BOOK 2 POST 2
In Deep Shift: Riding the Waves of Change to Find Peace, Fulfillment, and Freedom
By: Valerie Gangas
My expectations for the book were definitely met. I was excited to learn how to navigate change in my own life. I was especially excited because the lessons in this book are applicable to my life now. As I graduate college, I will be entering a new chapter in my life and will ultimately be faced with change and struggles along the way. Gangas' words were easy to digest and apply to my own situations which I appreciated a lot while reading the book. Her words helped me learn how to center myself and ignore all of the irrelevant or negative thoughts and obstacles in my life. Everything will always work out and sometimes you just need to take a deep breath and focus on what is right in front of you seconds at a time.
One thing that really struck me was Gangas' teaching that it is okay to be you. Throughout middle school and high school, you do anything to just fit in. This made it hard for me to find my own voice, my own passions, and even my own sense of style. However, as I have matured throughout college, my sense of independence has led me to explore what I really enjoy doing and has allowed me to be able to express myself in a true way. Gangas reinforced this idea of embracing our uniqueness and promoting our individual creativity. I loved how she embraced just being true to herself. For me, this idea has brought me true joy and happiness in my life. When you can let go of caring what others think, you can enjoy true freedom and personal fulfillment. This part of the book really stood out to me personally and I really appreciated her perspective.
Another big takeaway I got from the book was just focusing on being present and enjoying every moment because we do not have control of our future so there is no use in worrying about it. She discussed the freedom from troubling distractions and emphasized the importance of being grateful for the here and now. I have tried to make this a habit recently. When I feel myself getting anxious about the future, I try my best to center my thoughts and really think about what I can be grateful for in that very second. This has helped my anxiety tremendously. It is all about keeping things in perspective. This technique has also helped guide my feeling of purpose. Bringing gratitude to the forefront of my mind reminds me of what truly matters to me in my life and why I am always on the right path at the right time in my journey.
It seemed as though you internalized a lot of the book and really enjoyed it! I definitely find it hard to adjust to change in my life, so hearing some of the author's take on how to mitigate those feelings. I definitely try my best to be in the moment and stay present as well when the future begins to feel daunting and I do find it to be a great method of calming myself too.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were able to take a lot of ideas from this book. A lot of ideas that you mentioned in your post are super important to being true to yourself. I think with social media it can be so hard to not worry about what others think, but it is so mentally healthy to be able to get past that idea.
ReplyDeleteSofia, I loved how you brought up your own experience with finding your own identity and independence and your journey through childhood to college age. I also like to remind myself to have a moment to consider what I am grateful for when stressed
ReplyDeleteHey Sofia, finding who you are is probably the most important thing about your childhood, and I feel like college is the first real time we get to explore what it means to be us. And I love your comment about being in the present. I have had many moments this semester where I realize that I am in 'the good times', and I just stop and enjoy myself. Thank you for the thoughtful review!
ReplyDeleteI considered selecting this book as well but ended up picking another one. I am glad I got to read about how you enjoyed it, as you summarized what I missed really well. Both of the main messages you mentioned are things that I recently have been learning. Being comfortable with your uniqueness and staying in the present are so helpful to maintaining your mental health!
ReplyDeleteHi Sofia! I really liked how you included your own personal experiences with finding your own identity. Letting go of what others think about you is something I also struggled with in high school and still do to this day. I also read In Deep Shift and enjoyed how she emphasized the importance of living in the present.
ReplyDeleteHi Sofia, I'm so glad you liked the book at that it met and seemed to beat your expectations. I liked hearing about the parts of the book that help you stay in the moment. I will definitely look into reading this book as that's something I want to try and be better at!
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds similar to the one I chose, which I was also able to take away a lot from. I think it was a great time to read books like this, during a time where we will be entering a new era in our lives. I also live life not worrying too much about the future and knowing that the only thing that exists right now is the present. This has also helped me live a more stress free and happy life. I will definitely be reading this book!
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