A hero has faced it all: he need not be undefeated, but he must be undaunted.

Even in this secular country, the threat posed by religious fundamentalists is never very far away. Every major religious text exhorts the same principles - that of unyielding obedience to a supernatural being, and renunciation of the intellect and personal aspirations.

Negative thoughts stick around because we believe them, not because we want them or choose them.

Remember that stress doesn't come from what's going on in your life. It comes from your thoughts about what's going on in your life.

The less you think counterfactually, the less you experience stress. Stress, in this light, isn't a bad thing. It's simply a warning system telling you that your mind has lost touch with what's real.

Stress is a byproduct of subconscious beliefs you have about the world. You can't choose not to believe something. You believe it because you think it's true. To eliminate stress, you must learn to challenge these beliefs so that you see them differently.

People often say that stress is a motivator. What we're referring to when we say this is really better described as stimulation and engagement.