In The Optimism Bias Dr. Tali Sharot, from University College London, discusses our natural tendency to overestimate the likelihood of experiencing positive events in our lives in the future, and to underestimate the likelihood of negative events occuring in our lives.

The book is written from her perspective as a neuroscientist’s and therefore she explores this bias as it appears in our brain function, looking at the biological aspects of our thought patters – optimism and pessimism.

Our memories are far from being accurate…

In her early studies, Sharot asked participants to recall past memories. We may be aware of the inaccuracies in our memory – and this was perhaps no surprise for Sharot to discover that our recollections are indeed inaccurate.

However, Sharot went a step further. Using brain imaging technology, she found that the areas in the brain that are engaged when we remember events from the past – are the same areas in the brain that are engaged when we think about the future. Recollection, she claims, is very much a reconstructive process, more like story telling, rather than a video-rerun of past experiences. It is thus susceptible to inaccuracies.

Sharot went on to record people’s brain activity when they imagined everyday future events. What she discovered was that the majority of people had pleasant scenarios in their minds, of rather routine and dull future events.

She then found that most people expect more positive than negative or neutral events to take place in the future. They also expected those positive events to take place sooner rather than later. This made her question whether this natural bias towards optimism is related to our brain structure.

We are biased towards optimism

She conducted her research in 3 countries – UK, USA and Israel. All of them provided similar results: it seems that hard-wired for optimism.

Building on the research of other psychologists she argues that optimism in effect serves an evolutionary purpose: those positive expectations of the future, seem to enhanced the probability of survival.

Evidently, optimism is not productive if it is overdone. It can have grave outcomes. If we cannot realistically predict what will happen in the future, and are not well prepared to the challenges of life – we may not be able to handle them when they occur.

Nevertheless, Sharot claims that optimism is functional. It can protect us from becoming depressed and hopeless about the future. It can reduce stress and fear, hightening motivation and inclination to take action.

Sharot argues that there are parts in our brain that give us the capacity to imagine ourselves in the future. This future orientation is important because it enable us to set goals, plan ahead, save and money, and maintain our diet and health. This futuristic thinking and optimism is what motivates us and drives us to develop and improve ourselves.

But, do our expectations change our reality?

Sharot claims that when we are optimistic – ie expecting good things in our future – happiness and success, indeed, that raises our chances of success and happiness. What we see at work here is the old “self fulfilling profecy”!

But what about pessimism and depression?

Sharot found, and this is very much in line with other studies, that who are depressed – tend to be negative and pessimistic. Antidepressants, Sharot argues, do not directly change people’s moods. What they change is their cognitive bias – they slowly become less pessimistic and more optimistic. This is why it takes time for antidepressants to work – they first change perceptions, attention, and memory and only then begin to affect people’s emotional state.

Dr. Sharot claims that resilience training that helps people redirect cognitive bias toward the positive optimistic view, can, in fact, protect against depression.

The Optimism Bias reveals the neuroscience behind hope and optimism and how the brains of optimists and pessimists differ. It also shows us why we are not very good at predicting what will make us happy. For those of you who want to understanding the biological processes that affect our outlook and attitudes, this is a great read.

And here is Dr Sharot herself discussing her book:

Enjoy!

To your success!

Rona

Dr Rona Hart
Director
Heart Enterprises Ltd
London UK
Tel 020 – 8931-3333
mob 07980-709821
Email: rona@hart2heart.co.uk
www.positivepsychology4u.com

Neuroimage. 2008 April 1; 40(2): 788–795.

Abstract

Exposure to psychological trauma is common and predicts long-term physical and mental health problems, even in those who initially appear resilient. Here, we used multimodal neuroimaging in healthy adults who were at different distances from the World Trade Center on 9/11/01 to examine the neural mechanisms that may underlie this association. More than three years after 9/11/01, adults with closer proximity to the disaster had lower gray matter volume in amygdala, hippocampus, insula, anterior cingulate, and medial prefrontal cortex, with control for age, gender, and total gray matter volume. Further analysis showed a nonlinear (first-order quadratic) association between total number of traumas in lifetime and amygdala gray matter volume and function in the whole group. Post hoc analysis of subgroups with higher versus lower levels of lifetime trauma exposure revealed systematic associations between amygdala gray matter volume, amygdala functional reactivity, and anxiety that suggest a nonlinear trajectory in the neural response to accumulated trauma in healthy adults.

To read the paper click here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2405811/

The Success-Happiness Equation

Workshop

Most people believe that once they become successful, then they’ll be happy.

They believe that only when they achieve certain goals that they set for themselves,

or desires that they wish to have – they will finally experience the joy that comes

from fulfillment and contentment.

But recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that this formula is flawed!
In reality, the success-happiness formula is actually backward:

happiness leads to and fuels our success,

not the other way around!

Given that success and happiness are the basic goals that we all wish to achieve

throughout our lives, this intriguing discovery raises many questions about the logic

and the common sense thinking by which we conduct our lives, such as:

• What is happiness and what is success?

• Why is happiness so central to our lives and our wellbeing and how it fuels our success?

• What is the key to our happiness? Can we control our feelings?

• How can we become happier?

• What can we do with all the problems and hurdles that seem to take away our happiness, and is happiness an outcome of life without problems?

• Where is that junction where happiness and success meet and how can we find it?

