I recently came across an interesting interview with Davidson about current brain research. Daniel Redwood asked him what led to his strong interest in brain research.

Davidson replied: My strong interest in brain research really came from my interest in the mind and its potential. I had the intuition and conviction from very early on that much of the world's problems were caused by limitations in our mental functioning, that those limitations can be overcome with the appropriate intervention at the level of the mind.

Davidson goes on to say: "Modern knowledge in neuroscience underscores the idea of neuroplasticity, which means that the brain is an organ that changes in response to experience and in response to training. Essentially everything that we do, the totality of our experience and our behaviour, is constantly shaping our brains."

So, can meditation really make us happier? Davidson says, "Rather than thinking about qualities like happiness as a trait, we should think about them as a skill, not unlike a motor skill, like bicycle riding or skiing."

I am grateful for this thought! If it is a skill, we can practise the art of happiness and become skilled at it.

And in practising this wonderful skill, we can brighten the lives of others. What do you think about this?