Born to Flourish

For anyone who is overwhelmed, stressed, or lonely in today's world, or who simply senses they have an untapped potential to lead a more fulfilling life, here are ways to flourish.

The human species is experiencing a massive mental health crisis. Depression is now the leading cause of morbidity globally. Loneliness is more dangerous to our health than smoking 15 cigarettes per day. Suicide rates in different groups in some parts of the world are skyrocketing and cut across social class and income. Distractibility and impairments of concentration are at an all-time high, and teens are spending more time on social media than they do sleeping.

Now, based on decades of neuroscientific research, Dr Richard Davidson, a pioneering neuroscientist and New York Times bestselling author, and Dr Cortland Dahl, one of the world's foremost experts on the science and practice of meditation, share their groundbreaking scientific model - the Healthy Minds Framework - that highlights the four core skills of human flourishing to counteract such problems.

Each skill - awareness, insight, connection, and purpose - translates into practices that all of us can do in simple ways, every day, with enormous positive results. When we cultivate these skills, we can navigate life's ups and downs with far more resilience and calmness, on a path to a life that feels balanced, rich, and rewarding.

'The authors developed a scientific model built around what they call the four skills of human flourishing - awareness, connection, insight, and purpose. Their trials have shown that it only takes a few minutes a day of meditation to rewire the brain for positive emotion and the ability to experience pain without suffering. ... As a user-friendly book on how to remain buoyant in stressful and turbulent times, it couldn't be more timely.'
-Fiona Capp, The Sydney Morning Herald

'Blending neuroscience with contemplative practice, this book explores how emotional resilience, compassion, and attention can be cultivated. Drawing on decades of research into wellbeing and meditation, the book offers a thoughtful examination of what it means to flourish in an increasingly distracted world.'
-The Denizen

'A proven path to living a full, rich life despite today's challenges. We all need this!'
-Dr Judson Brewer, PhD, New York Times bestselling author of Unwinding Anxiety