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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Loving Bravely summary
Alexandra H. Solomon
Twenty Lessons of Self-discovery to Help You Get the Love You Want
30 mins
Brief summary
Loving Bravely by Alexandra H. Solomon is a guide to building healthy and fulfilling relationships, addressing topics such as communication, vulnerability, and attachment patterns. The book offers practical tools and exercises to help readers develop the skills necessary for intimate connection.
Table of Contents
Loving Bravely
Summary of 8 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 8
To truly love another, you must first understand yourself.
Meet Alexia. At 26 years old, this young woman is starting to get into the swing of adult life. She’s got a good job, a nice apartment, and a stable group of friends. But her love life is faltering. She’s always dating men that leave her frustrated. One is too clingy, the next is aloof, another only cares about work.
Now, it’d be easy to say these men are simply duds. But Alexia bears some responsibility as well. After all, she’s the one picking them. If Alexia wants to forge a more fulfilling match, she’ll have to examine her own beliefs and behaviors about love.
The process of discovering how and why we love others is called relational self-awareness. And it’s fundamental to any successful partnership.
The key message here is: To truly love another, you must first understand yourself.
Every relationship is a collaboration between two people; each partner contributes their own unique mix of qualities. When you date someone, you confront that person’s personality, habits, and expectations about love. But your character and quirks also shape the union. In order to build a strong and stable pairing, you have to understand your own personality, needs, and desires – you must have relational self-awareness.
Cultivating relational self-awareness often means looking backward. We learn a lot about love as children. Specifically, we learn from watching our parents and experiencing our own family dynamics. These early experiences shape how we approach intimacy as adults. If you had cold, distant parents, you might settle for a partner who is neglectful – or you might overcompensate and desire unrealistic levels of attention.
Of course, these patterns aren’t permanent. You can consciously adjust them with introspection and effort. One technique the author recommends is the name-connect-choose method. To practice this, first identify which relationship patterns you’ve learned from your parents. Next, consider how these early lessons may inform your current behaviors. Then, with this insight, actively work to overcome the habits you find harmful.
When you reflect deeply on yourself and your history, you can start to better understand your core issues. Core issues are the personal vulnerabilities or soft spots that guide our intimate relationships. Your core issues may include a fear of abandonment, need for approval, or a recurring distrust of others. These can be difficult to confront, but once you do, you’ll be more able to grapple with their effects. We’ll look at some proactive ways to approach these issues in the next blink.
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What is Loving Bravely about?
Loving Bravely (2017) is a primer on finding love through introspection and self-discovery. This guide to love teaches invaluable lessons about how to build relationships that actually last.
Loving Bravely Review
Loving Bravely (2017) is an insightful book that explores the challenges and rewards of building healthy, lasting relationships. Here's why we highly recommend reading it:
- Through personal stories, case studies, and practical exercises, the book offers valuable tools to navigate the complexities of love and intimacy.
- Filled with research-based insights, it provides a deeper understanding of attachment styles and how they impact our relationships, empowering readers to make meaningful changes.
- The book delves into communication techniques and strategies for managing conflict, fostering emotional connection, and building trust, making it engaging and thought-provoking.
Best quote from Loving Bravely
Your past is still with you – and always will be – and it shapes the lens through which you experience the present moment.
—Alexandra H. Solomon
Who should read Loving Bravely?
- Lonely hearts looking for love
- True romantics seeking lasting relationships
- Anyone curious about the psychology of attachment
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Loving Bravely FAQs
What is the main message of Loving Bravely?
The main message of Loving Bravely is to cultivate healthy and fulfilling relationships.
How long does it take to read Loving Bravely?
The reading time for Loving Bravely varies depending on the reader's speed, but it typically takes several hours. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Loving Bravely a good book? Is it worth reading?
Loving Bravely is a valuable read for anyone seeking to improve their relationship skills. It offers practical insights and exercises for building healthier connections.
Who is the author of Loving Bravely?
The author of Loving Bravely is Alexandra H. Solomon.
What to read after Loving Bravely?
If you're wondering what to read next after Loving Bravely, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- The Science of Happily Ever After by Ty Tashiro
- Good Boundaries and Goodbyes by Lysa TerKeurst
- Deeper Dating by Ken Page
- Rewire by Nicole Vignola
- How to Stop Breaking Your Own Heart by Meggan Roxanne
- Of Boys and Men by Richard Reeves
- Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
- The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy (Ian McMahan revised)
- How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
- Daring to Trust by David Richo