The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: Book Review, Key Lessons & Life-Changing Money Insights.

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: Book Review, Key Lessons & Life-Changing Money Insights.

  August 07, 2025    MH Pasha

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The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: Book Review, Key Lessons & Life-Changing Money Insights.

 Introduction: Why This Book Matters

Money plays a central role in our lives, but surprisingly, it’s not just about numbers—it's about behavior. In The Psychology of Money, Morgan Housel delivers a thought-provoking and highly readable exploration of how our emotions, habits, and decision-making patterns shape our financial lives more than income or intelligence ever could. This book is not a how-to guide to investing, but a deep dive into the psychology behind why people win or lose with money.

Whether you're a seasoned investor or just starting to build financial awareness, this book offers universal lessons that shift the way you think about wealth, greed, risk, and happiness.

 1. Summary of Key Themes and Lessons

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: Book Review, Key Lessons & Life-Changing Money Insights.

a. Wealth is More About Behavior Than Math

 Housel emphasizes that financial success often depends less on IQ and more on self-discipline, patience, and long-term thinking. Simple behaviors like living below your means and staying invested over time often outperform complex strategies.

b. The Power of Compounding and Time

One of the book’s most compelling lessons is the remarkable impact of compounding over extended periods of time. Morgan Housel uses Warren Buffett as a prime example—not only because of his investing expertise, but due to his extraordinary longevity in the market. Buffett started investing at a young age, yet most of his wealth was built after he turned 50. The central takeaway? Remaining consistently invested over time yields far greater results than attempting to time short-term market fluctuations.

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: Book Review, Key Lessons & Life-Changing Money Insights.

 c. Personal Finance is Personal

 A standout theme is that everyone handles money based on their unique experiences and perspectives. Your background, upbringing, and life events shape how you think about risk, debt, and spending. There’s no universal rule—your financial plan must fit your life, not someone else’s.

d. Luck, Risk, and the Role of Uncertainty

 The book explores how luck and risk can distort outcomes. Housel urges readers to avoid copying the paths of outliers like Bill Gates or Steve Jobs because their success involved rare circumstances. Instead, focus on repeatable, realistic habits.

 2. Strengths of the Book

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: Book Review, Key Lessons & Life-Changing Money Insights.

One of the book’s most remarkable qualities is its ability to convey deep insights with clarity, avoiding complex jargon or overwhelming formulas. Morgan Housel presents his ideas in a simple yet profound manner. What sets this book apart is its universal appeal—whether you're new to personal finance or an experienced investor, its powerful lessons, delivered through relatable stories and timeless behavioral principles, can transform your perspective on money.


• Accessible and Engaging: Written in plain language with real-world stories, it makes financial psychology easy to understand for everyone.
• Short and Powerful Chapters: Each chapter delivers a self-contained lesson, making it easy to digest over time.
• Emotionally Intelligent: The book respects the emotional side of finance—fear, greed, joy, and regret—and teaches readers to manage it.

3. Constructive Criticism: Where It Falls Short

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: Book Review, Key Lessons & Life-Changing Money Insights.

While the book excels in delivering wisdom through stories, it occasionally lacks depth in actionable financial strategies. Readers seeking concrete investment guidance or portfolio structures may find it somewhat abstract. Additionally, some examples are repeated, which might feel redundant to attentive readers.

However, it’s essential to understand that the book isn’t intended to be a financial manual—it’s about a mindset shift.

4. Who Should Read This Book?

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: Book Review, Key Lessons & Life-Changing Money Insights.

 The Psychology of Money isn’t just another finance book—it’s a guide that speaks to the human side of wealth. Whether you're just beginning to understand money or have been managing it for years, Housel’s insights are universally applicable. The book doesn't require you to be an economist or investor; it simply asks for curiosity about how financial decisions shape your life and future. Here’s who will benefit most from its timeless lessons:

• Young professionals starting their financial journey
• Investors and entrepreneurs seeking mindset clarity
• Anyone struggling with saving, spending, or financial regret
• Readers of psychology and behavioral economics

 Conclusion: A Timeless Guide to Money Mindset

The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel: Book Review, Key Lessons & Life-Changing Money Insights.

