Resilient (Book 2, Post 2)

Takeaways

            For my second book, I chose Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness by Rick Hanson, PhD. Although I had many options, a review shared by Professor Hansen helped me decide, highlighting the book’s range of insights across various topics—perfect for my limited attention span lately. Building mental resilience feels essential as I navigate the turbulence of my twenties, and I’m motivated by the promise of practical tools to make the most of my experiences. With an open mind, I was eager to deepen my personal growth and mental strength.

I thought the flow of the book was excellent, so I’m not going to put too much of this review into analyzing the reading experience. Just take my word for it. Instead, I’d like to share a couple ideas from Hanson that resonated with me. That way, if you don’t get the chance to read it, you still benefit from reading this review.

💖 Mindfulness: This sounds like your average TikTok wellness influencer, I know. But practicing mindfulness with more intention has greatly benefited my life. Staying grounded and present helps me navigate my emotions and thoughts. Given that my life is pivoting right now, this skill is especially applicable. For me, this manifests as taking time throughout my day to check in with myself, instead of staying on go-go-go mode. Hanson's tips were in depth, and thoughtful. I think his perspectives on mindfulness were fresh and motivating.

💖 Developing Courage and Grit: Hanson’s idea of taking on challenges to build resilience is important to me. The cool thing is that this part of my life naturally brings challenges (not all negative!) for me to work through. Embracing these experiences as opportunities to manage fears and increase my confidence is exciting! Mindfulness boosts my ability to steer through these challenges, and it’s cool to see these tools working hand in hand!

I would certainly recommend this book! Anyone looking to strengthen their mental toolkit need not look any further! Hanson’s practical insights on mindfulness and resilience-building are so relevant in today’s fast-paced world.  The book is a pretty smooth read, and Hanson’s contributions are both motivating and actionable. After reading his novel I feel more empowered in my daily life, and I recommend this to anyone looking to navigate life’s uncertainties with more confidence and calm!

      

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Comments

  1. Hai TranNovember 2, 2024 at 3:47 PM

    The book sounds really interesting, and it seemed to have helped you a lot! My mom is always preaching about mindfulness and meditation, but I've been reluctant to join her since I feel like I have better uses for my time. After learning about how mindfulness has helped you in your own life, maybe I'll listen to my mom and give it a try too!

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  2. AkitoNovember 2, 2024 at 5:18 PM

    Great summary! Like you said, I think it's important to sometimes take a break and check in with yourself. It's hard to get out of the go-go mode but I'll more actively to take breaks and find time for myself.

    ReplyDelete
  3. ericalu340November 4, 2024 at 11:01 AM

    Hi Miriam,
    I enjoyed reading your book review, it sounds like a interesting read! It's funny how you mention mindfulness and TikTok wellness influencers -- because as soon as I read mindfulness, "influencer" popped up to my head as well. Maybe mindfulness really is helpful. I'm glad that you feel more empowered to navigate life's uncertainties!

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  4. Momo MesserschmidtNovember 4, 2024 at 6:30 PM

    Thanks for sharing this fun review of Resilient! I'm a big fan of wellness books, and this sounds like an amazing read. I appreciated your conversational tone of voice in this blog, it felt like we were having a one-on-one conversation. I'd love to learn more about your thoughts on this book!

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  5. KristinNovember 4, 2024 at 9:07 PM

    Hi Miriam! Your voice comes through so well in this blog and it made it enjoyable for me to read! I also have no attention span, but I'm looking to read more books like this, so I'm glad you shared some key concepts to give a better idea of the content. Your outlook on challenges is great! Sometimes I get overwhelmed with everything being thrown at me, so its nice to reframe the idea of challenges into a positive one!

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  6. AnonymousNovember 5, 2024 at 6:01 PM

    I really enjoyed your review, Miriam! The book seems like a great resource for building resilience, and I love how you emphasized the practical application of mindfulness—definitely inspiring me to give it a read!

    ReplyDelete

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