Just One Thing - change your brain by the way you use it

[Steve]

Dear all

As some interest has been expressed in working through another book (following on from 'How to Train an Elephant'), I thought I'd start this post for anyone who'd like to work through Rick Hansons book "Just One Thing" nect year.

One reviewer says: You can change your brain by how you use it. In this lovely book the author has distilled a mixture of neuroscience, psychology and mindfulness into 52 simple yet powerful daily mental practices.

My suggestion is that we work through the chapters one week at a time starting in January 2014 (so we've all got time to get a copy of the book) or put one on our Christmas list!

Anyone who's interested, please just post on here to say 'hi'.

Steve

PS The 'How to train an elephant' post does not need to stop - anyone who wants to carry on with it (or work through that book for the first time next year) is very welcome to do so (and, of course, we've still got a few weeks to complete this by the end of 2013)

[FeeHutch]

Great idea Steve, I'm up for following this in 2014 after such a positive experience following the elephant training plan.

[Metaphysical Me]

I'm in I just ordered a copy of the book.

[Metaphysical Me]

If anyone wants to take a peek at the book, here's a link where you can check out the first 50 odd pages:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Just-One-Thing- ... +one+thing

The book is also split into 52 weeks. The topics for the first weeks are:

1. Be for yourself
2. Take in the good
3. Have compassion for yourself
4. Relax
5. See the good in yourself
6. Slow down
7. Forgive yourself
8. Get more sleep
9. Befriend your body
10. Nourish your brain

[Steve]

It looks like Rick Hanson's 3 books are closely related. His website desribes them as follows:

"If you’re interested in the book which is the basis for Just One Thing, check out Buddha’s Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom. And if you want to turbocharge your learning – positive changes in the structure and function of your own brain – from any practice, I recommend my latest book, Hardwiring Happiness: The New Brain Science of Contentment, Calm, and Confidence."

Just One Thing does seem to be the best one to work through on a weekly basis. I've just been browsing his website and also discovered a link to cue sheets for use by anyone working through the chapters - even better!

www.rickhanson.net/media/files/JOT_Cue_Sheets.pdf

Steve

[FeeHutch]

Oh now that is really useful. I will get that printed off and ready, thanks for spotting it Steve.

[Gareth]

Does somebody wanna kick off a topic about this? I'll push it via Twitter, and maybe we can get some other people joining in too.

[JonW]

Count me in.
Cheers, Jon

[FeeHutch]

Does somebody wanna kick off a topic about this? I'll push it via Twitter, and maybe we can get some other people joining in too.

I think this is the thread Gareth, the plan is to start around the New Year.

This Sunday we will start week 51 of training and then the final week will be December 22nd to 29th.
We can either start Just One Thing on the 29th or have a weeks break and start on January 5th, what does everyone else think?

I have printed off a years worth of sheets, really looking forward to this

[Metaphysical Me]

This Sunday we will start week 51 of training and then the final week will be December 22nd to 29th.
We can either start Just One Thing on the 29th or have a weeks break and start on January 5th, what does everyone else think?

Hi Fee - I think it would be good to start on the 29th as the first topic in "Just One Thing" is to "be for yourself" (i.e. to be on your side). As I - and many others - use New Year's Eve / New Year's Day for making resolutions for the year ahead, I think it would be great to already be "in" the practice of "being for ourselves" so that our New Year's resolutions reflect that and are resolutions that are "for us".

But there's probably pros and cons to starting on the 29th, so if others come up with strong cons, that's cool too - I might just start a bit earlier then and do a 2 week "being for myself" practice