The Psychology of Money is a refreshing take on personal finance that goes beyond numbers and charts. Morgan Housel gives readers the most valuable investment advice: know yourself. This book doesn’t promise instant wealth but offers something far more important—emotional and behavioral awareness, which is the true foundation of financial success.

Whether you're aiming to grow your savings, reduce money stress, or build a smarter financial future, this book can profoundly change how you view wealth. It’s not just a book about money—it’s a mirror for how we think and behave.

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Prefer listening over reading? You can explore the full audiobook version of The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel..

If you prefer reading online or downloading for offline access, you can find the PDF version of The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel available here. (For educational and personal use only)

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What can I eat to control my diabetes? What are the best foods to control diabetes?

What can I eat to control my diabetes? What are the best foods to control diabetes?

  March 20, 2022    MH Pasha

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What can I eat to control my diabetes? What are the best foods to control diabetes?

Here are some home remedies for diabetes that have no side effects but are very helpful in controlling diabetes!

 Green Tea! This Tea is unfermented and hence has high Poly Phenol content which has strong antioxidant and hypoglycemic effects, the polyphenol health in controlled release of blood sugars.

 Cinnamon water! It is an effective way of treating diabetes at home, drinking cinnamon with warm water or on an empty stomach helps increase the metabolism.

 

What can I eat to control my diabetes? What are the best foods to control diabetes?

Drumstick Leaves! (Drumstick is one of those rare plant species whose seeds, flowers, leaves, and stems are edible and extremely nutritious) the fiber content in them increases the feeling of satisfaction and slows the breakdown of food.

 Almonds! Eating soaked almonds every day in the morning also helps keep diabetes in check.

 Fenugreek! Overnight-soaked Fenugreek seeds are considered a very effective remedy.

Tomato Juice! Tomato juice with salt and pepper on an empty stomach every morning also helps in controlling diabetes. 

 

What can I eat to control my diabetes? What are the best foods to control diabetes?

High-fiber Vegetables! Vegetables such as Broccoli beans, spinach peas, and leafy vegetables should definitely be included in one's daily diet, fiber can help you feel full and satisfied and may help regulate the blood sugar levels since people with diabetes are at double the risk for cardiovascular complications fibers ability to lower cholesterol and blood pressure levels is a great way to improve heart health.

What can I eat to control my diabetes? What are the best foods to control diabetes?

 Pulses! Pulses should be considered an important part of the daily diet in diabetic people, the Carbs impulses do not affect the blood like other carb sources pulses are a very rich source of protein.

 Fruits! Many people believe that diabetic people should not consume fruits as they are sweet in nature though that is true but not for all fruits some fruits like mangos, grapes, and bananas contain high sugar and should be avoided, but fruits like papaya, pear, apple, guava, and orange are high in fiber and can be consumed.

 Conclusion! Diet can have a major role in preventing and managing diabetes. Here are the best foods and home remedies for people living with diabetes, always remember to eat a healthy diet and live a healthy life.

Share this post with your family and friends, and let us know what you think of this post, if you have any comments or suggestions, be sure to write in the comments section below.

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How Does nitric oxide help in sexual and physical health? 8 Foods to Increase Nitric Oxide Naturally for Improve Sexual and Physical Health

How Does nitric oxide help in sexual and physical health? 8 Foods to Increase Nitric Oxide Naturally for Improve Sexual and Physical Health

  March 14, 2022    MH Pasha

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How Does nitric oxide help in sexual and physical health? 8 Foods to Increase Nitric Oxide Naturally for Improve Sexual and Physical Health

 Nitric oxide is a gaseous molecule that causes the blood vessels to dilate and relax, which is essential for physical and sexual health, it also helps in the production of male hormones, motility of sperm, and healthy-looking skin, suffice it to say that nitric oxide plays an important role in many aspects of our healthy lives.

