This is hidden brain.
I'm Shankar Vedantam.
In 1974, the singer Harry Chapin hit number one on the Billboard charts with a song about loss and love.
It told the story of a dad who misses his son's first steps and other milestones.
Games of catch get postponed as the dad finds himself distracted by work and various commitments.
Before he knows it, the son's entire childhood whizzes by.
The song cats in the cradle was inducted into the Grammy hall of Fame in 2011.
In a few memorable verses, it told the story of a life where your choices come full circle.
When the dad, now retired, reaches out to his son and asked to spend some time with him, the grown kid now says, I'd love to, dad, if I can find the time.
The enduring popularity of stories and songs like cats in the cradle reflects a sad truth.
We often take the most meaningful parts of our lives for granted, only to realize what we have lost after it is too late.
Many philosophical and spiritual traditions counsel people to express gratitude for the good things in their lives and to engage fully with the present.
So why do so many of us have trouble slowing down and savoring life?
This week on Hidden Brain, we begin a two part series about why its so hard to stop and notice what is wonderful about our lives and powerful psychological techniques to help us master this art.
Life is what happens when youre busy making other plants.
Its a quote widely attributed to John Lennon.
But the origins of this idea predate the Beatles by centuries.
At Loyola University Chicago, psychologist Fred Bryant studies this universal human conundrum and what we can do about it.
Fred Bryant, welcome to Hidden Brain.
Thank you, Shankar.