2014, by Amy Morin
This book is for you if you learn by having a clear how-to approach to new behaviors based on her work as a psychotherapist. Morin provides direction, practical suggestions, and the rationale behind her recommendations. Examples are brief and to the point. Morin equates mental strength similarly to physical strength so that with training, mental strength can be developed and maintained by anyone. Morin’s approach clarifies mental choices and consistently comes from the perspective that we are making choices, no matter how horrendous the circumstances.
Here’s the list from the chapter headings (1) They don’t waste time feeling sorry for themselves (2) They don’t give away their power (3) They don’t shy away from change (4) They don’t focus on things they can’t control (5) They don’t worry about pleasing everyone (6) They don’t fear taking calculated risks (7) They don’t dwell on the past (8) They don’t make the same mistakes over and over (9) They don’t resent other people’s choices (10) They don’t give up after the first failure (11) They don’t fear alone time (12) They don’t feel the world owes them anything (13) they don’t expect immediate results.
When I listened to this book, I found myself connecting her “don’t” list to another book, “Resilience” by Southwick and Charney (also in this book list). The books are complementary but don’t directly overlap. Morin focuses on the internal mental choices, while Southwick and Charney look at life choices and habits that support resilience.