 Natural foods are the best way to improve our health in every way, eight foods that can be effective in increasing the level of nitric oxide in our body, nitric oxide is very necessary for improving our physical and sexual health.

 

Pomegranate! Pomegranate is an excellent fruit for producing nitric oxide because it contains quercetin, an antioxidant that increases the release of nitric oxide from quercetin cells (a plant flavonoid), found in many plants and foods, (Like onions, green tea, and apples) also, fight free radicals that can damage body cells which produce nitric oxide if want to increase sexual performance and lead a healthy lifestyle, there is no better idea than eating pomegranate if you want, there is an ancient saying that one pomegranate cures 100 diseases.

 Beets! It's good for your colon the truth is those beets are also excellent for nitric oxide production and have proven to improve erectile function in men a study done by the national institute of health found a significant increase in blood flow after participants drank beet juice a major indicator of nitric oxide levels nitric oxide has been shown to strengthen artery walls and reduce high blood pressure this leads to better circulation throughout the body which results in an erection, so don't limit yourself to just eating beets as a vegetable add them into your diet also as a supplement.

 Garlic! A recent study on nitric oxide production found that garlic causes a significant increase in NO2-N concentration (NO2-N is the active form of nitric oxide), plays an important role in regulating blood flow by relaxing smooth muscle cells within the walls of arteries this helps to keep your vessels open, so they can transport oxygen-rich blood throughout your body.

 Carrots! Are one of the vegetables with high nitrate, nitrates are included in our saliva, which converts into nitric oxide, nitric oxide then diffuses to other cells where it causes them to release their nitric oxide which amplifies its effects on the entire body.

 Leafy greens! A study published in the journal of sexual medicine found that nitric oxide production is increased by leafy greens because they have nitrates which convert into nitric oxide this helps improve blood flow to all parts of the body including muscles organs skin and even the penis this means leafy greens are a healthy food choice for men.

 

How Does nitric oxide help in sexual and physical health? 8 Foods to Increase Nitric Oxide Naturally for Improve Sexual and Physical Health

 Citrus Fruits!  A study in the journal of sexual medicine found that eating a diet rich in vitamin C may increase nitric oxide production which can help men with erectile dysfunction, the American neurological association's guidelines for treating erectile dysfunction recommend, consuming foods high in vitamin C like citrus fruits.

 Nuts and Seeds! Nuts and seeds are good for nitric oxide production because they're high in arginine an amino acid that's essential for nitric oxide production the higher your levels of nitric oxide the better circulation and more oxygen getting delivered to all body parts while also carrying away toxins nitric oxide is also important for erection since it relaxes muscles and increases blood flow to certain areas.

 Dark Chocolate! Recent studies show that dark chocolate contains polyphenols called Catechins (which are a type of phenolic compounds very abundant in tea, cocoa, and berries to which are ascribed a potent antioxidant activity) which increase nitric oxide production by acting on certain enzymes involved in its synthesis.

How Does nitric oxide help in sexual and physical health? 8 Foods to Increase Nitric Oxide Naturally for Improve Sexual and Physical Health

 Conclusion! Sexual health or sexual fitness is an incredibly important aspect of life, which should not be taken lightly, eating certain foods with healthy habits, such as exercising regularly can help to increase nitric oxide levels in the body, over time, improves physical fitness as well as sexual desire and performance, now you can improve your sexual and physical health by simply making a few simple lifestyle changes or adding new foods to your diet.

Share this post with your friends, and let us know what you think of this post, if you have any comments or suggestions, be sure to write in the comments section.

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How is hard work rewarded? How do work hard to help you reach your dreams, goals, aspirations, and success? What is hard work in life?

How is hard work rewarded? How do work hard to help you reach your dreams, goals, aspirations, and success? What is hard work in life?

  February 18, 2022    MH Pasha

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How is hard work rewarded? How do work hard to help you reach your dreams, goals, aspirations, and success? What is hard work in life?

