Book 2, Post 2: Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakeable Core
After reading more of Dr. Rick Hanson's book, Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core of Calm, Strength, and Happiness, I learned more about how much power there is behind the conscious mind and thought. I really enjoy reading this type of content as it is always great to improve ones mental strength. Similar to a professor at Stanford, Andrew Huberman, Dr. Rick Hanson uses science and research to back his ideas of mental strength and neuroplasticity which further proves that his claims are correct. Dr. Hanson stresses the importance of having self-compassion, mindfulness, and gratitude on a daily basis to be able to deal with the stresses of daily life. This is something that I find very important as I personally have seen the benefits to having this type of mindset. Learning to be introspective and holding oneself accountable will see extreme progress in whatever it is that they are doing.
One of the portions of the book that really interested me was the one where he speaks on the importance of how one is raised and how it effects one's adults response to difficult situations in real life. Childhood serves as a foundation for ones mental strength and if a person grows up in a difficult home with an unsupportive family they will probably crumble in the face of adversity. Though this is not always the case, I have seen it happen for the majority of circumstances. However, it is awesome to hear when someone who did not have a support system, become triumphant. An example of this that I see on a daily basis is my father. He grew up in a very impoverished, abusive household in the state of Mexico and was able to come to the United States and create a new American legacy for himself and his family with the help of my mom, but without having a strong childhood foundation.
Another thing I really enjoyed about this book is that it gives the reader exercises to put them into a first person state of mind. It constantly asks the reader to recollect a time where they experienced a certain feeling or thought, and then proceeds to give advice on how to respond to this situation. Overall I really enjoyed reading this book and I look forward to reading similar material in the future.
Hi Andrew -- I also really like listening to Huberman's podcast and reading materials when I can. I like how authors like both of them are able to teach important information while making it anecdotal or more engaging to read. Your post did a great job on selling the strong points of the book, and I appreciate you sharing why certain parts stood out to you more. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHi Andrew, I enjoyed reading your post. I liked your point about how the author, as well as Andrew Huberman, ground their ideas in actual scientific data, which ultimately makes their reasoning stronger. I also liked how you brought up the achievements of your father to make the point that it is not always the case that people with difficult childhoods crumble to adversity later in life
ReplyDeleteHi Andrew, thank you for sharing this book! I didn’t know the book includes exercises that engage the readers to follow along. This sounds like a book that I can read with my friends and loved ones to improve our relationship dynamics. I agree with you that I am often fascinated by people who grew up with nothing, and I think there is a lot of wisdom I can learn from them!
ReplyDeleteHi Andrew, I also read this book and agree with all of your comments. I also think it is so interesting how childhood shapes so many experiences down the road, whether that be good or bad. My dad also grew up in an abusive household with not a lot of money and was able to create a new legacy for himself and his children as he grew older. Thank you so much for sharing!
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