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For the order to read the sections in, with links, go to
PAGE CONTENTS
Psychology comes in two doable parts (and no mysterious forces)
Why bother?
Definition: What psychology is
What makes us feel bad (unhappy)?
Accepting the overall package
The necessary process for psychological well-being
Next:
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PSYCHOLOGY COMES IN TWO DOABLE PARTS
While psychology is the "study of" our psyche, it also is about experiencing life in a positive way. And, believe it or not, it is mostly about physical realities and not 'mysterious and devious psychological forces that overcome us'. Most of psychology is very manageable and relatively easily if you start in the right places and use the right strategies (but very difficult if you do not approach it systematically).
That is the purpose of this section and this site: to have you use these effective strategies to experience life in a greatly enhanced way, with high happiness!
First, we can improve our way of thinking by using strictly physical means. Movement, making our "machines" operate better, actions in nutrition, rest, getting rid of moods via physical actions, and the other strategies, will make a huge difference - and even stop some of the thinking that causes the problems of feeling bad and thinking badly before they would otherwise happen. (Start with Your (Bio)Mechanical Brain/Body - Summary.)
Second, other than rare genetic malfunctions, our psychology is totally based on beliefs (including the philosophy of life we have devised). Since beliefs are simply bits of data associated together, we have the power to change and modify the bits of data to create reality beliefs that replace the erroneous ones. (Some initial grounding: The Believing Brain - Summary.)
These we will do. And the process will include replacing, for most of us, some erroneous beliefs so that we can operate based on reality. (It starts with What Is Reality? and builds more reality into our lives, for greater workability and control.)
WHY BOTHER?
"Ultimately, happiness comes down to choosing between the discomfort of becoming aware of your mental afflictions and the discomfort of being ruled by them."
Anybody with any physical dysfunction (overweight, blood pressure, etc.), less than high effectiveness in life, and/or stress is operating unknowledgeably and unnecessarily wasting their lives.
I recommend that you learn how to operate the mind so fully that you experience perfect health, much happiness, and higher effectiveness in life - and that you not waste your life operating at a lower level!
DEFINITION: PSYCHOLOGY IS MERELY:
1. Removing the beliefs that have us feel bad.
2. Replacing them with true workable beliefs, understanding them, and
internalizing them.
Plus there is the learning program that is necessary so that we do understand the pieces and the whys, but the basic learning can be accomplished rather quickly in a directed, focused, on purpose program.
This is the way to enduring happiness.
WHAT MAKES US FEEL BAD (UNHAPPY)?
1. Value judging ourselves (the so-called critic, negative thinking)
2. Resisting reality ("this is bad" statements, versus this is so, now what)
3. Fear of future outcomes (versus confidence that one can "handle" it)
All three fit in with what Buddha calls the source of needless Suffering. (Check out other great wise men and mentally healthy psychologists and they say the same thing, often in different words.)
It is pointless to base our happiness on outside circumstances and "getting more".
It is pointless to critique reality and feel bad about it.
The Buddha points out that we get a huge bunch of benefits given to us in this life and we can be happy just fully appreciating them.
ACCEPTING THE OVERALL PACKAGE
And we also need to just accept that the overall package of benefits comes with some costs, but the "net" (the pluses minus the minuses) is huge, so "don't sweat" the minuses (BFD!). Life is great actually - if we don't make it miserable through the stuff we make up about it and the ridiculous beliefs we pick up from the culture. See Suffering And Struggle.
When we stop having our happiness based on outcomes (which we cannot control totally anyway) and have it based on our decision to be happy, to see "what is there" (versus what is missing or lost) in perspective, and to just do what is best at the time given the outcome (and have it be ok!), then we are psychologically free, and the rest, with a bit of training, works! We are no longer victims, we no longer hold ourselves, to varying degrees, as a powerless child.
It is very unlikely that you'll believe this right now, but it is proven and workable and not so mysterious and complicated. It just takes systematic, directed learning from experts - and completing things enough so that they are understood and installed.
Some of you will go in for a quick fix and get some benefit out of the site. Others will go in at deeper levels. All are fine and they are your choice. Hopefully, those who just go in for the "30 second sound bite" or quickie will be hooked with interest into the next beneficial piece/exercise.
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THE NECESSARY PROCESS TO PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING
I. Discovering all your actual "power"
II. Knowing what holds you back, any limiting factors (to choose to delete)
III. Choosing which way to go
IV. Clearing up the mental conversations and thinking (beliefs, viewpoints, etc.)
I. DISCOVERING ALL YOUR "POWER" (as a human being with an
incredible mind, learning to use it)
"Power" = the ability to cause what you want. It is only our thoughts and
beliefs that can hold us back from exercising our vast capabilities. (Life
Management is about applying that power more effectively.)
effects if you do not understand and manage it.
II. KNOWING WHAT HOLDS YOU BACK OR WHAT LIMITS YOU in
some way (and therefore causes you not to be "in your power").
It is, in my opinion, necessary first to know
psychology.
Then one would
Test for and/or list the possible limitations and problems that should be
addressed to free up all of one's happiness capabilities.
I also would recommend that you answer the question "How deeply do I need to learn this?" The answer should be something like "deeply enough" to live a very happy life, but most people will stop far short of that. The approach that should be used would apply The 80/20 Principle.
III. MAKING THE CHOICE BETWEEN WHAT HOLDS ONE DOWN AND
WHAT CREATES POWER
the right choices.)
IV. CLEARING UP THE MENTAL CONVERSATIONS/THINKING
CONTINUED ON A SEPARATE PAGE:
Including:
The Overview
The Process
The Components of A Strong Psychological Foundation
A Few Realities
