Rethinking Positive Thinking
Positive thinking and daydreaming can feel uplifting, but they may not help us achieve our goals. Gabrielle highlights a cultural shift she experienced moving from Europe to America, where encouragement for big dreams is more prevalent. Through her research, she reveals a surprising method—WHOOP—that can make our aspirations more attainable by focusing on realistic steps rather than mere fantasies.In this clip
From this podcast
Hidden Brain
You 2.0: WOOP, There It Is
Related Questions
Isn't it true that the idea of a goal always encompasses mental struggle because if you don't have it, it means you have to either get out of your comfort zone or put in a lot of effort (and tolerate frustration) to achieve it?
In the practice described in episode 708, The Neuroscience Behind Breakups + Building Better Habits, and the clip Visualizing Success, if a person is instructed to try and feel positive emotions like joy, happiness, and excitement, is it fair to say that during the initial attempts to keep the body calm using breathwork when negative beliefs or thoughts arise, and while redirecting focus to the intention of becoming a famous singer, the person will probably only feel frustration and anxiety as the brain begins to adapt to this new belief and dissociate from the negative default thoughts?
Moreover, only after consistent practice, when the brain has started to embrace the new thought—seeing the person as a famous singer—would they be able to feel those emotions of joy, happiness, and gratitude? Is it also possible to feel some of these positive emotions in the early stages while engaging in neuroplasticity, even amidst feelings of anxiety and frustration? Can one experience both positive and negative feelings simultaneously in the beginning?