Harris was explicit about the fact that none of what he was describing was related to religion, meditation, spirituality, etc. If you’re living a goal-focused life, then no matter what you have, it’s never enough…find the values underlying your goals. But I'd like to start by saying that this book has made a significant impact on my motivation and overall quality of life. Despite everything you’ve tried over the years, isn’t it a fact that your mind still produces unpleasant pictures? I look forward to reading this again, putting into practice what I learn and changing the way I view life.

Defiende que el modo en que cada persona quiere vivir su vida es una decisión meramente personal, y que aplicar los principios de la ACT, algunos de ellos o ninguno, no está ni bien ni mal. The Happiness Trap program is an educational program, giving you the tools and techniques to build a rich and rewarding life, and to handle the difficult thoughts and feelings that go with it.My approach to my own mind has always come from a psychoanalytic perspective, in which I have believed that unearthing traumatic elements in my personal history might somehow help me to banish bad thoughts forever.

Even a nod toward how we need a more culturally-relevant understanding of ACT would have helped, just to acknowledge that not all people are the same and thus we should make sure our therapies apply to folks of different backgrounds. Then choose to act on that value, rather than wasting your time uselessly worrying about what you might be giving up or missing out on. I also agree that the majority of the suggested techniques associated with ACT are beneficial for many people. The Happiness Trap Program is first and foremost an educational program designed to give you the tools and techniques to build a rich and rewarding life.He takes pains midway through to explain again how his method differs from previous methods, but it's not difficult to spot his ancestors (most notably Richard Carlson, the Don't Sweat the Small Stuff guy, whose earliest books are owed such a great debt that Harris doesn't even whisper his name). I find it so effective for myself and for clients, and I appreciate its emphasis on both sitting with and honoring difficult emotions while also taking action to change your situation for the better. Moreover, I believe that this also lies within ACT — when you have an unhelpful thought or urge and think about whether it brings you closer to your values, isn’t this a form of “helpful” arguing with yourself? Russ Harris explains that the way most of us go about trying to find happiness ends up making us miserable, driving the epidemics of stress, anxiety, and depression. If we consciously bring our awareness to how we are feeling and consciously observe how we're behaving, then no matter how intense our emotions are, we can still control our actions.

I strongly recommend this book for anyone looking to feel more motivated and fulfilled in their day-to-day lives. These thoughts can't be overpowered by positive visualization or a talking cure, but only by accepting them for the negative thoughts they are and moving on. So instead of finding some loophole to rationalize thoughts like that, I would just end up getting beat up by them.

En ese sentido, el rótulo que la editorial ha añadido "Deja de sufrir, comienza a vivir", me parece totalmente inadecuado y poco representativo de los contenidos de este libro. I've always been skeptical of the self-help genre, but this book came at the recommendation of a trusted friend, and I can honestly say that it's one of the most important things I've ever read.

After the launch date, the program material will be released weekly for 8 weeks and can be accessed any time that’s convenient for you. It's not terribly new but it's exceptionally well-organized, which alone makes it worth checking out. I had grown up with the idea that I had to fight my own thoughts and feelings to keep an average level of happiness. Let any thoughts come and go in the background, briefly acknowledge their presence, keeping your attention on the breathing (can silently say "thinking" to yourself whenever a thought or image appears). I suppose that ACT might be appropriate after some time has passed and folks like this are experiencing more stability, but I also think that there are some things that need deeper exploration than ACT can offer.

Goals are things you can accomplish, values are things you are or work towards (not something you can check off a list). There are several good techniques in there but you find yourself wishing to tell the author to come down from their high position a bit.