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If you were to ask most people what they want from life, the average answer you would get is “I just want to be happy.” If you would ask most people what they would want for their kids you might get two answers “I just want them to be happy” or “I want them to be successful so they can be happy”. We are drowning in a culture of happiness. 4000 books a year are written on happiness. Google searches for happiness have exponentially increased. Products promise happiness. Food commercials promise happiness. And happiness is extolled as the highest virtue.
But here’s the interesting thing. What if I could promise you that I could create a tank, an amazing tank that you could program to feel any experience in the entire world. Pleasure, success, anything you dream of, and this experience would feel 100% real inside the tank. You could be the world's best athlete, olympic gold medalist, world cup champion, you could be the world's bestselling author, you could be the sexiest man alive or the most adventurous explorer, and while you were in the tank it would feel 100% real. You would feel happy. You would only have to leave the tank briefly to choose the next happy experience, and then you could go right back in. Would you choose this life for yourself? Would you choose this life for your kids? Even though the vast majority of people would say that happiness is their goal, when presented with the option to experience decades of “happiness” in the tank, most people would reject “the Tank” because deep down, they know that there is something much more valuable. A life with purpose, with meaning, with authenticity.
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Therapy in a Nutshell and the information provided by Emma McAdam are solely intended for informational and entertainment purposes and are not a substitute for advice, diagnosis, or treatment regarding medical or mental health conditions. Although Emma McAdam is a licensed marriage and family therapist, the views expressed on this site or any related content should not be taken for medical or psychiatric advice. Always consult your physician before making any decisions related to your physical or mental health. In therapy I use a combination of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Systems Theory, positive psychology, and a bio-psycho-social approach to treating mental illness and other challenges we all face in life. The ideas from my videos are frequently adapted from multiple sources. Many of them come from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, especially the work of Steven Hayes, Jason Luoma, and Russ Harris. The sections on stress and the mind-body connection derive from the work of Stephen Porges (the Polyvagal theory), Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) Francine Shapiro (EMDR), and Bessel Van Der Kolk. I also rely heavily on the work of the Arbinger Institute for my overall understanding of our ability to choose our life's direction.
And deeper than all of that, the Gospel of Jesus Christ orients my personal worldview and sense of security, peace, hope, and love https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/believe
If you are in crisis, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or your local emergency services.
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