Angela Grey's Blog, page 6
March 17, 2022
The Spiritual Memoir
Writing or reading the spiritual memoir is about the aching and questing of our souls. When we write down about the spiritual journey we become responsible to the sacred journey that we all take. Some may not choose to see it as such but it is a longing or a yearning to emerge that we all have within ourselves.
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Literature is a textually transmitted disease, normally contracted in childhood.
Jane Yolen, Touch Magic: Fantasy, Faerie & Folklore in the Literature of Childhood
So what do you put in a spiritual memoir? How do you go about it? You do so by uncovering, probing, and honoring what is sacred or spiritually important in your life as a means of spiritual growth. Then making that available to others to enhance their spirituality in their own lives. You first start on the journey between yourself and the great enigma that is life is to describe a mundane activity then reflect the spiritual mystery and what it reveals about you. Stretch your mind into the abyss.
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May Sarton, Journal of Solitude
Write to find out what you believe. Write to discover what you think. Sometimes, only the written word will bring clarity.
Make a list of all the important questions in you life like: What happens when we die? Why did your mother abandon you? What exactly does it mean to forgive? Do I truly love? Am I truly loved? Am I focusing on the correct intentions? Answer them by freewriting. Allow your mind to wander with them and learn the spiritual importance you have trouble getting to by just sitting down to tell your life story.
Listen to your life. See it for the fathomless mystery it is. In the boredom and pain of it, no less than in the excitement and gladness: touch, taste, smell your way to the holy and hidden heart of it, because in the last analysis all moments are key moments, and life itself is grace.
Frederick Buechner, Now and Then: A Memoir of Vocation
At some point, in the process of rewriting and editing, your experiences will become unified and tangible. Allow a sense of discovery to infuse your words. And most of all read. And although you control what’s visible in your memoir, the story itself has the final say and often dictates where you may rather not want to go. That’s the spiritual side of memoir.
Until my next post, why not check out my YA novels about mental illness, memoir writing, or even my Native American mystery series on Amazon, or follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Bookbub , BookSprout, or AllAuthor.
March 16, 2022
Book review: What Extraordinary People Know by Anthony Moore
How to Cut the Busy B.S. and Live Your Kick-ass Life
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It’s a disease. Nobody thinks or feels or cares anymore; nobody gets excited or believes in anything except their own comfortable little God damn mediocrity.
Richard Yates, Revolutionary Road
The book starts out with a pretty good explanation of mediocrity and how we’re stuck in this trap by being complacent. Some people are too scared, fear of failure, too prideful, lack of resolve, and distraction. Being perpetually busy, the author says, is a sign of weakness, a cluttered mind unable to set boundaries. Most people are too lazy to live happier lives. So, what’s the solution to mediocrity? You have to go for better and not settle for less.
Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself; but talent instantly recognizes genius.
Arthur Conan Doyle, The Valley of Fear
It goes into breaking free of the trap by changing your environment, embracing the weird in ourselves, thoughts become reality, commitment to change, and how existing only brings on more of the same. Changing your environment means designing an environment that makes failure impossible, i.e. don’t keep snacks in the house if you’re on a diet. Systems versus goals is all about creating a system that allows us successful progress. Start by doing, not planning. Be a rebel. Do what others won’t to get that success. And be the first to act by initiating that relationship, apologize and ask forgiveness, tell them that you appreciate them, spending money and time in weird ways that others aren’t doing because they need to remain mediocre for their comfort level.
Anything less than mad, passionate, extraordinary love is a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life to deal with and love shouldn’t be one of them.
Tiffanie DeBartolo
Then it explains how to create a winning mindset through consistency, creating, learning, self-confidence, winning behaviors, and resisting mediocre advice. Once you start to believe, really believe, your brain starts operating under that assumption, the author says. Be committed to it. Don’t tolerate mediocre success, rise above it. And do it daily then be accountable through a calendar or social connection. The extraordinary individual seeks to learn and create not entertainment and distraction. Read. Read. Read. It allows for reduced stress, increased intelligence, improved focus, upgraded competence, and better sleep. Lastly, most people don’t know how to give anything but mediocre advice because they’ve settled. Don’t listen to them. Go out and change your life for the better. Succeed!
Buy this brief, fast-paced book here to read it in its entirety.
