In his book Sapiens , Dr. Yuval Noah Harari explains that at one point, there were more than just Homo sapiens roaming the Earth ¹. In fact, there were likely as many as six different types of humans in existence: Homo sapiens, Homo neanderthalensis, Homo soloensis, Homo erectus, etc. self-sufficiency is just a precursor to happiness. It is the foundation. It is crucial, but it is not the connectedness on which human beings thrive." They’ve developed enough stamina and awareness to know that all things, even the worst, aretransitory.

Brianna 's writing style is very engaging and easy to read. The way it is written is very encouraging and supportive, which makes it easy to feel like you have a friend who is there to help you through tough times. Honestly the way all of the essays force you into introspection is astonishing. All of the essays are very impactful and inspiring. In a more cerebral context, if you consciously learn to regard the problems in your life as openings for you to adopt a greater understanding and then develop a better way of living, you will step out of the labyrinth of suffering and learn what it means to thrive. Honestly, the book is very well-written and covers a wide range of topics that are relevant to many people. The essays are very thought-provoking and offer a lot of practical advice for dealing with everyday challenges and struggles.The essays are also very well-organized and easy to navigate, which makes it easy to find the information you need. The essays are very short and easy to read and understand as well. Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience. 2008. Harper Perennial Modern Classics.They don’t immediately deny criticism, or have such a strong emotional reaction to it that they become unapproachable or unchangeable. These are the same people who have communicated to us some of the longest-standing conventional wisdom: that to believe is to become, that the mind is to be mastered, that the obstacle is the way ². Often, our most intense discomfort is what precedes and necessitates thinking in a way we have never conceived of before. That new awareness creates possibilities that would never exist had we not been forced to learn something new. Why did our ancestors develop agriculture, society, medicine, and the like? To survive. The elements of our world were once just solutions to fears.

It’s easy to identify the monoculture of Germany in the 1930s or America in 1776. It’s clear what people at those times, in those places, accepted to be good and true even when in reality, that was certainly not always the case. Some of the most difficult people to be in relationships with are those who are so threatened by even the slightest suggestion that their behavior is hurtful that they actually end up getting angry at the person suggesting it, reinforcing the problem altogether. Socially intelligent people listen to criticism before they respond to it—an immediate emotional response without thoughtful consideration is justdefensiveness. You assume that when it comes to following your gut instincts, happiness is good and fear and pain are bad. You think your past defines you, and worse, you think that it is an unchangeable reality when really, your perception of it changes as you do. Because experience is always multi-dimensional, there are a variety of memories, experiences, feelings, “gists” you can choose to recall…and what you choose is indicative of your present state of mind. Eric Greitens says that there are three primary forms of happiness: the happiness of pleasure, the happiness of grace, and the happiness of excellence."

Your brain can only perceive what it’s known, so when you choose what you want for the future, you’re actually just recreating a solution or an ideal of the past. When things don’t work out the way you want them to, you think you’ve failed only because you didn’t re-create something you perceived as desirable. In reality, you likely created something better, but foreign, and your brain misinterpreted it as “bad” because of that. (Moral of the story: Living in the moment isn’t a lofty ideal reserved for the Zen and enlightened; it’s the only way to live a life that isn’t infiltrated with illusions. It’s the only thing your brain can actually comprehend." 2. The PSYCHOLOGY of DAILY ROUTINE