Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,500+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Get started
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
A Liberated Mind summary
Steven C. Hayes
How to Pivot Toward What Matters
17 mins
Brief summary
A Liberated Mind presents a comprehensive guide to psychological flexibility, detailing how embracing thoughts and emotions can lead to a more fulfilling life. It combines mindfulness, acceptance, and commitment therapy for personal growth.
Table of Contents
A Liberated Mind
Summary of 5 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 5
The mind’s chess game
When Maya found herself worrying about an upcoming presentation, she tried what most of us do – she told herself to stop worrying. And the worry got louder. So she tried harder to push it away. And the anxiety grew even stronger. She found herself caught in a feedback loop that amplified her anxiety to the red line. Does that sound familiar?
Your mind is doing exactly what it evolved to do, trying to protect you by pointing out every possible danger or problem on the horizon. When you treat these thoughts as threats that need to be eliminated, you’re telling your brain that these dangers are real and need even more attention. It’s like trying to force yourself not to think about pink elephants – suddenly they’re everywhere.
Consider Jamal, who struggled with feelings of not being good enough. The more he tried to convince himself that these thoughts were wrong, the more examples his mind found to prove they were right. Fighting with your thoughts is like quicksand – the harder you struggle, the deeper you sink.
So what’s the alternative? Instead of battling your mind, you can learn to relate to your thoughts differently. When Aisha notices herself thinking, I can’t handle this, she now follows up with a simple phrase: I’m having the thought that I can’t handle this. This small shift helps her see thoughts as passing mental events rather than absolute truths.
To put this into practice for yourself, start small. The next time you’re stuck in a loop of unwanted thoughts, imagine them as clouds passing across the sky of your mind. You don’t need to chase them away or grab onto them. Just notice them floating by. Or picture your thoughts as cars on a train – you can watch them pass without having to jump aboard every one.
The goal isn’t to get rid of difficult thoughts or feelings. When Kenzo faces social anxiety, instead of trying to eliminate it, he acknowledges it. He even greets it with a friendly hello old friend, instead of pushing it away. This simple acknowledgment often reduces the thought’s power more effectively than any attempt to fight it.
Remember, your mind is like an overprotective friend who means well but sometimes goes overboard. You don’t need to argue with it or try to silence it. Instead, you can thank it for trying to help while choosing whether or not to take its advice.
In the next section, you'll learn how to maintain a steady sense of self even when your thoughts and feelings are stormy. For now, practice catching yourself when you’re fighting with your mind, and experiment with watching your thoughts instead of wrestling them.
Want to see all full key ideas from A Liberated Mind?
Key ideas in A Liberated Mind
More knowledge in less time
Read or listen
Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.
Find your next read
Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.
Shortcasts New
We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.
What is A Liberated Mind about?
A Liberated Mind (2019) presents a practical framework for developing psychological flexibility through six key mental shifts, based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). It demonstrates how to move from struggling with thoughts and feelings to accepting them as natural experiences while taking meaningful action guided by personal values.
Who should read A Liberated Mind?
- Those going through major life transitions or facing difficult decisions
- People experiencing anxiety, stress, or recurring unwanted thoughts
- Anyone who wants to develop a healthier relationship with difficult thoughts and emotions
Categories with A Liberated Mind
Book summaries like A Liberated Mind
People ❤️ Blinkist
Sven O.
It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.
Thi Viet Quynh N.
Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.
Jonathan A.
Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.
Renee D.
Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.
People also liked these summaries
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
36 Million
Downloads on all platforms
10+ years
Experience igniting personal growth