Until my next post, why not check out my YA novels about mental illness, memoir writing, or even my Native American mystery series on Amazon, or follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Bookbub , BookSprout, or AllAuthor.
March 15, 2022
Book review for You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero
This book starts out on how we ended up doubting our greatness. It goes into how we need to embrace God or our Source Energy or Loving Spirit or whatever we address it as and be present. It’s similar to The Secret by Rhonda Byrne is that it tells about how the universe is made up of energy, all energy vibrates and a certain frequency, and how vibration attracts like vibration. So we need to raise our frequency to match the vibration we want to tune into.
If you are depressed, you are living in the past.
If you are anxious, you are living in the future.
If you are at peace, you are living in the present.
Lao Tzu, ancient Chinese philosopher
So what are some of the best ways to win ourselves over again?
Appreciate how special we areDrown ourselves in affirmationsDo things we loveFind replacement thought patternsDitch the self-deprecating humorLet the love and positive comments in gracefullyDon’t compare ourselves to othersForgive ourselves by not dragging around guilt and self-criticsmLove ourselves because it’s the holy grail of happinessLikewise how can we truly not care about what others think and be our most powerful Self?
Ask ourselves why we are about to do or say something (motivations)Always do our best so we don’t feel insecure (half-assed)Trust our intuition (our inner guidance tool)Find a temporary role model or mentor (What would my hero do?)Love ourselves (forget about outside nonconstructive opinions)Getting clear about our unique purposeThe book goes on to stress the importance of meditation and how to do it. Our thoughts are the most powerful tools we got. So, we need to change our thinking first and then the evidence will appear. Tell our brain who is driving the bus. And it’s important to give, let give, show gratitude, and have faith. Faith is having the audacity to believe in the not-yet seen and our best buddy when scared. Next the book goes into choosing our freedom by allowing ourselves to forgive. “Holding on to resentment is like taking poison and waiting for your enemies to die.” Then the author highlights procrastination and perfectionism as being two of the most popular forms of sabotage. That’s because if we’re serious about changing our way then we’ll find a way to do it. If not, we’ll find an excuse. Done is better than perfect. Don’t make being in fear a habit.
The people you surround yourself with are excellent mirrors for who you are and how much, or how little, you love yourself.
Jen Sincero, author of You Are a Badass
Our reality is a mirror of our thoughts, the people in our reality included. Choose people that help us be our better selves and that encourage us to try. Nobody ever gets to the top of the mountain without first falling, the author writes. The only failure is quitting. Everything else is just gathering information. We need to learn that it is our beliefs that hold the key to our success.
Surrender to what is. Say “yes” to life and see how life suddenly starts working for you, rather than against you.
Eckhart Tolle, author of The Power of Now
All in all, this book is about our faith in the Universe needing to be stronger than the fear of not getting what we want. To read it in its entirety, get the book here.
Until my next post, why not check out my YA novels about mental illness, memoir writing, or even my Native American mystery series on Amazon, or follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Bookbub , BookSprout, or AllAuthor.
March 14, 2022
Book review for The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It by Kelly McGonigal
Synopsis: What is stress? It is how we react when something in our life is threatened. If you experience too much you death risk can increase. But that’s only if you view stress as a negative. People who don’t view it as a negative have a very low risk of death because “mind over matter.” Being positive can be beneficial since it impacts how healthy you are because it plays a large role in our feelings, behaviors, and thoughts.
The book discusses how different stress responses help us connect, age, and grow. While fight or flight has its place, stress can help us work through challenges and become better people. The author writes that when life is stressful, it frequently is more meaningful. Even thinking about stress differently can help us cope with it. Resilient individuals can recognize that life goes on, no matter how stressful things get because more often than not, they went through hard times in the past. The author includes many examples and studies to back up her points.
So how do we benefit from our anxieties? Embrace them. Repeating positive mantras channels stress and turns it into strength. Embracing it can prevent us from getting into the anxiety-avoidance cycle. And when we have real interactions with other, stress becomes something different. It turns into knowledge, confidence, and courage. So, a better way to deal with stress is to reach out to other people.
When we see the ways stress can benefit us, we can bounce back from it more effectively. So, when we take a moment to evaluate how the situation is ultimately good for us, thinking through the problem at hand will help us better deal with the stress and help us in the future. While I enjoyed this book, the author’s Ted Talk was also good. To read this book in its entirety, get it here.
