thank you Brian!!! The NEW Philosophers Notes ROCKS !!!
Great to finally meet you in person in Ubud earlier this year and I enjoyed our conversations!!!
Congratulations on the new site, the new multimedia content and taking it to a whole new level.
Cheers ... Ben
thx, ben!!! appreciate your kind words and giddy to share more!
cheers and big hugs!
-bri
not kidding, when the video froze at 0:00 i said out loud, "that was fun!" looking forward to more! thanks!
heheheh. we aim to please. too funny. did it start on reload?!?
A few years ago, I wrote everyday in a book to myself five things I was happy about that happened in my life - and I remember being VERY happy at the time. Thanks for the nudge to get back on track - I am now committed to your friends website the Gratitude Log. Thank you Brian
..also, a trackback for you of some of the other practices I am working on and have shared with my readers.. http://www.robin-ann.com/2009/12/you-control-40-t...
awesome, robin!!! and thx for sharing the link!
That's awesome! Excited to hear that you jumped on board the gratitude train and are now part of "The Happiest Place on the Internet" (http://www.GratitudeLog.com). You can easily ride this train to raise your happiness set point by 25%. fun
go GratitudeLog!!!
Great video Brian. The growth edge practices for me would be committing to goals and increasing FLOW experiences. My thought is that doing the former will lead to the latter. So here we go.
awesome, jim!
Awesome information & you're right...ten minutes went by fast. This is fantastic. So happy you are doing this.
Technical notes: Too much echo in the background. Need to put something up to absorb the sound.
hey grace:
thx for your kind words and I'm gonna be moving to a room with carpeting for better sound!
I didn't think that the echo was too bad, but the carpet may be awesome.
that was fantastic, a great breakdown. Gratitude lists are a fabulous tool, they completely change my attitude. I also liked the advice on not ruminating about bad things. My uncle really upset me earlier in the year (or I let him) and the same thing happened again the other day and I thought I am going to do this differently this time as I really don't want to waste all that precious energy on being upset - I need to look it a different way. Amazing. Love it. Looking forward till tomorrow. Imogen
hey imogen! thx for the kind words and thx for sharing!! fantastic,
As suggested by Brian, I'm noting here a few practices that have increased my happiness levels....
1) Acquire an Attitude of Gratitude.
2) Make Clear Agreements.
Both of these are helping me to simplify my life & relationships & thus my happiness level.
3) Repeating silently to myself the following, when I find my internal self-talk becoming negative around someone that rubs me up the wrong way - I'm Sorry; Please Forgive me; Thank You; I Love You.
GG
powerful stuff, garry! thx for sharing!
I am going to express gratitude, upon waking, for having my soul returned to me...and express the intent and purpose of my life/day, Cheers.
awesome, raphael! (and great to see you here!)
I'm captivated by the authenticity that you radiate, Brian.
I am grateful that a friend sent me the link to your site today, and intend to share it.
Contributions like this should go viral!
I'm going to commit to connect to you on gratitude.log and write down what I will be grateful for each day for a month....and then we'll see.
I chose this because:
1 I believe that it will serve me in cultivating a sense of happiness. If you ask someone off the street what
he/she is grateful for, they may be at a loss to answer - if only because they are not used to considering it,
and the question requires thought.
By putting out there that I will write down each day what I will have been grateful for, my radar instantly is
optimized to locate and take note of things that that I encounter, which instill me with gratitude.
2. I'm sure that reading other entries on gratitude.log will inspire me further.
Hi Jack. You brilliantly captured what GratitudeLog.com is all about. Thrilled to have you join the happiest place on the Internet.
thanks for your kind words and AWESOME on GratitudeLog!!!
To radiant gratitude!
I think Philosophers Notes is pure dead brilliant - and to have access to such wisdom 10 minutes at a time is genius too. I wrote down the 5 Steps to Greater Happiness that you shared here and will more actively apply them. Thank you!
thx, sally!!!
and awesome!!
Some of the notes are really great. I read a series, one on the 50 great psychology classics and another on the great spiritual classics. I never would have learned so much in a couple of books. I never had, for all my study in these areas, so this is really great, greater even, because it is from all areas and Brian is pretty savy. I see Philosophers Notes as going around the world somehow, and changing everything. Am I hallucinating?
Brian; friend, mentor, and guide, thank you for a truly worthy video presentation. Mystical traditions, and the grounded understanding achieved, are the documented and practiced achievements of highly disciplined practitioner. Clearly you recognize and acknowledge the directed effort necessary to provoke and actualize a shift in awareness sufficient to entertain the ability to perceive and actualize meaningful life changes. Real change requires hard work. You provide the material necessary to engage, explore and confront the specific elements that can lead to mindfulness and genuine self-awareness.
thank you and amen, john!
I'm also not an auditory learner. But as soon as you started saying something that "clicked" with me, I started making notes (just as well there's a pause button so I could write all the 12 happiness activities. True, it's less available to me as I've not got access most of the day, but I'm gonna stick with it.
