Powerful ideas from top nonfiction
Try Blinkist to get the key ideas from 7,000+ bestselling nonfiction titles and podcasts. Listen or read in just 15 minutes.
Start your free trial
Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
Listen to the Intro
Emotional Habits summary
Akash Karia
The 7 Things Resilient People Do Differently (And How They Can Help You Succeed in Business and Life)
20 mins
Table of Contents
Emotional Habits
Summary of 5 key ideas
Audio & text in the Blinkist app
Key idea 1 of 5
Resilience is a skill
Emotional resilience is key to navigating the challenges of life, and this attribute is built on the foundation of understanding and managing one's emotions effectively. You see, emotions play a fundamental role in shaping our perception of reality. They can color our worldview, with negative emotions in particular having an exaggerated influence on how we interpret and respond to events around us.
It's important to note that the aim of emotional resilience isn't to suppress or ignore these emotions, but rather to recognize them and allow oneself to experience them fully. At the same time, the power of positivity shouldn't be overlooked either. Even in the midst of seemingly negative circumstances, there are often positive elements to be found, if only one chooses to seek them out and concentrate on them. It's this balance of acknowledging the negative while seeking the positive that lays the groundwork for emotional resilience.
Emotional resilience is a skill that, with practice, anyone can cultivate, and its significance can't be overstated. Research has consistently shown that resilience is a decisive factor in whether individuals thrive or falter when faced with adversity. The ability to overcome negative emotions and persist toward one's goals despite setbacks is an invaluable trait that can boost happiness and fulfillment in both personal and professional contexts.
And so for this, the first habit to cultivate is just to acknowledge one's feelings. This involves not just recognizing the emotions as they arise, but also accepting responsibility for them. Every emotion, be it joy or anger, fear or excitement, carries with it a positive intention or message. It could be a signal that something in your environment requires your attention, or a reminder of a value or aspiration that you hold dear.
Acknowledging and understanding these messages requires you to let go of any judgment or shame associated with those emotions. Perhaps you feel guilt when you assert your needs, or embarrassment when you show vulnerability. Such self-judgment can make it difficult for you to fully understand and accept your emotions. Recognizing this tendency is the first step toward overcoming it.
To illustrate this point, consider a situation in which you're feeling frustrated and stressed because you're unable to meet a tight deadline at work. Rather than berating yourself for being overwhelmed, acknowledge the stress and frustration. Understand that these emotions are signals telling you that something isn't right – maybe the deadline is unrealistic, or perhaps you need additional resources to complete the task. Accept that it's completely natural to feel stressed in such situations, and there's no need for self-judgment or shame.
This shift in perspective is the cornerstone of emotional resilience. By acknowledging, accepting, and understanding your emotions, you empower yourself to manage them effectively and, in doing so, influence your reality in a positive way. This is the first step on the journey toward greater emotional resilience and a happier, more fulfilling life.
Want to see all full key ideas from Emotional Habits?
Key ideas in Emotional Habits
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 Emotional Habits about?
Emotional Habits (2016) offers seven practical steps that anyone can implement to take control of their emotional lives and live with more resilience when overcoming life’s personal and professional challenges.
Who should read Emotional Habits?
- Life optimizers looking for practical advice
- Anyone looking to improve their personal or professional resilience
- Those looking for better ways to manage their emotional responses
Categories with Emotional Habits
Books like Emotional Habits
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
Start growing with Blinkist now
28 Million
Downloads on all platforms
4.7 Stars
Average ratings on iOS and Google Play
91%
Of Blinkist members create a better reading habit*
*Based on survey data from Blinkist customers