Two voices come to mind. One is the voice we love to hear. It's a soft voice that says go to sleep, that's fine. Well, at midnight another voice wakes you up. You have to work harder. You didn't spend much time. This is the voice you want to run away from, this is the voice you don't want to hear, this is the voice you need to hear. People offer goals, dreams, aspirations, and whatever they want to achieve, but you rarely hear people say what they are willing to sacrifice to achieve it. They will tell you their purpose, dreams, and aspirations. They will tell you that they want to be elite. They will tell you that they want to be great, but they do not want to sacrifice for it. You are not getting up when you have to get up, you are delaying, but you let yourself slip. Don't sit with people who are with you only when you have something to encourage them, they are not the ones you want to hang out with. No matter what the situation is, no matter how you are, you have to stop telling yourself that you are doing enough.

How is hard work rewarded? How do work hard to help you reach your dreams, goals, aspirations, and success? What is hard work in life?

You have to do more in life until you feel this tremendous sense of human being, I'm leaving everyone behind, I'm doing a lot, once you get there you know Maybe you did. Enough is enough, when you have the least motivation you have to do your best, so when you don't want to do it you have to get up and do a lot, at this moment of your life. You are not only doing what you are doing but doing the best you can when you're quitting and giving up when you're saying okay enough, it's time to relax, leave the gold Give up whatever it takes to get better to be the best, You have to find something inside you, and it has to push you, and it has to drive you, and when you find your way you find a way to do it, and when you want to give up, make sure you remember all the times and hours and days that you sacrificed to be the best.

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How to start over and rebuild your life from scratch? 7 Priceless Tips to help you start over again in life

How to start over and rebuild your life from scratch? 7 Priceless Tips to help you start over again in life

  February 15, 2022    MH Pasha

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How to start over and rebuild your life from scratch? 7 Priceless Tips to help you start over again in life

 

 Things happen, and sometimes, life will force you to start over from scratch, instead of freaking out, you can view the experience as something that will help you become the person you are destined to be. It’s another chance to be happy, go over 7 things to help you start over again, and make the process easier.

 

How to start over and rebuild your life from scratch? 7 Priceless Tips to help you start over again in life

 One! Realize people won’t care as much as you think. One of the biggest reasons why some people are afraid of starting over to live a better life is because of other people’s opinions. When you start over in life, you will be leaving your comfort zone. You might worry about what your friends and family think about you starting over. The truth is that most people don’t care that much about you. Most people will be thinking about themselves and their shortcomings instead of judging you. If you can stop worrying about what other people think, starting over again will be much easier.

 

How to start over and rebuild your life from scratch? 7 Priceless Tips to help you start over again in life

 

 Two! Accept the past and let go of it, it’s hard to start over again if you are fixated on the past, whatever happened back then happened already, you can’t change what happened in the past, and you should focus on the future instead, you need to decide to let go since things don’t happen on their own, acceptance isn’t as hard as you think since it means that you acknowledge it has happened, and you are ready to move on from it, focus your energy on creating your dream life instead of worrying about the past and starting over again will feel better.

 

How to start over and rebuild your life from scratch? 7 Priceless Tips to help you start over again in life

 Three! Start with the end goal in mind, when you are starting over, you need to know what to change and what kind of new life you want to create, without the end goal in mind, you will be lost, think of what you want in your new life and find out which parts you need to change in your old life to get where you want, maybe you are starting over and switching careers, so you need to learn the skills needed to make the switch, with the end goal in mind, you can have the plan to get there.

 

How to start over and rebuild your life from scratch? 7 Priceless Tips to help you start over again in life

 Four! Detach yourself from the outcome, this point might not make sense especially since the previous tip was to start with the end goal in mind but keep watching, sometimes we can’t get what we want, when you focus only on trying to succeed, it won’t be sustainable, and it doesn’t work at the highest level, if you only focus on the result, you will get lost on the way and lose sight of the underlying mission, take Gary Vaynerchuk for example, one of his goals is to buy the New York Jets, he doesn’t care much about the outcome, but he enjoys the journey so much, and it makes him happy, learn to let go of your ideas on what is supposed to happen because things don’t always go your way, focusing on the journey instead of the outcome will make you happier and help make starting over again easier.