>

In The Happiness-Success Equation workshop Dr Rona Hart, a lecturer and mentor in

Positive Psychology, draws from the vast research on the happiness and success connection,

to bring you some of the most insightful, groundbreaking findings, to address these intriguing questions.

This unique workshop brings you some of the central principles of positive psychology.

It lays out in a simple and structured way the complex relationship between the psychology and the mechanics of success, and our mental wellbeing, and offers you life-changing insights about success and happiness.

But it does not remain on a theoretical level:

this workshop is results-driven.

Thus, it offers you some simple, easy to use tools for increasing happiness and success that have been tried and tested around the globe, with fascinating results.
These tools will enable you to transform your state of mind and your daily routines in a matter of days, and lead you and those around you to new heights of success.

This is a must-attend workshop for everyone trying to excel in a world of increasing workloads, stress, and negativity.
The Happiness-Success Formula isn’t only about how to become happier.

It’s about how to reap the benefits of a happier and more positive outlook to achieve extraordinary results.

Here are the details of this workshop:

For maximum effectiveness, this program is best conducted as an in-house programme.

Ideal group size: 8 – 40 participants.

Duration: 4 hours.

Cost: £500

To purchase this workshop for your organisation
Please contact us through the box below :

[contact-form]

rona@hart2heart.co.uk

טל 020-89313333

Meanwhile have a fantastic week!

Rona

Dr Rona Hart

Director

Heart Enterprises Ltd

London UK

Tel 020 – 8931-3333

mob 07980-709821

Email: rona@hart2heart.co.uk

www.positivepsychology4u.com

for those of you who want learn and gain a better understanding

of other cultures and improve their cross-cultural skills!

For one week only,

all Culture Smart ebooks are sold for …

less than the price of –

The ebooks are available from Amazon and suitable for all e-readers.

Click here for more…

Please pass this information to all your friends and colleagues!

Many thanks,

Dr Rona Hart
Director
Heart Enterprises Ltd
London UK
020-89313333
07980-709821
rona@hart2heart.co.uk

Just think of this: what would the Exodus look like if it happend today??

Here is a fantastic illustration of passover exodus – facebook style!

Wishing you a lovely holiday!

Rona

People grow a lot when they are faced with their own mortality. I learned never to underestimate someone’s capacity for growth. Some changes were phenomenal. Each experienced a variety of emotions, as expected, denial, fear, anger, remorse, more denial and eventually acceptance. Every single patient found their peace before they departed though, every one of them.

When questioned about any regrets they had or anything they would do differently, common themes surfaced again and again. Here are the most common five:

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.

This was the most common regret of all. When people realise that their life is almost over and look back clearly on it, it is easy to see how many dreams have gone unfulfilled. Most people have had not honoured even a half of their dreams and had to die knowing that it was due to choices they had made, or not made.

It is very important to try and honour at least some of your dreams along the way. From the moment that you lose your health, it is too late. Health brings a freedom very few realise, until they no longer have it.

2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.

This came from every male patient that I nursed. They missed their children’s youth and their partner’s companionship. Women also spoke of this regret. But as most were from an older generation, many of the female patients had not been breadwinners. All of the men I nursed deeply regretted spending so much of their lives on the treadmill of a work existence.

By simplifying your lifestyle and making conscious choices along the way, it is possible to not need the income that you think you do. And by creating more space in your life, you become happier and more open to new opportunities, ones more suited to your new lifestyle.

3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.

Many people suppressed their feelings in order to keep peace with others. As a result, they settled for a mediocre existence and never became who they were truly capable of becoming. Many developed illnesses relating to the bitterness and resentment they carried as a result.

We cannot control the reactions of others. However, although people may initially react when you change the way you are by speaking honestly, in the end it raises the relationship to a whole new and healthier level. Either that or it releases the unhealthy relationship from your life. Either way, you win.

4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.

Often they would not truly realise the full benefits of old friends until their dying weeks and it was not always possible to track them down. Many had become so caught up in their own lives that they had let golden friendships slip by over the years. There were many deep regrets about not giving friendships the time and effort that they deserved. Everyone misses their friends when they are dying.

It is common for anyone in a busy lifestyle to let friendships slip. But when you are faced with your approaching death, the physical details of life fall away. People do want to get their financial affairs in order if possible. But it is not money or status that holds the true importance for them. They want to get things in order more for the benefit of those they love. Usually though, they are too ill and weary to ever manage this task. It is all comes down to love and relationships in the end. That is all that remains in the final weeks, love and relationships.

5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

This is a surprisingly common one. Many did not realise until the end that happiness is a choice. They had stayed stuck in old patterns and habits. The so-called ‘comfort’ of familiarity overflowed into their emotions, as well as their physical lives. Fear of change had them pretending to others, and to their selves, that they were content. When deep within, they longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.

When you are on your deathbed, what others think of you is a long way from your mind. How wonderful to be able to let go and smile again, long before you are dying.

Life is a choice. It is YOUR life. Choose consciously, choose wisely, choose honestly. Choose happiness.

Bronnie Ware is a writer, singer/songwriter, songwriting teacher and speaker from Australia. She has lived nomadically for most of her adult life. Bronnie shares her inspiring observations and the insights gained along the way through the diversity of her work. To read more of her articles and learn about her other work, please visit Inspiration and Chai at http://www.inspirationandchai.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bronnie_Ware

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/3268063

For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined

not by our circumstance but by our disposition.”

Martha Washington

William Feather