book 2 post 2

 Daniel Leung 

Book 2 Post 2: Resilient: How to Grow an Unshakable Core

Why I Read It 

I read this book because I wanted to gain better control over my life by increasing my willpower and mental resilience. I feel that sometimes I can be pretty lazy and succumb to distractions. I also sometimes easily end up agreeing with other people. I wanted to learn how to become better at achieving my goals and sticking to the things I want. Even when things get difficult, I read this book to learn how to come out of obstacles with continued resolve. Given that it was written by a psychologist and Senior Fellow at Berkeley, I knew that the author had credibility. This increased my interest in reading the book even more. 

What Struck Me the Most and Key Takeaways 

What struck me the most about this book was all the practical advice that it gave. For example, one of the quotes that stuck out to me the most was “Resilience is the active, intentional process of turning adversity into opportunity." I tend to think of adversity and challenges in a negative light, but by reframing the issue into one that will allow me to learn and grow, perhaps I can better address obstacles that come my way. Additionally, I was really struck by the idea that resilience can be consciously built and developed over time through practice. By focusing on certain exercises and purposefully testing yourself, you can grow your inner resolve and strength. It isn’t just something that you are born with and you can’t change. 

Parts I Liked and the Not As Good Parts 

I liked all the exercises that the book provided. It made me think about my life and the way that I view it, as well as how I view challenges and my ability to confront them. I get stressed pretty easily sometimes and so I liked the tips that it gave on controlling stress and maintaining a healthy mindset. The book made me look at myself in a new light and try to figure out how I could help myself grow as an individual. I liked the easy-to-learn lessons and approachable tone of the book. However, I don't think that the book is perfect. Some of the exercises that were in the book I didn’t find too helpful. For example, some of the visualization exercises were a little too repetitive and didn’t do too much for me. Maybe that was just me personally though and it worked for some other readers.