--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Being able to self-activate positive…" description: "\"“Being able to self-activate positive experiences—to call up inner strengths at will—is fundamental to coping, well-being, and everyday effectiveness. ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/rick-hanson-10793_inner-strengths_being-able-to-self-activate-positive-exp_3115664.jpg" --- # Being able to self-activate positive experiences—to call… ![“Being able to self-activate positive experiences—to call up inner strengths at will—is fundamental to coping, well-being, and everyday effectiveness. With practice, these experiences and strengths will increasingly activate on their own.” quote by Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/rick-hanson-10793_inner-strengths_being-able-to-self-activate-positive-exp_3115664.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/rick-hanson-10793_inner-strengths_being-able-to-self-activate-positive-exp_3115664.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/rick-hanson-10793_inner-strengths_being-able-to-self-activate-positive-exp_3115664.jpg) > ““Being able to self-activate positive experiences—to call up inner strengths at will—is fundamental to coping, well-being, and everyday effectiveness. With practice, these experiences and strengths will increasingly activate on their own.”” [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Practicing self‑activation of positive emotions builds resilience, well‑being, and effectiveness; it becomes easier with regular practice. **In simple terms:** Training positive mental habits improves coping. Key Takeaway Practice calling up inner strengths daily. Themes well‑being psychology resilience mindfulness self‑help Mood calm empowering Type practical motivational When to use this quote - stress management - daily meditation - performance enhancement - mental health routines Key Concepts neuroplasticity positive psychology Questions to Reflect On - What positive state can you summon right now? - How can you integrate this habit without pressure? A Different Perspective Consistent practice may feel forced or inauthentic for some. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Activate Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/activate-positive-5453469/) [Experiences Strengths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experiences-strengths-5453467/) [Inner Strengths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inner-strengths-572083/) [Self Activate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-activate-5453466/) [Strengths Increasingly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strengths-increasingly-5453468/) ## Related quotes > [“The tests we face in life's journey are not to reveal our weaknesses but to help us discover our inner strengths. We can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemi-sogunle/the-tests-we-face-in-life-s-journey-are-not-to-reveal-our-weaknesses/) [Kemi Sogunle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemi-sogunle/) > [Uniqueness does not come from external things that people do to themselves or other things like what they wear. All the uniqueness that radiates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-mozes-kor/uniqueness-does-not-come-from-external-things-that-people-do-to/) [Eva Mozes Kor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-mozes-kor/) > [You can't give people pride, but you can provide the kind of understanding that makes people look to their inner strengths and find their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charleszetta-waddles/you-can-t-give-people-pride-but-you-can-provide-the-kind-of/) [Charleszetta Waddles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charleszetta-waddles/) > [When things get tough that is when you find your inner strengths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-things-get-tough-that-is-when-you-find-your-inner-strengths/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All of us need to begin to think in terms of our own inner strengths, our resilience and resourcefulness, our capacity to adapt and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/all-of-us-need-to-begin-to-think-in-terms-of-our-own-inner-strengths/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [My demons, inner strengths and physical battles have guided me through life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gg-allin/my-demons-inner-strengths-and-physical-battles-have-guided-me-through/) [GG Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gg-allin/) > [“Struggling with anxiety can be all-consuming, and it’s easy to lose sight of your inner strengths and resources.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-m-orsillo/struggling-with-anxiety-can-be-all-consuming-and-it-s-easy-to-lose/) [Susan M. Orsillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-m-orsillo/) > [Our inner strengths, experiences, and truths cannot be lost, destroyed, or taken away. Every person has an inborn worth and can contribute to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/our-inner-strengths-experiences-and-truths-cannot-be-lost-destroyed/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [There is no right field of study, right occupation, sport or activity that matches your inner strengths and capabilities until you really know your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/there-is-no-right-field-of-study-right-occupation-sport-or-activity/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) ## More by Rick Hanson > [ “\[I\]f you can be with the pleasant without chasing after it, with the unpleasant without resisting it, and with the neutral without ignoring it… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/i-f-you-can-be-with-the-pleasant-without-chasing-after-it-with-the/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [“inescapable physical or mental discomfort is the “first dart” of existence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/inescapable-physical-or-mental-discomfort-is-the-first-dart-of/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [“The autobiographical self (D’Amasio 2000) incorporates the reflective self and some of the emotional self, and it provides the sense of “I” having a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/the-autobiographical-self-d-amasio-2000-incorporates-the-reflective/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [“I once heard a Native American teaching story in which an elder, a grandmother, was asked what she had done to become so happy,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/i-once-heard-a-native-american-teaching-story-in-which-an-elder-a/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [“Therefore, you can use your mind to change your brain to benefit your mind—and everyone else”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/therefore-you-can-use-your-mind-to-change-your-brain-to-benefit-your/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [“Whatever positive facts you find, bring a mindful awareness to them—open up to them and let them affect you. It’s like sitting down to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/whatever-positive-facts-you-find-bring-a-mindful-awareness-to-them/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [“Your brain is like Velcro for negative experiences but Teflon for positive ones.