Tom Rosshirt

“The self- image model of happiness … is an approach to happiness that consists of three actions: (1) cultivating a self- image or story that gives us feelings of love and belonging and meaning and purpose, (2) getting the important people in our lives to tell that story about us, and (3) trying to embody that story more fully. When we’re able to manage these three tasks, we’re happy. When we’re struggling to manage them, we’re anxious. When we fail to manage them, we fall into depression or addiction or illness.”
― Tom Rosshirt, Chasing Peace: A Story of Breakdowns, Breakthroughs, and the Spiritual Power of Neuroscience

“When we’re in the process of breakdown, there are actually three related things that are breaking down: (1) Our self-image is breaking down— as the evidence mounts that we’re not everything we say we are; (2) our body is breaking down— rom the strain of defending and promoting the self-image; and (3) the self-image strategy for happiness is breaking down— the strategy that says the best way to be happy is to try to become who we want to be in the world.
… Breaking down happens to all of us. Whether we’re losing the battle to fulfill our self- image or exhausting ourselves in trying to win it, we all break down. But we don’t always break through. This book is about flipping breakdowns into breakthroughs by surrendering the self- image that once was moving us forward, but now is holding us back.”
― Tom Rosshirt, Chasing Peace: A Story of Breakdowns, Breakthroughs, and the Spiritual Power of Neuroscience