That's a great idea! I'm going to try it! Thank you ; )
Really enjoyed this. The activities I'm committed to introducing to my life: 1) expressing gratitude/appreciation (I have a problem with the word gratitude but appreciation I like), probably when in the shower; 2) avoiding overthinking (boy do I do that a lot)
love it, julie!! esther and jerry hicks prefer appreciation, too!
amazing how easy it is to do #2, huh?!? (um, that came out wrong but I think you know what I mean.
I think gratitude comes from the word free, without cost. Everything we have is sort of a gift, our life, talents, health. If we are industrious, it's really a gift. Not everyone can do that, have that feeling or be inspired, even if they want to. I never liked the saying, you can be as happy as you want to be. I found that you can be as happy as you know how to be. It's more a skill that can be taught and learned, but not everyone even knows that. Somehow the information gets through to some people, while others, like myself, take 65 years to figure it out and then it came as a revelation, I guess when I decided to spend the rest of my life in service to people. When I think about it, I can usually see how everything came to me as a free gift, even the desire to work hard.
I guess I don't know the fine distinction you are making about gratitude, because it seems I don't know everything. Who knew? But I know that if I start counting my deficits the list gets infinite and immobilizing. Being thankful for what I do have is not an option for me or my negativity takes over and it's a hard taskmaster with no gain in it.
I don't like my comment. It sounds judgmental. I know that most all words have a negative and a positive meaning. I was just sharing my positive meaning, but I just don't know the negative one and I'm to tired to think, let alone comment or be alert enough not to comment. LOL Sorry about that.
I had another thought. Science and my intuition are also telling me that our deficits are also a free gif?. I would like to give them away.
I think gratitude comes from the word free, without cost. Everything we have is sort of a gift, our life, talents, health. If we are industrious, it's really a gift. Not everyone can do that, have that feeling or be inspired, even if they want to. I never liked the saying, you can be as happy as you want to be. I found that you can be as happy as you know how to be. It's more a skill that can be taught and learned, but not everyone even knows that. Somehow the information gets through to some people, while others, like myself, take 65 years to figure it out and then it came as a revelation, I guess when I decided to spend the rest of my life in service to people. When I think about it, I can usually see how everything came to me as a free gift, even the desire to work hard.
holy cow! i am on the hunt to regain my health, and i think i have found it in your site. i am going to invite all my husband's staff to join this site. can't wait!! wait till my friends and relatives see what i have found . . . you are talking about all the things that i am realizing are important!! i don't know how i am going to get to sleep now . . .
hehehe!
well that is one of the coolest comments ever!! thx, globalkris!!!
*thrilled* you're diggin' it and so excited to share everything we've got in store in 2010!!
hmmm.... very slick listening to. but a little tony robbins ish, personal power stuff. etc. and not sure why "scientific" proven is so great, since the yogis have been doing this stuff for 5000 thousand years without labs of white coats validating
fair enough, jonathan.
i dunno, tho. isn't it pretty cool to be able to scientifically establish that meditation (my #1 practice, thank you, yogis!
, gratitude, optimism, goal setting, exercise and other behaviors significantly increase our levels of happiness?!? i definitely think so!
I've also created Notes on the old school classics like the bhagavad gita, the dhammapada, aurelius' meditations, the tao te ching, confucious' analects, etc. i'll prolly do those next. wanted to start with the scientifically proven stuff and then trace it all the way back.
LIVE WITH PASSION!!!
(just kidding with that last part
Wel, you're right. We seem to think everyone else in history are cavemen. I think it's a projection. We are the cavemen. I always quote science too. It's because I have this idea that people don't believe anything else anymore and they don't even believe that.
I love the way you explain the authors view of happiness. It is very interesting to know that forty percent of our happiness is in our control. I'm glad to know that exercise can alter the mood of depression. Staying around positive people and doing positive things will help keep you in that mood longer also. Staying away from toxic people will help keep you away from depression. In a long run staying happy will keep you n good health. This is very good. i try to do all these things.
Thank You very much
thx, chiquita! powerful stuff, huh?!?
here's to an amazing 2010!
as a big "over-thinker" I would LOVE to get some tips from you
seeing the first episode I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight,want to see the rest of them right away!
hehehehe.
thrilled you dug it!
you might like this one if you're "over-thinking" sometimes becomes worry! http://tv.philosophersnotes.com/109/how-to-stop-w...
Really inspiring 10 minutes. Positive motivation service to humanity.
Thanks a lot. God Bless You
thx, jose!!!
Aloha genius people! Brian thank you. My top three Happiness actions are now 1/ Expressing Gratitude 2/ Practicing Acts of Kindness 3/ Increasing Flow experiences ...already love all three, they will be easy and it was so funny to hear that she recommends our doing the three that pump us up rather thatn the ones we think we should do RIGHT AFTER I had already starred the ones I thought I SHOULD do. hahaha busted! You do reaize that your efforts are putting the consciousness movement on the Super Bullet Train?!
hehehe. NICE!!
busted. too funny.
and laughing at the super bullet train. yayuh!