 

How to start over and rebuild your life from scratch? 7 Priceless Tips to help you start over again in life

 Five! Let go of your limiting beliefs and excuses, your limiting beliefs will stop you from taking the action you need, to get rid of your limitations, you have to take a step back and see what they are limitations are things that keep you trapped in a loop, they define the quality of your life, of course, some limiting beliefs are true, and they do have a positive impact on your life, for example, a 30-year-old man who hasn’t played basketball before will have a belief that he won’t get into the NBA, this is true, and the belief tells him that he shouldn’t spend his time trying to get good at basketball unless it’s a hobby he enjoys, however, most of our limiting beliefs are false, and you should ask yourself where did it come from and if it is true, after that, you can replace that belief with something not limiting, if you want to start over and improve your life, you have to get rid of those limiting beliefs.

 

How to start over and rebuild your life from scratch? 7 Priceless Tips to help you start over again in life

 Six! Trust your intuition, when you start over, there are so many things you can do, maybe you should follow your passion, or maybe you should do something safe and secure like what a lot of people in society do, instead of doing what the voices around you say, you need to trust your gut, do what you want to do to create the life you want, trust yourself because you know more than you think you do.

 

How to start over and rebuild your life from scratch? 7 Priceless Tips to help you start over again in life

 Seven! Prepare for failure, when you are starting over and creating a new life, there will be times when you will fail, you might want to revert to your old life since your new plan isn’t working, but you want to avoid that, you want to make a plan for failure, so you don’t revert to your old life, everyone will have different ways to deal with this, but I recommend practicing gratitude if you can be more grateful for your new life and new opportunity, you will be less likely to revert.

 

How to start over and rebuild your life from scratch? 7 Priceless Tips to help you start over again in life

 Conclusion! Starting over in life can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be, pick a few of the tips mentioned above and follow them, starting over is a great opportunity to be someone better, even if it doesn’t feel that way at the moment, did you ever have to start over in life? Leave a comment below.

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How Short Your Life REALLY Is? The time is real wealth, Utilization of Time and Get What you want in life! Why time is very important in life?

How Short Your Life REALLY Is? The time is real wealth, Utilization of Time and Get What you want in life! Why time is very important in life?

  January 29, 2022    MH Pasha

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How Short Your Life REALLY Is?  The time is real wealth, Utilization of Time and Get What you want in life! Why time is very important in life?

 When people say, they usually mean what they want to do in life, whether that be their career or relationships or entertainment? But I've been thinking differently, of course, I've been thinking about those things but, I've also been thinking about how much of your life is yours how much of your life is being lived to its full potential? Are you living? Or are you just existing? On average, you're gonna get about 79 years on this big rock called earth If you live in Monaco, it's closer to 90, If you live in Chad, you'll be lucky to get 50 Regardless, we don't get 79 years of freedom, we have responsibilities and things that we can't ignore most importantly our bodies; Assuming you sleep 8 hours a night on average, about a third of your life over 26 years is gonna be spent sleeping, we're down from 79 To 53 but, it doesn't stop there, Chances are, you're going to or have gone to school, in the United States You'll go for at least 12 years 8 hours a day 5 days a week for 36 weeks a year, this amounts to 17,280 hours spent just inside the school building, but wait, we also have to factor in homework and out-of-school activities among other things, so this is more like22,000 to 25,000 hours or about 3 years of your life if you go to college or University afterward make it 5 years instead we're down to 48 years,

How Short Your Life REALLY Is?  The time is real wealth, Utilization of Time and Get What you want in life! Why time is very important in life?

