How Happiness Does Work
The ability to be happy comes from
the
neocortex, the higher brain that is
the site of
reason, intellect, long-term memory,
and the
human spirit. This is the part of the
brain that
has the power to override the fear
centers in
the brain stem and amygdala and say, “no,
calm down, everything is ok.” It has the keys
to becoming happy.
The way we’re wired, it’s impossible to
concentrate on fear and love at the same time.
They’re incompatible. So by using the
neocortex to focus on love, we can override the
fear messages of the lower brain. Specifically,
by focusing on appreciation, generosity,
personal choice, and simply doing things that
are meaningful, we can make ourselves happy.
Not a bogus facade of pretend happiness
where we go around acting happy even though
we’re not—real, true happiness.
Luckily, we don’t have
let them
rule our lives—we have other brain
parts that
can override them
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