p.21 Unpredictability is closely related to uncontrollability.
p.24 [Suzanne] Kobasa first found that those with a great deal of life stress could be protected from physical
illness by a combination of three attitudes which together describe the stress-hardy personality. Commitment
is an attitude of curiosity and involvement in whatever is happening... The second attitude is control...
It is the belief that we can influence events, coupled with the willingness to act on that belief rather than be
a victim of circumstances. The third is challenge, the belief that life's changes stimulate personal growth
instead of threatening the status quo.
p.30 It is hard to know how well we will manage until we are issued an invitation to stress.
Shakespeare said, "When the sea was calm all boats alike showed mastership in floating." Only in a storm are they
obliged to cope. Storms and struggles, chaos and tragedy have always been looked upon as the teachers of the valuable,
if unwelcome, lessons. In the struggle to survive a stressful situation, a new way of being often emerges that is much more
satisfying than the old... The phoenix that arises from its ashes and the seed that dies to give birth to the flower are all
variations on the theme of life as a continuous process of growth.
p.37 These two paths - taking action where required and surrendering when no further action is possible
- are the paths to stress hardiness.
p.91 Mindfulness is meditation in action and involves a "be here now" approach that allows life to unfold
without the limitation of prejudgment. It means being open to an awareness of the moment as it is and to what the moment could
hold.
p.91,92 Watch small children at play to see mindfulness in action... To a child, everything is fresh
and new. The more we think we know it all, the more closed off from the changing experience of life we become.
p.92 The mind can dart back and forth between several things, but it can hold only one thing in full focus.
p.151 It's often the frame of reference through which we view the world that creates the meaning of events.
p.163,164 Creativity requires special conditions... Most research is a synthesis of problem solving
and creativity.
p.164 The absolute requirement for creativity is blindfolding the judge. The first
part of the creative process needs to be free of inhibitions. Later on, when ideas are fully formed, there is plenty
of time to scrutinize them.
p.166 The fact is that your body can't tell the difference between what's actually happening and
what you're imagining... Every time you think about something, you are imagining. The details of the process differ
from person to person, but everyone has the ability to imagine.
p.167 Creative imagination is similar to hypnosis. To "get into" it, first you have to
let go.
p.169 How can you see a situation differently so that it becomes a learning experience
rather than an exercise in blame or guilt?
p.209 The only escape from stress, fear, and doubt is to confront them directly and see them for what they
are. Attempts to hide from stress can only have brief apparent effectiveness.
