Contrary to popular belief, happiness is not exclusive to the rich, famous, lucky, or beautiful.
I've treated many people like this, and they are some of the most unfortunate people I know.
You don't have to win the genetic lottery to be happy, and you're not doomed to always be depressed just because life doesn't go your way.
By leveraging practical neuroscience and understanding the seven secrets to happiness no one's talking about, you can learn how to consistently generate positive emotions, regardless of your age, income, or circumstances.
---From "11 Lies About Happiness" on page 18, chapter 1

Fame also initially increases dopamine levels.
Because having many people see and recognize your achievements fulfills many basic human needs (achievement, attention, security, affection, etc.).
The more pleasure you get, the more you want, and over time, your pleasure center becomes damaged, leaving you feeling listless and depressed.
Over the course of my career, I have treated countless celebrities, from Olympic athletes, professional golfers, soccer players, hockey players, baseball players, and basketball players to Oscar-winning actors, Hall of Fame musicians, politicians, Pulitzer Prize-winning authors, and models.
The dopamine spike that comes with fame often leads to tolerance, and you need more and more dopamine to feel the same excitement as before.
This is why celebrities resort to drug abuse, infidelity, fast cars, and gambling just to feel comfortable.
Celebrities who are newlyweds are five times more likely to get divorced than the average person.
I pray for young people often.
“God, please don’t let young people become famous before their brains are fully developed.”
---From "Pages 103-104, Chapter 2: The Improvisational Brain: Dopamine-Addicted, Strong to Challenge, Weak to Boredom"

I'm not a sensitive person, but I've always been attracted to people with a sensitive brain type.
That's why I invited one of the pioneers in understanding sensitive people to join the podcast I host with my wife.
He was none other than Dr. Judith Orloff, author of Thriving as an Empath.
Dr. Olof diligently shares how to live well as a “sensitive empath,” saying, “They have beautiful and wonderful abilities, but at the same time, they have to learn self-care to cope with the challenges of living as a highly sensitive person.”
“The secret is not to become less sensitive or dull.
My mother, who was a doctor, always told me, 'Honey, just be a little more numb.
He said, 'You have to get stronger.'
That's not the right answer.
You have to broaden your senses, but you also have to learn how to center yourself.
You have to learn how to draw the line appropriately.
You have to learn to take care of yourself fiercely.
You also need to figure out how to make sure you have enough alone time.
Learn the signs of sensory overload so you can nip it in the bud before it explodes, drives you crazy and causes you to say things you'll regret.
---From "Pages 129-130, Chapter 2: The Sensitive Brain: Emotion-centered type that is good at empathy and vulnerable to external stimuli"

Food is a relationship.
Have you ever been in a bad relationship? I've been in a few, and it was painful.
Too many people have a bad relationship with food.
They like foods that are high in calories, cause obesity, promote diabetes, and cause inflammation.
Let's get smart.
Let's start a new routine where we only love food that rewards us.
If you bought a million-dollar racehorse, would you feed it junk food? Only a fool would do that.
You will want to maintain the value of your investment by feeding your pet a high-quality, nutritious diet.
Aren't you worth much more than that?
---From "Page 257, Chapter 3: Foods that Bring Happiness, Foods that Bring Unhappiness"

Most people don't realize that positive and negative thoughts trigger different chemicals in the brain.
When you think happy thoughts, have a bright idea, or feel a loving emotion, your brain releases happy chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and calming endorphins.
When you think negative thoughts, your brain releases or reduces chemicals that make you feel angry, sad, or stressed.
When the stress hormones cortisol (the danger molecule) and adrenaline are released, and the feel-good neurotransmitters dopamine and serotonin decrease, the body's chemistry and brain focus change.
This makes people unhappy.
---From "Pages 320-321, Chapter 4: Positivity Bias Training to Turn Your Mind to a Good Side"

People with an impulsive brain type are easily distracted, so they can easily get carried away while having a conversation.
The persistent brain type cannot wait for the other person to say everything they think, and is more likely to try to judge right from wrong or to refute.
Careful people are often reluctant to ask for clarification because they are too eager to please others, are perfectionists, or are overly sensitive to criticism.
Because I don't want to give the impression that I don't understand properly.
People with sensitive brain types tend to get so caught up in their thoughts that they miss out on the verbal and nonverbal feedback that helps them connect with each other.
No matter what brain type you belong to, try to improve where you lack listening skills.
That would be much more helpful to your relationship.

---From "Relating: 8 Guidelines for Creating Healthy Relationships" on page 362, Chapter 5