The World's Best Book Summaries
If love is not a feeling, what is it? Is “falling in love” genuine? In The Road Less Traveled, psychiatrist M. Scott Peck argues that love is not a feeling. We have feelings that we associate with love, but they are not love itself, and they might not even be based in reality. Peck asserts that real love is an act of will—a committed action that we take even when we’re not “feeling it.” Keep reading to learn how love is not a feeling.
What are some helpful tips for overcoming shame? How can shame negatively influence your thoughts and behavior? Shame is an incredibly unhelpful feeling, leading to self-consciousness, a lack of connection with others, and even depression. Overcoming shame and getting to the root of the problem will improve your self-esteem and personal relationships. Here’s the best advice for Christians for overcoming shame.
How does stress affect leadership? Has stress ever affected your ability to lead effectively? The stress that leaders are put under can easily result in a lack of focus and impulsive decisions. Therefore, it’s very important to take care of yourself as a leader—if you burn out, you’ll no longer be able to lead, and this could derail all progress towards your purpose. The following self-care techniques are taken from The Practice of Adaptive Leadership written by leadership experts Alexander Grashow, Marty Linsky, and Ronald Heifetz.
What is the Haddon Matrix? How does it make change easier? The Haddon Matrix is a thought process that prompts you to think about pre-incident, incident, and post-incident. You can use it to change behavior by considering how to prevent bad behaviors from occurring, reduce harm when the bad behavior does occur, and respond in a way that minimizes the negative effects of the bad behavior. Read more to learn about using the Haddon Matrix model to change behavior.
How does visualizing goals make them more attainable? How can short-term guidelines also help you get there? Goals are hard to reach when they are ambiguous. It helps to make objectives clear and measurable. A great way to do this is to visualize goals, basically painting a picture of your destination. This technique, along with short-term guidelines, puts real change within grasp. Keep reading to learn about visualizing goals.
Is self-sacrificing love genuine? Where can it lead? In The Road Less Traveled, psychiatrist M. Scott Peck asserts that self-sacrificing love is a myth. It’s not genuine love. If you believe it is, you are likely to end up with two destructive results: social sadomasochism and destructive nurturing. Read more to learn about this view of self-sacrificing love.
How can we keep reflexive thinking from causing us to make irrational decisions? What can poker teach us about this? Deliberative thinking involves logic and careful consideration. On the other hand, reflexive thinking leads us to act quickly and instinctively. Because reflexive thinking drives most of our decisions, we have to figure out how to keep it in check. Poker teaches us how. Keep reading to learn about reflexive thinking in regard to decision-making.
Why is it important to be grateful? What are some examples of gratitude in the bible? Remaining grateful no matter what life throws at you is one of the hardest—and most rewarding—things you can do. Use our recommended readings about gratitude in the bible to inspire a feeling of thankfulness despite life’s difficulties. Keep reading for some powerful examples of gratitude in the bible.
What can you learn by examining examples of change? Can you copy success to make your own way? When you want to make changes, you should seek out examples of change to see what works and what doesn’t. Success stories are not only inspiring, they’re instructive. Copy success when you find it. Read more to learn how to seek out examples of change and put them to work for you.
Are you open to grace? What happens if you aren’t? In The Road Less Traveled, psychiatrist M. Scott Peck discusses the importance of being open to grace. He believes that grace is a tool for spiritual evolution—and that rejecting it can hinder our growth and even lead to mental illness. Read more to learn why it’s important to be open to grace.