Until my next post, why not check out my YA novels about mental illness, memoir writing, or even my Native American mystery series on Amazon, or follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Bookbub , BookSprout, or AllAuthor.
March 13, 2022
Book review for The Other F Word: 7 Days to Forgiving Anyone
Benefits of thinking like a cat sounded goofy at first but it makes sense to not judge or hold a grudge, instead let go of the poison. We have polluted our lives with bitterness, anger, revenge, fear, that it’s no wonder our dreams don’t materialize in the midst of our emotional toxic waste dump.
While this book is religious in nature, there are a plethora of good suggestions about forgiving yourself as well as others.
Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else, it’s something you do for yourself.
Jim Beaver
The chapter on culture, family patterns, and formative archetypes was a good review since I’d read examples such as these about Middle Eastern and Asian countries thoughts about family, like preferring boys over girls, and paternal authority.
So, what is your story? What exactly does that mean? Well, it can suggest a curiosity as to what pain you had in your past that you still carry with you that determines your personality. The author believes it’s a way of saying that we are the victims, and we need to get out from under that hold, that addiction to pain and suffering.
And what if you have challenging relatives such as a malicious mother-in-law? Don’t go through life feeling alienated instead forgiveness is the author’s suggestion. Sit with that fleeting feeling and breathe in the lighthearted nature that now encompasses you.
The author’s seven day forgiveness process is similar to that twelve steps of recovery and includes such things as the angry letter, forgiveness, and the completion letter.
Some of the book’s more interesting Q&A on the forgiveness process:
Won’t the other person see me as weak, a doormat?Is forgiving myself, selfish?What is the difference between forgiveness and justice?The author then goes into how lack of forgiveness can result in physical problems such as worry and an ulcer, and high blood pressure from anger, rage, or fear. Hives or insomnia can be brought on by intense or ongoing fear. Adding to that anorexia can be brought on by rejections and heart attack from lack of joy. I appreciated that she mentioned Louise M. Hay’s book, You Can Heal Your Life. In Hay’s book she writes that there are only two main mental patterns that contribute to our creation of disease which are anger and fear. Hay’s well thought out book lists almost fifty illnesses with their probable mental cause and the suggested new thought patterns.
Ericson continues on with how prosperity can be released through forgiveness. She states that it’s subconscious and that we inherit family patterns from our parents that we may need to release as well. Also list out other negative beliefs you have about money or the wealthy. Are these thoughts bogging you down? Fear is the separator in the role of gratitude which is a state of being. Allow grace to fill your awareness and let go of negative beliefs about money. The world is a reflection of our thoughts, and what usually results is a fearful self-image
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi
Anger management and the creation of your own garden of forgiveness goes into creating a sanctuary like the author has on her patio where she has her morning cup of tea. I appreciated the list of flowers and their meanings as well as the book suggestions on creating a garden of gratitude. All in all the book has a tremendous amount of sacred quotes that you may or may not find helpful. I found it interesting and calming. To read it in its entirety get it here.
Until my next post, why not check out my YA novels about mental illness, memoir writing, or even my Native American mystery series on Amazon, or follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Bookbub , BookSprout, or AllAuthor.
March 12, 2022
Book review for Writing for Bliss: A 7-step Plan for Telling Your Story and Transforming Your Life by Diana Raab
“Bliss may be defined as a natural direction to take to maximize your sense of joy and sense of fulfillment and performance. It is more powerful than happiness.” Writing and Bliss is about writing for therapy, for healing, and for transformation. It is about journaling (documenting and getting in touch with your feelings) which is a cathartic and safe way to spill out your stress or pain by being a storyteller which helps us understand and make sense of our lived experiences, the lessons we learned and our dreams for the future to help us transform to becoming aware of, facing, and becoming responsible for one’s thoughts and feelings.
In preparation to write, the author tells of the necessity of a writer, which is voraciously reading by being a seeker on the path to self-discovery. The book explains how to set up a writing spot, grounding, feeling gratitude, the connection of mind, body, and spirit, calming your mind, being fearless and courageous, and nurturing creativity, inspiration, and flow. Also interesting was the part of cultivating awareness, recalling your dreams, setting intentions and creative visualizations. Finding your voice, reflective writing, memory, and imagination were a good precursor to examining your life which encompasses purposes and themes, the meaning of experiences, the patterns in our lives, writing about difficult times, and sharing stories to heal the inner child.
