Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
D.E. Boyer
Read between
February 18 - June 19, 2020
Albert Einstein said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
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From the moment we wake up in the morning, we should start the day by figuring out what it is exactly that we need to do to get ourselves closer to where we want to be.
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we can't close the gap if we don’t even know what we want.
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"As you think, so shall you become" - Bruce Lee
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The old saying is true, "If you don't use it, you lose it", and this is no more accurate than with the brain.
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The best place to start with this process is to assume that everyone is smarter than you are, and that they have more information than you
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one of the best things to say to an upset or difficult person is to nicely ask them what they want me to do to make things better.
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The bottom line is that it doesn't matter how much we think we know, in order to further our understanding, we must empty our minds to make room for new information and better ways of doing things.
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By humbly embracing our own ignorance, the path to the truth will be revealed, which will ultimately lead to growth of the Self.
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The ego's job is to please the id with the superego's approval, creating a win-win situation for all and eliminating any conflicts.
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Being able to understand and relate to how someone else feels is the key to successful relationships, as well as one of the most important keys to life, which is why narcissists struggle so much in both of these areas.
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Jeffrey Kluger’s line, “Even the most stable brain operates a millimeter from madness”,
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"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go” -T. S. Eliot
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"That which does not kill us makes us stronger” -Friedrich Nietzsche
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Creatively thinking our way out of a deadly situation requires thinking positive. If we want to be successful, then we must remind ourselves that each negative thought that we allow to enter our minds has the potential to set fire to the wooden fortress of life that we have been working so hard to build.
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"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." -Albert Einstein
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"An idle mind is the devil's playground"
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"Those who don't remember history are destined to repeat it” -George Santayana
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My other advice to you is, don't get sick. If chaos is in your mind, it will be in your heart and body, and you will get sick, I guarantee it.
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"What you resist will persist” -Carl Jung
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Generalized anxiety disorder is characterized by persistent worrying and tension that interferes with day-to-day activities.
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CBT is all about controlling our behavior by thinking better in response to anxiety.
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the first step to overcoming it is always to acknowledge it to yourself. If you ignore anxious thoughts, then you usually end up feeling worse. Bad feelings are your brain's way of telling you something is wrong, so by admitting to yourself that you feel bad about something, you're sending a signal back to your brain that you got its message and that you will address the problem. This is the KEY!
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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that is why it is called the present" -Kung Fu Panda
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"For every minute you're angry, you give up sixty seconds of peace of mind" -Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Dr. Doidge explains that once our thoughts go down a pathway, it becomes easier for our brain to choose this pathway that has already been created, whether good or bad. So it's up to us to prevent the creation and use of bad pathways, and instead make new pathways that lead to positive thinking and good habits.
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Be thankful - "When you appreciate the good, the good appreciates" - Tal Ben-Shahar
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If you're fighting with your spouse, it's helpful to make yourself think about how much you love them (assuming you do). It's very difficult to hold love and anger in your heart at the same time.
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If someone you're considering as a life partner doesn't laugh at your jokes, that's a red flag. If they don't care about the things you care about, then you have a problem, a big problem.
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Forgiveness is another ingredient that the recipe of a good relationship cannot do without.
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Not being understood by someone close to me is almost as painful as some sort of war torture.
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according to a study of over 100,000 people conducted by the National Institutes of Health, being funny is number two on the list of preferred traits of mates, number one is intelligence. So being smart and funny should guarantee you a mate for life.
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Whereas the left hemisphere helps us see the trees, the right hemisphere gives us a better view of the whole forest, and one of the ways it does this is by giving us the ability to think divergently.
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In general, there are two different kinds of thinking referred to as divergent thinking (right brain) and convergent thinking (left brain). Divergent thinking explores many different possible solutions, while convergent thinking follows a step-by-step formula to arrive at one solution.
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We should be doing everything we can to enhance our surroundings to promote alpha waves, to promote relaxed, creative thought. Take a nice warm bath, light some candles, play some smooth jazz. Meditation is at the top of the list of things we can do to create alpha waves in our mind. Even meditating for just for a few minutes can do the trick, and you can do that anytime, any place.
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