 well, all this schooling and money you've spent getting a degree has to be put to some use right? Chances are you'll try and get a job with the field of whatever it is your degree is in, it'll probably be a full-time job, so you'll be working 40 hours weeks pretty regularly, if not more than that let's say you get two weeks of vacation per year, the average person works for about 40 to 50 years of their life, so we'll just go with the average and say 45, over your entire life you'll work on average about 90,000 hours or about 10 years of your life, we have 38 years left wait, depending on where you live your commute to work will vary, you might drive your self you might walk you might use an Uber or a taxi, regardless your commute to and from work on average takes about one and a half hours a day, adding this up over your entire working career. It amounts to 17,500 to 20 hours, or about two years of your life.36 years left, all of this work and studying really builds up an appetite, so you should probably spend some time eating, on an average day we spend about 70 minutes just eating food to survive, in your 79 years of life you'll spend about 32,000 hours just eating, or about 4 years of your life, down to 32, well after you're done eating you have to clean up and maybe do some chores around the house, on average, you spend about one hour a day doing tasks just around your house cleaning up after you eat washing dishes, doing laundry, showering and plenty of other stuff this amounts to nearly 29,000 hours throughout your life or about three years,

How Short Your Life REALLY Is?  The time is real wealth, Utilization of Time and Get What you want in life! Why time is very important in life?

29 years left, eventually, all of that food and water has to leave your body somehow you'll spend about three months of your life just sitting on the restroom of course, we also waste time, and we do it pretty well, over the course of our lifetimes we'll spend about 115,000 hours on our phones, or about 13 years, this of course is just your phone, this doesn't include you watching TV, you playing games among other things,16 years left, assuming you can afford to retire at the average age of 62 you'll spend the rest of your life living the luxuries of retirement if you can still function properly, over 50% of retired people over the age of 65 have some sort of disability with 15% of those people having three or more chances are if you are one of these people you'll be in and out of medical care pretty often, so those final 16 years of freedom you have It's a coin flip, that doesn't exactly entail freedom so overall you have one year in your 79 years life to really and truly do what you want to do but despite the age you might be, young or old you may be nearing the end of your time with some of the most important people in your life, for example, while you're young and in school from the ages of 1 to 18 you'll most likely be spending nearly every day in the presence of your parents after you finish your schooling, assuming your parents are in their mid 40s will say they have about 30 years left in their life, the real world starts to set in, your job, you're possible relationships, your important things to do in life take priority, eventually, if you leave your hometown, you'll only be seeing your parents around holidays and special occasions, maybe 10 days a year, so 300 days left with the people who brought you into the world, whereas before you would see them almost every single day, you have already spent 95% of the time that you will ever spend with your parents in the first 18 years of your life, and now you only have the remaining 5% for the rest of your life, at the end of the day there's only one thing that matters and that's your own happiness, well many people don't realize that they do so many things in life just to try and succeed as opposed to fulfilling a purpose, they work a job they hate for 40 years just to make that extra$30,000 a year, so they can afford a car that they only drive to work, it's temporary happiness, not genuine happiness, people who are school to become a doctor because their mom or their dad or somebody else told them to not because they actually want to, I really hope that every single person gets insanely rich and famous, 

How Short Your Life REALLY Is?  The time is real wealth, Utilization of Time and Get What you want in life! Why time is very important in life?

so, they could finally realize, that this isn't the point of life, the point is to be happy with what you're doing while you're doing it, sure the 45 working years or however long you're working is going to be hard to get past, but what if you don't hate waking up every day to go to work? What if your work is your happiness? You see life isn't a straight path, you can't map it out perfectly one-to-one, it just doesn't work like that, we spend every day planning on what we're going to do the next instead of just taking in the day for what it is, sure, we have to eat, duh but what if we spend that time eating with friends or family or just people who make your life better? Your commute to work might be long and tedious sometimes but what if you spend that time listening to podcasts or carpooling with coworkers and friends the 13 years we waste on our phones might seem useless, but what if we use that time to build the business you've always wanted to or build the brand you've always wanted to talk to people about the random ideas you get you'll bring so much value to people that you never even thought was possible let's say you take care of yourself and regularly work out and eat decently well your chances of being healthy later in life is much more likely, and you'll have much more free time to master the things that you really want whether that be a skill or just relationships with others no matter what you or I or any person on this planet does time doesn't stop for anyone time is the one thing you cannot get back if you lose a lot of money, it's fine you can get more, if your friend decides to turn their back on you, it's fine there are millions of people out there in the same situation, but time you can't get it back once it's gone, it's gone, how many days have you spent doing the same mundane tasks that you hate and more importantly when is it going to end? Life is about choices every choice you've ever made that you only have one life at least in this Universe, why not make your own decisions? So many people live life predicated on somebody else's opinion, which is dumb people have so many barriers in life, but they aren't really about money, they aren't about time they aren't about how you look it's about opinions, other people's opinions, probably about 90% of people are unhappy because they value someone else's opinion more than their own when you're old and unable to do the