Finding your writing form was also explained well, whether it be journaling, stream-of-conscious writing, memoir writing, poetry, or fiction. I particularly liked how the author wrote about the courage to write poetry as well as the necessity in reading poems of all kinds, shapes, and sizes. I also made numerous sticky notes focusing on the handy table of writing prompts. It gives you a starting place to find your bliss. This book is a keeper. Get yours here and read it in its entirety.
Until my next post, why not check out my YA novels about mental illness, memoir writing, or even my Native American mystery series on Amazon, or follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Bookbub , BookSprout, or AllAuthor.
March 11, 2022
Book review for From Stress to Stillness: Tools for Inner Peace by Gina Lake
This self-help book starts out with how stress affects the body via the stress channel and goes into how to and not create stress which was very interesting. “Stress results from the negative stories (negative thoughts in our body that cause tension and a sense of contraction) that our egoic mind tell us about ourselves, life, others, the past, the present, or the future.” We think we need such thoughts when they interfere with handling life and making it less enjoyable. So how do we let go of mental baggage? Awareness and turning down the volume on the egoic mind’s radio station of relentless mind messages. Or at least change it to the stillness channel which expand us rather than contracts us. The more we tune into stillness the easier it becomes and the less compelling the egoic chatter is.
The different types of stressful thoughts are explained nicely: “I” thoughts, stories, judgments, “shoulds”, self-criticism, self-doubt, fears, worries, ideas of perfection, and thoughts about the past. That section is followed nicely by their antidotes, or ways to drop the mental baggage like accepting people for the way they are and not imposing our desires and expectations on them. Or when it’s not reminiscing it’s reliving and drudging up sour circumstances. Our memories don’t even accurately reflect what happened in the past.
Noticing, accepting, investigating, reframing, and letting go of stressful thoughts and feelings is the way to heal the scab of unresolved memories or negative thoughts. And reframing is a way to let go of ideas of perfection. The author describes in detail how to do this next. Being present, being in the body and senses, being willing to not know, being grateful, accepting life, breathing practices, meditation, and bridges to presence are ways to switch the egoic mind’s radio channel to stillness. This book is filled with dialogue to change from negative to positive as well as instruction on how to meditate.
Changing our lifestyle by making time for stillness, slowing down, realizing less is more, reassessing our relationship to the media, and making time for our heart’s desires was an interesting chapter. I particularly enjoyed the thought about reassessing our relationship to the media and instead slowing down and making time for what will really calm us, which is things like gratitude, compassion, meditation, and breathing practices.
Keys to changing our lifestyle:
Make peace and less stress a priorityMeditate dailyDo things more slowly and with more presenceMinimize multitaskingUnplug and walk in nature, listen to music, cook, play, or gardenRemove ourselves from negative situations and peopleEliminate soul-stripping or unnecessary activitiesBe selective about television and the mediaConsume fewer material goodsSo realize the ego is often referred to by the term “false self” for a reason because it’s phony or false. Choose to eliminate that stress channel and tune into stillness by being present in the moment by letting go of that stressful thought the moment we recognize it. Stop. Take a deep breath. Switch the channel. Whatever our attention is focused on gains power. This book also notes Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D., author of The Biology of Belief which is a good choice to read. Keep in mind to slow down, be present, and follow our joy. Get the entire book here.
Until my next post, why not check out my YA novels about mental illness, memoir writing, or even my Native American mystery series on Amazon, or follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Bookbub , BookSprout, or AllAuthor.
March 10, 2022
Book review for Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping by Robert M. Sapolsky
Synopsis: Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers vividly explains the biology behind stress and its impact on our lives, functioning as an effective way to deal with immediate problems, while also posing serious health risks in the long run. The author also offers plenty of practical tips on how to keep stress under control.
Humans, unlike zebras, feel and create stress with the help of our complex brains by envisioning problems in the future (conjuring up intense situations like traffic jams, upcoming deadlines, the mortgage payment, or tense arguments) which other mammals don’t experience. From a evolutionary perspective, sustained psychological stress is a very recent phenomenon. Stress then is not only bad in itself but has effects on our cardiovascular system, insulin production, reproduction, and our overall health.
