In this intriguing discussion, Susan David, a Harvard psychologist and author of "Emotional Agility," shares insights on navigating emotions. She emphasizes viewing feelings as a guidance system, not just good or bad. David highlights the danger of getting 'hooked' by negative thoughts and offers strategies to 'unhook' ourselves. The conversation encourages embracing all emotions to align actions with personal values, fostering resilience and personal growth. This journey toward emotional agility is a path to a more open-hearted, fulfilling life.
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insights INSIGHT
Emotions as Guidance
Emotions are a guidance system, not inherently good or bad.
Accept the full range of emotions instead of fighting them.
insights INSIGHT
Agility vs. Rigidity
Emotional agility creates space between stimulus and response.
Emotional rigidity leads to autopilot and believing negative thoughts.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Getting Unhooked
Avoid getting hooked by accepting thoughts as facts.
Notice patterns in your reactions to identify hooks.
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Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life
Susan David, Ph.D
In 'Emotional Agility,' Susan David provides a roadmap for real behavioral change by teaching readers how to become more emotionally agile. Drawing on her extensive research, international consulting work, and personal experiences, David shares four key concepts that enable individuals to acknowledge uncomfortable emotions while detaching from them. This approach helps readers align their actions with their core values, leading to a life of growth and fulfillment. The book emphasizes the importance of self-acceptance, clear-sightedness, and an open mind in navigating life’s twists and turns[1][2][5].
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Stephen R Covey
This book, first published in 1989, outlines seven habits that are designed to help individuals become more effective in their personal and professional lives. The habits are grouped into three categories: Private Victory (habits 1-3), Public Victory (habits 4-6), and Renewal (habit 7). The habits include being proactive, beginning with the end in mind, putting first things first, thinking win-win, seeking first to understand and then to be understood, synergizing, and sharpening the saw. Covey emphasizes the importance of personal integrity, effective time management, empathetic communication, and continuous self-improvement[2][5][4].
Man's Search for Meaning
Viktor Frankl
The book is divided into two parts. The first part recounts Frankl's harrowing experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, including Auschwitz, between 1942 and 1945. He describes the inhumane conditions and the psychological and emotional struggles of the prisoners. The second part introduces Frankl's theory of logotherapy, which posits that the primary human drive is the search for meaning, rather than pleasure. Frankl argues that meaning can be found through three main avenues: work (doing something significant), love (caring for another), and suffering (finding meaning in one's own suffering). The book emphasizes the importance of finding purpose and meaning in life, even in the most adverse conditions, as a key factor in survival and personal growth.
Susan David is a psychologist on faculty at Harvard Medical School. She’s also the co-founder and co-director of The Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital and is CEO of Evidence-Based Psychology. Have you ever gotten hooked by a difficult emotion? In other words, have you ever felt compelled to act on a strong feeling without having any space to think about your action first? If so, you will find really helpful wisdom in this episode that you can take, apply today and live a more skillful, open-hearted life.
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Susan David and I Discuss How to Create Emotional Agility and …
The One You Feed 
