Book 2 Post 2 - Resilient: How to grow an unshakeable core

 As I read deeper into the book, I discovered how Dr. Hanson defines what it means to be resilient. Dr. Hanson emphasizes the necessity of cultivating positive experiences and emotions to rewire your brain to a healthier, more positive perspective while focusing solely on negativity. He discusses neuroscience studies that show how the brain is constructed to have a negative bias, which implies that bad events are given more weight than happy ones. When he made this statement, it prompted me to think about my previous experiences and weigh them as positive or negative. This was an odd experience, to say the least, given that my experiences that tend to have more emotional weight are negative than positive. When I considered the good ones, they did not carry as much weight as I had hoped because they would support his opinion. 

I found it interesting how Dr. Hanson would draw the reader in by asking you to recall a time when, and then you would begin to think about a previous event. It makes the book more personal and fascinating for each reader by forcing them to consider how they may implement these tactics into their daily lives. I always enjoy reading books that cause me to think and reflect on my life. In my opinion, these are the best books to read since you will learn something new and add something to your life that can perhaps help you in the future. I've mentioned it before, but I believe that reflection is the answer to most people's issues, and I enjoy how this book encourages you to reflect. Reflection is a personal yet valuable experience since it can help you work through personal issues and trauma that you may not have dealt with previously. This might provide a sense of clarity and serenity in your history. 

Another component of this book that I'd like to highlight is Dr. Hanson's exploration of the power of thought. He discusses how if you can conquer your thoughts, you will become resilient. Developing a conscious awareness of your feelings, sensations, and thoughts, and engaging them with kindness, is essential for learning the art of resilience. Self-compassion influences resilience because it serves as the fuel that motivates you to be conscious of not only yourself but also others. This section of the book piqued my curiosity since I had never considered the relationship between self-compassion and resilience. When you think of someone resilient, you usually envision someone level-headed, not easygoing, and impossible to break. However, emphasizing self-compassion as a means of increasing resilience is an excellent approach to seeing resilience and how to fully realize your resilience potential.