The author goes into how stress originates as an acute response to physical crises, but also imaginary things. Our brains autonomic nervous system (two systems that work in opposition to each other) manages the way we respond to and recover from stress. The way these systems interact is crucial to how we respond to stress. When under stress, the body prioritizes short-term, high-cost actions over long-term projects. These protective measures, while helpful, also are taxing on the body in the long run. Stress speeds up our blood flow, making us more likely to develop arterial and heart diseases. Then the stress of transferring energy in the body increases the risk of diabetes which can lead to other illnesses. Stress produces changes in the brain that resemble depression and make recovery from trauma more difficult.
Our intricate reproductive system is easily affected by stress, leading to problems for both men and women. Stress is unavoidable, so understanding and balancing our stress response systems is key. We need to take responsibility for the things we can control and providing social support can have a strong stress reducing effect.
The book has detailed how isolated instances like fleeing predators or pre-test anxiety contribute to stress; but poverty, goes beyond isolated incidents and thereby causes chronic stress. Note that our place in society affects stress levels and has a great impact on resistance to illness and mortality rates. The author points out a study of elderly nuns that lived in the exact same conditions for fifty years which had disparity that endures even after out of poverty and stays in the body through old age. Income inequality promotes lack of trust and social cohesion, which translates into worse health for the wealthy and the poor. Just constantly comparing yourself to those around you can create stress even for the rich.
This book did well at describing the physiological processes in regard to how stress is handled in the body and how we can relieve it. I especially enjoyed how both giving and receiving social support is an extremely effective preventative measure against stressors which is why married people are generally more healthy than single people. All in all, we need to find a personal outlet for stress and do it regularly. Read this book in its entirety for a plethora of examples making it easier to understand and remember. Get it here.
Until my next post, why not check out my YA novels about mental illness, memoir writing, or even my Native American mystery series on Amazon, or follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Bookbub , BookSprout, or AllAuthor.
March 9, 2022
Book review for F*ck Feelings: One Shrink’s Practical Advice for Managing All Life’s Impossible Problems by Michael Bennett
Synopsis: Sometimes no amount of positive thinking can improve a bad hand or defy gravity. We’re faced with the world as it is rather than exactly as we’d like it to be. Rather than denying this, we’d be much better off if we accepted our limitations and worked with them. Then we’ll avoid more disappointments and make real, tangible improvements. Move on from disappointment with an achievable success.
This book uses some ‘clear-eyed’ realism for us to survive in the big bad world. While most of us reach to self-help books to solve many of our problems, what if there aren’t any perfect, tidy answers that a shelf full of self-improvement books can solve? Sometimes we may have limitations or psychological conditions that are too impossible to solve. Sometimes our colleagues are idiots, our kids are brats, and our relationships are tricky. Well, this book states that we can avoid disappointment over the unchangeability of those problems if we focus on what we can change.
Well, to me this book is grim. I think everyone knows that self-esteem can only take us so far and that we need to value ourselves by our own standards. I disagree that we need to be prepared for and unfair and dangerous world because that just heightens our anxiety. It goes on to say that when we help others, we may cause unintended harm if we don’t think it through. I believe in being a good Samaritan. And while I agree that while looking for love a practical outweighs impulsivity, sometimes we just get caught up in the moment when we meet the love of our life. Finding love can be a little of both.
I also agree that sometimes no matter how much you talk, things may not work out as you’d hoped but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. Calming down about parenthood is also good advice. I’m torn on whether or not the fact is that there are just some people in this world that will be jerks no matter what we do because I like to think toward the belief that there are positive traits in everyone but then again, we’ve all seen politicians, leaders, and celebrities who don’t seem to have any sort of altruistic nature and instead are egocentric, arrogant, and ignorant no matter what the scenario.
All in all, I didn’t like the pessimistic viewpoints because, according to this book, I should’ve realized my mental illness limitations and given up on trying diligently long ago. That nearly brings tears to my eyes. Even though there are charlatans in the self-help industry, I’d instead follow them with hope than this pessimism with fear. This book left me agitated and depressed. If you want to read it thoroughly, get it here.
Until my next post, why not check out my YA novels about mental illness, memoir writing, or even my Native American mystery series on Amazon, or follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Bookbub , BookSprout, or AllAuthor.