Bri, I love your enthusiasm! It's absolutely addicting! Amazing. Love it.
Lovin' the shows! Glad to see your face. I'm captivated by the authenticity that your presence radiate!
Happy times!
thx, cara!!!
love and hugs and happy times!
-bri
I started a gratitude journal with my children. Each night they were required to sit down with me for 1 minute and tell me what they were grateful for, what good thing(s) happened to them during the day, and tell me about an opportunity they found to do a random act of kindness for someone. At first they were grouchy about doing this, but it wasn't long before they actually looked forward to our discussions. It was amazing to me how their attitude changed from one of selfishness to one of selflessness. Expressing gratitude and counting blessings instead of dwelling on the problems of the day has created more peace and happiness in my home.
WOW!
that is awesome and something I look forward to doing with our kids when we have em!
thx so much for sharing, jill!
-bri
Hi Jill...I LOOOOVE this idea. I myself begin my day with a "gratitude log", however, the idea of sitting down with my daughter (7) and having her participate in this exercise is fantastic. One of those "why didn't I think of that" moments. Thank you for sharing it. I think children and young adults today are as a whole entitled and selfish. Connected through electronics and products of busy households they miss out on human interaction and aren't grateful for the thinks they feel they are entitled to. It is easier for working, stressed out and busy parents to appease them through phones and internet rather than through good ole fashioned parenting done through spending time and discussing important issues...like being grateful. Thanks again!!
Dear Brian,
If this is your 'job' I'm so glad you are doing what you love. You help me not to 'give up'. You keep me inspired.
I do go to therapy. But I confess, this helps me identify so I can 'graduate' sooner. This electronic interaction is like therapy to me. Like does attract like. I really enjoy sharing positive progress. Don't let the new found popularity
overwhelm you.
hey clarke: thx for your comment! i'm thrilled that this is my job/calling and I'm thrilled you're enjoying it!
Dear Brian, Thank you for this amazing Philosophers Note.It give me so much courage and Hope towards my life.
that's wonderful, parameshwari! thx for sharing and sending lots of love!
-bri
It's so true that we get nothing for nothing. The worse condition we are in the harder we have to work at dropping negative words, phrases and thoughts. But the reward is more than just happiness, but also increased thinking ability, problem solving insights, intuitions and I even got into dream interpretation and interpreting those little visualization we get all day. This is interesting. In remembering an event, I can see an overlay the mind puts on it, symbols that tell more about the event than you noticed at the time, the category the mind put it in and lessons from it. We are so flooded with input daily, that we screen most of it out, even when it's important. For instance, a million signals a second come up our spine to the brain, but only about 8 or 10 get through. We screen again as to what we let into our consciousness with now mostly forgotten screens from the past. Advertisers know how to talk directly to our subconscious. If we don't see our own minds, then they can have a field days. Perhaps most interesting, though, is that 99% of the brain thinks in images and symbols. If we ask it, it translates them into words and even diagrams. In other words we can talk to ourselves, but everybody knows that. What psychologists seem to miss is that the mind will tell you how it works and it is truly amazing how it can calculate what it doesn't know from what it does and fill in the blanks. Vision logic, with our usual logic, is an awesome combination.
actions I'm taking based on this episode: 1. exercise - I've registered for a yoga retreat next month, 2. gratitude - started a gratitude journal where I write 5 things I'm grateful for each night before I go to bed, then focus my intentions on restful sleep and remaining grateful and at peace in my dreams. Thank you~!!
awesome, charlyce!
1. mm...?
Dear Brian, Thank you so much! You are awesome. It's really helping me to hear you. I especially like how once you were talking about attainable, realistic goals. For some reason I just try for the best, all the time, in everything. It's really helping to to think in terms of loving progress, and encouragement now. Peace!
This is absolutely great, Brian!!! Thank you sooo much for sharing! I love this entire concept of Philosopher's Notes! Great work!
New member here. Spectacular site Brian!
The How of Happiness sounds like a book I will really enjoy. Whats better than learning scientifically proven ways to increase our happiness?
Thank your for this amazing site (I especially love the videos)! I look forward to watching all your video summaries.
Keep up the great work!
thx, ed!!!
I really love the 12 Happiness Activities from this book. The 2 activities that really resonate with me right now at this time in my life are 1. expressing gratitude and 4. practicing acts of kindness
An awesome video. Most of us could use more happiness in our lives. I like the ideas you noted to increase our happiness. I joined the gratitude log immediately and plan to visit it daily. Keep up the good work.
In those 12 activities I could recognize many of them in accordance with jainism .Like-meditating (dhyan) ,exercising (yog) ,learning to forgive (kshama) ,committing to your goals (vrat).