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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (July 22, 2020)
14 Wednesday, July 22, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Commentary... Conditions for happiness exist in your life By Mitchell Luftig Columnist In <The Happiness Advantage= Shawn Achor points out that it is a short- sighted individual who post- pones their happiness until a particular marker of career success has been achieved, such as a big promotion. Not only does this person miss out on a lot of happi- ness along the way, once they achieve their career goal, their brain, which has learned to associate hap- piness with a future event, simply moves the goalposts so that now they must reach a new goal in order to be happy. A more effective strategy for employees is to find ways to be happy in their present circumstances. Achor points out that happy workers are usually more productive than unhappy employees and they approach tasks in a more creative manner, leading to better outcomes. Happy workers are just as likely to advance in their careers as employees who postpone happiness. But it9s not just in employment that we con- dition our happiness on a future event. People also convince themselves that they can only be happy when they get married to the perfect partner; produce brilliant children; achieve wealth, status, and fame; write a best selling novel&. Once we have convinced ourselves that we can only be happy when we achieve a particular outcome, we have placed arbitrary limits on our happiness. Rather than postponing happiness, we would be better served by finding ways to be happy in our current circumstances. Sufficient conditions for happiness already exist in our lives, but sometimes we need to employ a different lens to spot them, a lens that helps us to overcome our brain9s built-in negativity bias. Ancient man worried about starvation, being eaten by a predator, or los- ing territory to a rival clan. In order to increase the odds of surviving such harsh cir- cumstances, evolution built into our ancestor9s brain a negativity bias, which auto- matically prioritized nega- tive information relevant to detecting and responding to danger over positive infor- mation more relevant to liv- ing a happy life. Rick Hanson tells us that our brains are (still) like Velcro for negative informa- tion and Teflon for positive information. To discover the condi- tions for happiness that already exist in our lives we must retrain our brain to highlight our positive expe- rience, using tools such as mindfulness. Thich Nhat Hanh tells us that when our minds are caught up in our worries, our fears, our anger, and our regrets we are <forgetful= of the conditions for happi- ness that already exist in our lives. However, when we prac- tice mindful breathing, unit- ing our mind and body, we establish ourselves in the present moment. <Then you can recognize the many conditions of happiness that are in you and around you, and happiness just comes naturally.= Thich Nhat Hanh tells us to follow the breath all the way in and out4<Breathing in, I know that I am breath- ing in. Breathing out, I know that I am breathing out.= Under normal conditions we are unable to <pull back the curtain= to see how the <autopilot= presents us with a biased account of our life, highlighting negative information, while ignoring positive information, and making us susceptible to depression. But when we practice mindful breathing, we dial up the brain9s direct expe- rience network (DEN) and dial down the autopilot. The DEN brings us closer to reality, enabling us to view the events around us with great clarity, and gives us an opportunity to correct for the brain9s negativity bias. (Returning our attention to the breath when our mind wanders keeps the autopilot Sisters Dental offline). Min d fu l in d iv id u a ls approach their experience with curiosity. (Curiosity is also a strength related to liv- ing a satisfied, meaningful, and engaged life). Over time difficult emotions lose their power to overwhelm the person who practices mind- fulness 4 allowing positive experiences to rise to the surface. Negative thoughts and harsh self-judgments can trigger fear, anger, guilt, and worry, making us <for- getful= of the conditions for happiness in our lives. Mindfulness helps us to view 4 in real time 4 how we put ourselves down. When we mindfully replace self-criticism with self- acceptance, we can grasp the many conditions for happi- ness inside of ourselves. The brain9s negativ- ity bias also sets us up to assume the worst about other9s intentions 4 that they will hurt us or take advantage. When we prac- tice mindfulness we view the intentions of others more accurately, allowing us to grasp the conditions for happiness that exist in our relationships. Sharpening our focus on the positive facts and expe- riences revealed through mindfulness does not can- cel out the negative facts and experiences. But lead- ing with the positive makes us feel happier, it increases our optimism, and it makes us more resilient so that we better manage negative events when they occur. 491 E. Main Ave. • Sisters www.sistersdental.com Hours: Mon., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Tues.-Thurs., 8 a.m.-5 p.m.; Fri., 7 a.m.-3 p.m. CUBA: Relations with USA have been difficult Continued from page 11 U.S. relationship with Cuba seems like that of a bully, coupled with the maturity of a pouting toddler, simply because Cuba has a different way of life. Our trip to Las Terrazas lasted all day, and we barely had enough time to reorganize for our eve- ning excursion, which was strictly entertainment. The Tropicana is a famous nightclub founded in 1939. We9ve seen shows all over the world and everything Las Vegas has to offer; this was the most elaborate and spectacular show we9ve ever seen, with 50 singers and dancers performing on three levels of a gigantic set with a 30-piece orchestra. The next day, we had to get up early for our morn- ing <educational= excur- sion, which was largely a walking tour of old Havana. Cuba9s well-known vintage cars are for real. We thought those cars would be mostly a tourist thing, but they were ubiquitous throughout the country and actually in general use; although many are used for tourist taxis or guided tours. Chevys are the most common, but we saw Desotos, Oldsmobiles, Dodges and many Fords. Perhaps the most unique sighting was a 1951 Studebaker with its bullet- nosed, battering-ram prow. The most common car years are 951, 955, and 956, but we saw examples from the 940s through about 1959. New cars are mostly Toyotas, Kias, and VWs; there are no new U.S. cars due to the embargo. As our Cuban adven- ture came to an end, we left feeling somewhat ashamed of our country9s failure to be a good neighbor. Cuba became a U.S. <protec- torate= after the Spanish- American War, a status that we lost primarily by being exploitative, rather than protective. After 60 years, it9s time to do better. Airless Paint Sprayer Walk Behind String Trimmer Deck Sander WE ARE HERE FOR YOU! 541-549-2011 Kathi Eisenbeis checks out a vintage 1955 Buick in Havana, Cuba, with one of the city’s historic forts in the background. GET THOSE SMALL JOBS DONE! NEED IT, RENT IT! Trevor Frideres, D . M . D . Greg Everson, D . M . D . PHOTO BY CRAIG F. EISENBEIS a nonprofit charity that provides fully guided and outfitted trips for disabled Veterans at no charge more than 2,000 disabled veterans have been served All guides and board members are disabled veterans. There are no paid employees. Warfighter Outfitters is 100% volunteer-based and only spends donor dollars on basic operating costs of fuel and food. All operating costs are funded by donor dollars. 331 W. Barclay Dr. 541-549-9631 Sales • Service Rentals • Accessories www.sistersrental.com Would you consider making a donation to Warfighter Outfitters today? warfighteroutfitters.org Warfighter Outfitters • 541-719-0071 • 501(c)(3) Nonprofit