Practice mindfulness to bring awareness to positive experiences from "summary" of Hardwiring Happiness by Rick Hanson,PhD
Mindfulness is like a spotlight, shining a light on our experiences in the present moment. When we practice mindfulness, we bring our full attention to whatever is happening right now. This includes both the negative and positive aspects of our experiences.
By being mindful of positive experiences, we can increase our awareness of moments of joy, gratitude, love, and contentment. These positive moments may seem fleeting, but by paying close attention to them, we can savor and appreciate them more fully. When we are mindful of positive experiences, we can soak them in and let them sink deep into our brains.
Bringing awareness to positive experiences helps us counteract the brain's negativity bias. Our brains are wired to focus more on negative experiences than positive ones. This served our ancestors well in survival situations, but in modern times, it can lead to an imbalance in our mental outlook.
Mindfulness can help us redress this imbalance by consciously noting and absorbing positive experiences as they happen. This process is not about denying or ignoring negative experiences; it's about giving equal weight to positive ones. By training our minds to notice and savor positive moments, we can gradually shift the brain's default setting towards a more positive outlook.
When we practice mindfulness to bring awareness to positive experiences, we are rewiring our brains for happiness. The more we focus on positive moments, the more our brains will start to recognize and prioritize them. Over time, this can lead to a more optimistic and resilient mindset, one that is better equipped to handle life's challenges.
So, the next time you find yourself in a moment of joy or gratitude, take a moment to be fully present and mindful of that experience. Notice how it feels in your body, what thoughts and emotions arise, and allow yourself to fully appreciate the goodness of that moment. By doing so, you are not only savoring the present but also laying the foundation for a more positive and fulfilling future.
