Inner Strength Training

Dr Rick Hanson (author of the excellent little book Just One Thing) suggests a useful analogy with physical strength training in his essay "Grow a Key Inner Strength". He begins with a mini-taxonomy of psychological resources:

• capabilities — mindfulness, emotional intelligence, resilience, ...
• positive emotions — gratitude, love, self-compassion, ...
• attitudes — openness, confidence, determination, ...
• somatic inclinations — relaxation, grit, helpfulness, ...
• virtues — generosity, courage, wisdom, ...

... and then recommends analyzing one's situation, identifying an inner strength that might help improve matters, and working to develop more of that trait. In Hanson's step-by-step prescription:

1. "What's the issue?" (be specific!)
2. "What psychological resource — inner strength — if it were more present in your mind, would really help with this issue?" (difficult sometimes but worth struggling with; try to pick one or at most two)
3. "How could you have experiences of this inner strength?" (notice when it's present, or deliberately summon it by visualizing it, etc.)
4. "How could you help this experience of the inner strength really sink in to you?" (rehearse it and build links to it so it becomes stronger and more frequently present)

... fascinating, perhaps important, surely valuable to attempt!

(cf. "Grow a Key Inner Strength" at [1] or [2], and from Just One Thing thoughts such as Honor Your Practice (2013-01-04), Slow Down (2013-01-15), Strong and Lasting (2013-02-02), Bringing Back a Wandering Attention (2013-02-13), Patience (2013-03-03), Willpower (2013-05-01), Not Knowing (2013-06-07), Cause vs. Result (2013-06-17), Aspire without Attachment (2015-12-28), ...) - ^z - 2016-07-05