Podcast Summary
Practice taking in the good: Intentionally focus on positive experiences to cultivate inner strengths and enhance well-being using the 'have, enrich, absorb, and link' method
To overcome the brain's negativity bias and cultivate inner strengths, we need to actively work on taking in the good. Rick Hanson, a psychologist and author, suggests using a method called "taking in the good" or "mindful cultivation," which involves four steps: have, enrich, absorb, and link. This process helps us make positive experiences "sticky" in our brains, turning them into inner resources and strengths. Despite the brain's natural tendency to focus on negative experiences, the foundation of inner strengths like happiness, love, resilience, and virtue comes from positive experiences. By intentionally practicing this method, we can create a more balanced mental garden and enhance our overall well-being.
Shape your brain with positive experiences: Create and sustain positive experiences to deepen and solidify them in your brain, shaping it for the better.
We have the power to shape our brain by creating and sustaining positive experiences. The brain doesn't form structure like installing songs on an iPad, but more like recording experiences on a cassette recorder or DVR. To make a positive experience a lasting part of our brain, we need to have the experience, sustain it, and then actively install it. This process involves noticing or creating a positive experience, such as kindness towards others, and then deliberately focusing on it to deepen and solidify it in our brain. By taking care of the minutes of our lives, we can create lasting positive changes in our brain structure.
Enrich and absorb positive experiences: To maximize the benefits of positive experiences, intentionally intensify and absorb them, allowing them to shape our minds and foster long-term growth.
To truly benefit from positive experiences and deepen their impact on our brains, we should not only activate them but also enrich them in various ways. The second step of taking in the good involves intensifying the experience by letting it pervade our minds, feeling it multimodally in our bodies, and seeing its novelty. The third step is to absorb the experience by intentionally allowing it to sink in and shape our minds, requiring just a few seconds in ordinary life. In essence, the practice is about having and enjoying positive experiences to their fullest. While we are good at having positive experiences, the key lies in consciously enriching and absorbing them to foster long-term growth and change.
Practicing HEAL to fully absorb positive experiences: HEAL practice helps us absorb positive moments, build inner resources, and deal with challenges by allowing us to fully experience and integrate positivity, focusing on safety, satisfaction, and connection.
While we have the capacity to experience positivity, we often struggle to fully absorb and integrate these experiences into our brains. The practice of HEAL (Have, Enrich, Absorb, LINC) can help us do just that by allowing us to be aware of negative thoughts while experiencing positive ones. This process, known as neuroplasticity, can help soothe and eventually replace negative thoughts with positive ones. It's important to note that this practice is not about positive thinking or looking on the bright side, but rather about allowing ourselves to fully experience and absorb positive moments. By doing so, we can build inner resources and become better equipped to deal with life's challenges. Additionally, our brains have three primary needs: safety, satisfaction, and connection. We can meet these needs through various means, including practicing gratitude, seeking out experiences that heal old pain, and focusing on safety, satisfaction, and connection in our relationships. Ultimately, the practice of taking in the good is essential for our overall well-being and ability to navigate life's ups and downs.
Identifying underlying emotional issues and inner resources for healing: Effective emotional healing requires recognizing underlying issues and focusing on inner resources for growth, rather than relying solely on external rewards or experiences.
Addressing deeper emotional issues requires targeted inner resources rather than just relying on external rewards or positive experiences. For instance, feeling threatened or anxious won't be alleviated by gratitude or praise. Similarly, if you've been hurt in a relationship, getting a promotion or buying a lock for your front door won't fill the void of feeling unloved or mistreated. To effectively cope with emotional challenges, it's essential to identify the underlying issue and the inner resource that would help alleviate it. Once identified, focus on having experiences that foster the growth of this inner resource. This could involve highlighting existing experiences or seeking out new opportunities to strengthen this resource. For example, if you struggle with feelings of inadequacy and loneliness, focus on experiences that make you feel seen, wanted, included, and appreciated. Overall, the key is to recognize that true emotional healing comes from within and requires intentional efforts to cultivate inner resources.
Understanding the root cause of suffering as craving: To reduce craving and end suffering, address the underlying sense of deficit or disturbance by experiencing core needs being met in the present moment
According to the Buddhist model, the root cause of suffering is craving. To reduce craving and ultimately end it, we must address the underlying sense of deficit or disturbance. The extraordinary usage of taking in the good comes into play here, as experiencing our core needs being met in the present moment can help register positive experiences and reduce the basis for craving. This is a challenging task given the evolutionary biology of our organism that survives through craving and suffering, but a crucial step towards ending the cycle of suffering.
Focusing on positive experiences to cultivate inner happiness: Consistently focusing on positive experiences can help eliminate the root cause of cravings and suffering, leading to a foundation of happiness and well-being
By consistently focusing on and internalizing positive experiences, we can cultivate a deep sense of safety, satisfaction, connection, and needs met within ourselves. This profound sense of all rightness and fullness can gradually eliminate the root cause of cravings and suffering. Repeating this process can help us develop a strong foundation of happiness and well-being. In essence, taking in the good can lead to a life free from unnecessary cravings and harm. If you'd like to explore this concept further, consider subscribing to Rick Hanson's podcast and signing up for his free weekly newsletter, "Just One Thing," which offers simple practices to enhance joy, relationships, and inner peace.
