“Acknowledging other people’s basic humanity is a remarkably effective way of shooing away the swarm of self-referential thoughts that buzz like gnats around our heads.” — Dan Harris Copy Share Image
“Imagine a world where people were 10% happier and less reactive. Marriage, parenting, road rage, politics - all would be improved upon. Public health revolutions can happen rapidly. Most Americans didn't brush their teeth until after world war 2 after soldiers were demanded to maintain oral hygiene. Exercise didn't get popular until science proved its benefits. Mindfulness, I had come… — Dan Harris Copy Share
“retreat, with nothing to look forward to, nowhere to be, nothing to do, we are forced to confront the “wound of existence” head-on, to… — Dan Harris Copy Share Image
“It’s like we’ve been enchanted,” he says. “We’ve been put under a spell—believing that this or that is going to be the source of… — Dan Harris Copy Share Image
Prepare like no other, know that there was nothing left for you to do when it's all said and done. This way a loss… — Dan Harris Copy Share Image
“Picture the mind like a waterfall, they said: the water is the torrent of thoughts and emotions; mindfulness is the space behind the waterfall.… — Dan Harris Copy Share Image
“They had a term, too, for that thing I did where something would bother me and I would immediately project forward to an unpleasant future (e.g., Balding → Unemployment → Flophouse). The Buddhists called this prapañca (pronounced pra-PUN-cha), which roughly translates to “proliferation,” or “the imperialistic tendency of mind.” That captured it beautifully, I thought: something happens, I worry, and… — Dan Harris Copy Share
“Marturano recommended something radical: do only one thing at a time. When you’re on the phone, be on the phone. When you’re in a meeting, be there. Set aside an hour to check your email, and then shut off your computer monitor and focus on the task at hand. Another tip: take short mindfulness breaks throughout the day. She called… — Dan Harris Copy Share
“I’m thinking: Yes, right—there is a point to sitting around all day with your eyes closed: to gain some control over the mind, to… — Dan Harris Copy Share Image
“in our seat, every bite of food, every pleasant daydream—is designed to avoid pain or seek pleasure. But if we can drop all that, we can, as Sam once said in his speech to the angry, befuddled atheists, learn how to be happy “before anything happens.” This happiness is self-generated, not contingent on exogenous forces; it’s the opposite of “suffering.”… — Dan Harris Copy Share
Meditation is just simple brain exercise. I exercise and this made sense to me. — Dan Harris Copy Share Image
“Perhaps the most meaningful exchange I had on the subject was a completely random discussion with my uncle Martin at my parents’ annual summer pool party. Martin, a former entrepreneur who was now in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, turned to me and asked an intriguing question: “Which is more exciting to you? Reality or memory?” I paused, considered it,… — Dan Harris Copy Share
