You Are Awesome by Neil Pasricha
New York Times bestselling author and positive psychology researcher, Neil Pasricha is back again to help us become more awesome. You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional Life give readers nine keys to becoming more resilient. And who doesn’t want to learn to get back up quickly when life knocks us down?
PERSONAL STORIES
I’m the first to admit that the self-help book genre isn’t one I gravitate towards. Usually, books like this are too cliche and unbearably verbose, but You Are Awesome is different! Neil Pasricha dives headlong into stories ranging from his mother’s childhood in Kenya to his own insecurities. He relates challenges in ways readers will connect to, and learn from.
Have you ever failed at a job? I mean really bombed – maybe you got fired or were on a performance plan or just burned out? Pasricha’s got an anecdote for that! Imagine being a recent college graduate in a high powered company, where you’re drowning in spreadsheets and can’t keep up. There is light at the end of the tunnel!
WRITING A DIFFERENT STORY
The key to being more resilient that stuck with me most is this idea that we can rewrite the narrative of our lives. Whether we realize it or not, we all tell ourselves stories that breakdown our self-confidence. We really are our own harshest critics.
Instead of dwelling on those feelings of shame and unworthiness, Pasricha provides tips on how to rewrite those stories. Learning to catch ourselves when we start spiraling into negative thoughts – we can adapt and ultimately be kinder to ourselves.
FAILURE = SUCCESS
Another secret to becoming the most awesome version of yourself is to rethink failure. Some of the most successful people in sports and in life are also the people who have lost the most. This doesn’t mean you need to “go big or go home” though. We can take small risks that may result in small wins or small failures.
For example, if you’re an aspiring writer, go to a blog meet-up where you don’t know anyone. The risk of failure is small (standing alone with no one to talk to). But you may just find success in sharing your passion with other likeminded people or getting advice on how to build a following.
THE VERDICT
I am Really Into This book. Maybe You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional Life came along at the right time for me and my mindset. But, Neil Pasricha’s writing is humorous, engaging, and draws you in. Before you know it, you’ll be writing in the margins or dog-earing pages saying, “I need to start doing that!” So, don’t be afraid to jump into this book and do some self-discovery. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly you move through the chapters and onto being even more awesome than you already are.
The lowdown on You Are Awesome: How to Navigate Change, Wrestle with Failure, and Live an Intentional Life by Neil Pasricha from Goodreads
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About the Author: Neil Pasricha
Neil has written five New York Times and #1 International Bestsellers including: The Book of Awesome, a catalog of simple pleasures based on his 50-million hit, award-winning blog, Awesome is Everywhere, an interactive introduction to meditation, and The Happiness Equation, a nine-step guidebook to happiness based on new research. His books have been on bestseller lists for over 200 weeks and sold millions of copies.
Before leading The Institute for Global Happiness and keynote speaking, Neil spent a decade running Leadership Development and working directly for two CEOs at Walmart, the world’s largest company. He was responsible for CEO onboarding, executive development, and talent management across all levels of the organization.
His work has been featured in hundreds of outlets including CNN, BBC, The Today Show, The Early Show, The Oprah Winfrey Network, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Fortune, and Forbes.
Neil has degrees from Queen’s University and Harvard Business School.
He lives in Canada with his wife and sons.