How Short Your Life REALLY Is?  The time is real wealth, Utilization of Time and Get What you want in life! Why time is very important in life?

things that you could have when you're younger you'll regret and regret hurts more than any breakup failure or anything else ever could life doesn't have to suck you don't have to regret everything, that FOMO or fear of missing out is a poison instead of living trying to mimic people you see on Instagram or YouTube or social media just live based on your terms, instead of just observing and living passively, really start to think about what you do with your time does that mean to call your boss and tell him you quit? No, does that mean dropping out of school tomorrow? Not at all it means is to truly decide what you want in life and put yourself in the right direction, it's not gonna happen overnight, that's not the point, there would be no journey then, as clit-ch, as it sounds, your 79 years journey here is very short, sure, It's technically the longest thing you'll ever do, but the Universe is 13.8 billion years old, if the universe's history was condensed down into 24 hours, the world as we know it with cars and airplanes and civilization as we know it would only come into existence in the very last second, block out any negativity in your life, and once you can truly realize, that the only opinion that matters is your own, life can get pretty clear, and the noises inside your head get pretty quiet.

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How to reset our behavior? Which is the correct behavior? How to reduce anxiety, depression, and physical pain- Dr. Anna Lembke

How to reset our behavior? Which is the correct behavior? How to reduce anxiety, depression, and physical pain- Dr. Anna Lembke

  January 28, 2022    MH Pasha

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How to reset our behavior? Which is the correct behavior? How to reduce anxiety, depression, and physical pain- Dr. Anna Lembke

 The richest countries in the world are the countries that have the most suicide, anxiety, depression, and physical pain; the more we have a good life, lots of food, lots of fun stuff, and lots of medicines, to protect us from illness and pain, we've clearly reached some kind of tipping point we're now essentially more miserable than ever and the question is why? 

The Social Dilemma! Your solution to this modern problem, and it's a modern problem that we all have is to one of the most findings in Neuroscience in the last hundred years is that pleasure and pain are co-located by which, that the same parts of the brain that process pleasure also process pain, and they work like opposite sides of the balance so when we do something that's pleasurable or reinforcing or rewarding that balance tips to the side of pleasure when we experience something painful like cutting our finger it tips to the side of pain but one of the overarching rules governing this balance is that it wants to remain level it doesn't want to be tipped for very long either to pleasure or pain and the brain will work very hard to restore a level balance or what neuroscientists call homeostasis it's really a biological imperative not just in our own physiologic symptoms but in the universe to go to homeostasis and that any deviation from neutrality is actually a form of stress in fact biologists define stress as a deviation in either direction and that's really the key the problem with modern life and one of the main problems with modern life is that we have too many pleasurable substances and behaviors and that is actually stressing us out it's literally stressful.

 

How to reset our behavior? Which is the correct behavior? How to reduce anxiety, depression, and physical pain- Dr. Anna Lembke

