965 | You Get to Choose: How to Train Your Brain for Genuine Positivity

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In this episode of The Rachel Hollis Podcast, Rach explores the idea that positivity is not an innate personality trait but a skill that can be developed through intentional practice. Using the story of her first childbirth, a 52-hour labor that taught her the power of choosing how to respond to difficult circumstances, she argues that while people cannot control many of life’s challenges, they can control their perspective. Rachel explains the science behind negativity bias, cognitive distortions, and the brain’s tendency to focus on threats, emphasizing that thoughts are not facts and that mindfulness can help people separate themselves from unhelpful thinking patterns. She advocates for practical habits such as daily gratitude journaling, regulating self-talk, limiting negative social media influences, and moving the body regularly, citing research suggesting that a significant portion of happiness comes from intentional actions rather than life circumstances. Ultimately, she encourages listeners to view positivity as a daily practice of returning to gratitude, resilience, and hope, even in the midst of hardship, rather than as a form of denial or “toxic positivity.”

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