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/your-brain-is-like-velcro-for-negative-experiences-but-teflon-for/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [“that suffering is the result of craving expressed through the Three Poisons: greed, hatred, and delusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/that-suffering-is-the-result-of-craving-expressed-through-the-three/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [“Strength is often quiet, receptive determination rather than chest-thumping pushiness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/strength-is-often-quiet-receptive-determination-rather-than-chest/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [“A person is a human body-mind as a whole, an autonomous and dynamic system that arises in dependence upon human culture and the natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/a-person-is-a-human-body-mind-as-a-whole-an-autonomous-and-dynamic/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [“First darts are unpleasant to be sure. But then we add our reactions to them. These reactions are “second darts”—the ones we throw ourselves.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/first-darts-are-unpleasant-to-be-sure-but-then-we-add-our-reactions/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [ “Letting go of ill will does not mean passivity, silence, or allowing yourself or others to be harmed. \[...\] There is plenty of room… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/letting-go-of-ill-will-does-not-mean-passivity-silence-or-allowing/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [“Stress reduces serotonin, probably the most important neurotransmitter for maintaining a good mood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/stress-reduces-serotonin-probably-the-most-important-neurotransmitter/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [“Experiences are thus incapable of being completely satisfying. They are an unreliable basis for true happiness. To”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/experiences-are-thus-incapable-of-being-completely-satisfying-they/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) > [“Nurturing your own development isn’t selfish. It’s actually a great gift to other people. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/nurturing-your-own-development-isn-t-selfish-it-s-actually-a-great/) [Rick Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) [Explore all 63 Rick Hanson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/) ## More Inner Strengths quotes > [“The tests we face in life's journey are not to reveal our weaknesses but to help us discover our inner strengths. We can only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kemi-sogunle/the-tests-we-face-in-life-s-journey-are-not-to-reveal-our-weaknesses/) [Kemi Sogunle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kemi-sogunle/) > [Uniqueness does not come from external things that people do to themselves or other things like what they wear. All the uniqueness that radiates…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-mozes-kor/uniqueness-does-not-come-from-external-things-that-people-do-to/) [Eva Mozes Kor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-mozes-kor/) > [You can't give people pride, but you can provide the kind of understanding that makes people look to their inner strengths and find their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charleszetta-waddles/you-can-t-give-people-pride-but-you-can-provide-the-kind-of/) [Charleszetta Waddles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charleszetta-waddles/) > [When things get tough that is when you find your inner strengths.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-things-get-tough-that-is-when-you-find-your-inner-strengths/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [All of us need to begin to think in terms of our own inner strengths, our resilience and resourcefulness, our capacity to adapt and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-pressfield/all-of-us-need-to-begin-to-think-in-terms-of-our-own-inner-strengths/) [Steven Pressfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-pressfield/) > [My demons, inner strengths and physical battles have guided me through life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gg-allin/my-demons-inner-strengths-and-physical-battles-have-guided-me-through/) [GG Allin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gg-allin/) > [“Struggling with anxiety can be all-consuming, and it’s easy to lose sight of your inner strengths and resources.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-m-orsillo/struggling-with-anxiety-can-be-all-consuming-and-it-s-easy-to-lose/) [Susan M. Orsillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-m-orsillo/) > [Our inner strengths, experiences, and truths cannot be lost, destroyed, or taken away. Every person has an inborn worth and can contribute to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/our-inner-strengths-experiences-and-truths-cannot-be-lost-destroyed/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [There is no right field of study, right occupation, sport or activity that matches your inner strengths and capabilities until you really know your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/senoraroy/there-is-no-right-field-of-study-right-occupation-sport-or-activity/) [Senoraroy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/senoraroy/) [Browse all 10 Inner Strengths quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inner-strengths-572083/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Being able to self-activate positive experiences—to call up inner strengths at will—is fundamental to coping, well-being, and everyday effectiveness. With practice, these experiences and strengths will increasingly activate on their own.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rick Hanson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/being-able-to-self-activate-positive-experiences-to-call-up-inner/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Inner Strengths" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/being-able-to-self-activate-positive-experiences-to-call-up-inner/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/rick-hanson-10793_inner-strengths_being-able-to-self-activate-positive-exp_3115664.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/rick-hanson-10793_inner-strengths_being-able-to-self-activate-positive-exp_3115664.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6d4/rick-hanson-10793_inner-strengths_being-able-to-self-activate-positive-exp_3115664.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Being able to self-activate positive experiences—to call up inner strengths at will—is fundamental to…” — Rick Hanson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rick Hanson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-hanson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Being able to self-activate positive experiences—to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/being-able-to-self-activate-positive-experiences-to-call-up-inner/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-hanson/being-able-to-self-activate-positive-experiences-to-call-up-inner/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```