So, when we do something just obviously pleasurable like having a beer or playing a video game or eating a piece of chocolate it depends on who you are because people are different but in general those things are pleasurable to many people what we do is we get a little tilt to the pleasure side, and we get the release of dopamine in our brains reward pathway which is this evolutionarily phylogenetically conserved very old part of the brain that's been unchanged in our brains for just millennia and is also identical in other species all the way down to the lizard which is why it's sometimes called the lizard brain, our evolution meant that we've piled a bunch of other layers on top but that part is exactly the same as it's always been, and it's the part that gets us again to approach pleasure and avoid pain but here's really the key the way that the brain restores a level balance or homeostasis after this deviation to the pleasure side is to not just bring it level again but tilt it in equal and opposite amount to the side of pain and that's called the opponent process reaction and sort of thing that is these little gremlins that represent neuro adaptation hopping on the pain side of the balance, but they like it on the balance, so they stay on until it's tipped and equal and opposite amount, that moment of wanting just one more video game, another beer another piece of chocolate now if we wait a little because it's a powerful physiologic drive to reach for more if we wait the gremlins hop off that feeling passes and homeostasis is restored, and we want homeostasis to be restored it's really important because it's fundamental to the resilience of this system because when the system is at baseline homeostasis it's sensitive right it senses new pleasures it's aware of potential dangers and painful things, so we know to avoid them but let's look at what happens if we instead of waiting for those gremlins to hop off instead immediately reach for another beer another piece of chocolate another video game another major rule of this balance is that with repeated exposure to the same or similar stimuli that initial response gets weaker and shorter, and the after response gets stronger and longer so, that as sort of Arnold Schwarzenegger type gremlin hopping on the pain side to bring it balance again, so we need stronger gremlins right and essentially what's happening in the brain. 

How to reset our behavior? Which is the correct behavior? How to reduce anxiety, depression, and physical pain- Dr. Anna Lembke

 These Neuro adaptation gremlins is that we're down regulating our own dopamine transmission we're taking our dopamine receptors that are on the outside of our Neurons, and we're resorting them into the Neuron all of which is a way to accommodate this huge increased bolus in dopamine but again what ends up happening is now that opponent process reaction is stronger and longer, so we go from shorter and weaker to stronger and longer on the pain side of the balance and that is the fundamental sort of paradox or vicious cycle that we get into especially when we're living in a world in which we have nearly universal ubiquitous access to highly potent highly reinforcing drugs and behaviors which don't just release a little of dopamine but a whole huge bolus, and we're all surrounded by them all the time every day and over time what that means is that we're bombarding our dopamine reward pathway with way more dopamine than our primitive brains can handle, and the result is that we end up with enough gremlins on the pain side of the balance to fill this whole room, and they are now camped out there and that's called Allostasis, so we've gone from Homeostasis to allostasis and allostasis is where our body has to accommodate and work very hard to try to restore Homeostasis. 

How to reset our behavior? Which is the correct behavior? How to reduce anxiety, depression, and physical pain- Dr. Anna Lembke

 If it's unable to do that using the normal mechanisms it essentially changes our set point, so now we've got those gremlins camped out there they're not leaving even when we wait a while they're camped out there our balance it's easier to tip it to the side of pain, and it's really hard now to experience pleasure and when we're not using we're in a state of anxiety universal symptoms of withdrawal from any addictive substance anxiety irritability insomnia dysphoria and craving for our drug this is the fundamental problem if you look at rates of depression and anxiety all over the world today they are going up skyrocketing suicide rates too also physical pain the richest countries in the world are the countries that have the most suicide anxiety depression and physical pain and this is by different measures many survey measures many types of studies, so clearly we have something very strange going on here where the more we have of the kinds of you know ideal things that we think would make a good life right lots of food lots of fun stuff lots of medicines to protect us from you know illness and pain we've clearly reached some kind of tipping point we're now essentially more miserable than ever and the question is why, that the pleasure pain balance explains that because our primitive brains were not wired for an easy hyper convenient world we are suffering as a result of all of this access to these feel good things the first thing that we need to do is to cut out all of these feel-good substances and behaviors at least for long enough for essentially dopamine fasting right and whatever your source of dopamine is to cut it out for long enough now in clinical experience, have patients who come in seeking help for anxiety depression insomnia and the first thing that will typically do is to have them cut out their feel good drugs and behaviors we are hardwired to approach pleasure and avoid pain and that's really at the heart of our dopamine reward system dopamine is not just about the reward it's also about the wanting and the motivation, and its relative dopamine, so it's whether our dopamine is above or below tonic baseline that really is at the heart of this motivational cycle.

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