March 8, 2022
Book review for Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear
The author begins the book by describing atomic habits, introduces us to systems, goals and behaviors, the fact that we can’t produce any meaningful results if we don’t change the system, and that if indeed we have difficulty changing our habits, then it’s a result of the system not the goals. The change we desire comes at our identity level which emerges out of habits. Outcomes, process, and identity are the three levels of behavior change. “Repeated beingness” in our identity is the result as well as freedom.
So how do habits work? Cues trigger our brain with cravings, which are the motivational force behind our habits the responses, thus leading to a reward where we learn that craving results in reward.
The author goes into the laws of behavior change:
the cue that we need to make obvious in our lifethe craving that we need to make attractivethe response we need to make easy for ourselfthe reqard that needs to be as satisfying as possibleThus, he notes that reversal of the above allows us to break a bad habit:
invert the cue to make it invisibleinvert the craving to make it unattractiveinvert the response to make it difficult to achieveinvert the reward to make it highly unsatisfyingNext he suggest we keep a habit scorecard to keep us accountable and to stay on track.
There are so many examples in this book to solidify the plan like compelling our brains to pick up cues and predicting outcomes thereby picking up lessons from experiences and the reason why the actions under the authority of our unconscious and automatic mind. The book teaches us that it’s a myth that we lack motivation when in reality it’s clarity we’re short on and that we need to subscribe to the habit stacking formula as well as create a motivation designed environment to help us eliminate previous habits through the use of visual cues. This optimizing the environment is the key to self-control making the cues of our good habits obvious and the bad habits invisible. It becomes a commitment device.
Habit stacking (place one habit atop another) is the way to go as is temptation bundling (attaching habits to more productive ones). The author delves into the dopamine feedback loop and how our habits are the driver. Then he points out that it’s the people we surround ourselves with that shape our behavior by our imitation of peers and the seductive pull of social norms. Again, he proffers many examples in this book that help strengthen our resolve.
Habits are more about associations than anything else. One example is our browsing on Google allows us to reduce the uncertainty in life. Likewise posting on Instagram gets us the approval of other people. That teaches us that life is predictive not reactive. Reprogramming our brain to enjoy hard habits is done by associating the habit with a positive experience. And those habits are dependent on frequency as opposed to time and not based on planning alone. It’s necessary to aim for actions and never on motion alone.
We need to make our good habits seem more automatic and repetitive with time by repeating so many times that our mind no longer has to think in order to execute the task we are thereby wiring our brain to maintain the good habit allowing us more freedom. This can only be done in an environment of least resistance, making it attractive and primed for us to complete tasks easily. In order to master the art of refining our skills we must decisively complete new habits in less than two minutes and preferably stack the little choices throughout the day to make it more successful.
So, creating good habits is about making it obvious, attractive, easy, and ultimately being accountable to someone else. The author also goes into how personality traits shape our behavior; therefore, we must tailor our habits so they sync with our personality. Do work that is fun and where you experience flow, which is a focused feeling where you lose track of time and all else seems to fade away. It is where we get greater returns than the average person by doing what comes naturally to us. But we need to remember that no matter how aligned our genes are to whatever we wish to do, we still need to add a significant amount of hard work. The goldilocks rule is where we experience the highest level of motivation when we are doing tasks that challenge ourselves but stay withing the range of our current abilities. And the only way to excel at something is if we can fall in love with the boredom that sometimes will come our way. Lack of desire is actually happiness because it is a state where we are actually content.
Mastery, while being important, doesn’t permit us to rest on our laurels. We need to continuously review our performance and strive to improve accordingly. Think habit stacking. Finally, the author concludes with reference to ‘Sorites Paradox’ which emphasizes the importance of smaller actions, when repeated create a huge impact. Being curious is better than being smart for emotions drive behavior. We can only be rational and logical after we’ve been emotional. Desire initiates; pleasure sustains.
All a result of the author’s personal experience, the blueprint of habit-forming benefits explained are drawn from the fields of psychology, philosophy, neuroscience and biology so rest assured none of the strategies presented are grounded aimlessly. This book deserves to be read in its entirety to achieve maximum benefit. Get it here.
Until my next post, why not check out my YA novels about mental illness, memoir writing, or even my Native American mystery series on Amazon, or follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Goodreads, LinkedIn, Bookbub , BookSprout, or AllAuthor.
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