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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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Reinventing Your Life summary
Jeffrey E. Young
Janet S. Klosko
The Breakthrough Program to End Negative Behaviour...and Feel Great Again
17 mins
Brief summary
Reinventing Your Life by Jeffrey E. Young and Janet S. Klosko is a practical guide for overcoming self-defeating patterns by identifying and changing negative beliefs and behaviors.
Table of Contents
Reinventing Your Life
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Key idea 1 of 5
Abandoned Michelle
Michelle’s father left when she was two. Her mother stayed, but she was an alcoholic. Sometimes mom would be gone for days, binge drinking, and Michelle would be left in a worried panic. Even when mom was home, she would drink and wouldn’t be present – wouldn’t be a mother.
Now, Michelle has recreated her childhood environment by dating Thomas. She’s 31 and wants to get married, but he won’t fully commit, even though they’ve been dating on and off for 10 years. They’ve broken up three times, and each time Thomas leaves, Michelle goes through a whirlwind of crippling emotions. There’s the panicky fear that this breakup is real and he’s never coming back. The grief so heavy Michelle feels like she can’t move. The anger so hot she wants to break something, anything. And when Michelle and Thomas are together, she lives in constant fear that he is going to leave, again and for good.
Michelle is stuck in the first of our 11 lifetraps: the Abandonment Lifetrap.
Lifetraps start to form when something is done to us in childhood by our families or our peers. Maybe we were criticized, deprived, abused or, in Michelle’s case, abandoned by our parents. Perhaps our families were overprotective or over-indulgent, and that has negatively affected us. Or maybe we were excluded or bullied at school.
When we recreate our damaging childhood environment as adults, we build our own Lifetrap. In Michelle’s case, she was abandoned by her parents, and even though she was hurt at the time and knows now how harmful it was, she still recreates the situation with Thomas, who she feels may abandon her at any moment.
Lifetraps take over our lives and control how we think, feel and act. They lead to self-destructive behaviors. They trigger overwhelming emotions, like anger, anxiety, fear and sadness. They are very difficult to change because they are ingrained into our very beings. Michelle’s Lifetrap is so deep-rooted that she feels a powerful chemistry with Thomas, an attraction so strong it keeps her in the trap.
But change is possible.
The first step to escaping your Lifetrap is giving it a name. In the next section, we’ll describe the 11 Lifetraps and the traumatic childhood experiences that, typically, lead to each one. As we’re going through the list, keep in mind that you may have only one Lifetrap, but it’s common to have several of them weighing you down at once. One Lifetrap may be dominant, but the others are still hanging on and causing damage.
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What is Reinventing Your Life about?
Reinventing Your Life (1994) is a manual on how to pull yourself out of negative habits and improve your life. By identifying key stumbling blocks to growth – or “lifetraps” – and presenting ways to overcome them, it guides you toward sustainable personal growth and happiness.
Reinventing Your Life Review
Reinventing Your Life (1993) explores how to break free from negative patterns and transform your life through cognitive therapy techniques. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- Packed with actionable strategies, it guides readers in identifying and changing self-defeating beliefs and behaviors.
- Showcasing real-life examples and case studies, the book provides a comprehensive understanding of different life traps and how to overcome them.
- With its engaging exercises and practical tools, it keeps readers actively involved in their own personal growth journey.
Who should read Reinventing Your Life?
- Anyone who feels stuck in the same old negative loop
- People looking to understand themselves better
- Psychology buffs
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Reinventing Your Life FAQs
What is the main message of Reinventing Your Life?
The main message of Reinventing Your Life is that understanding and challenging your negative thoughts and behaviors can lead to profound personal growth and change.
How long does it take to read Reinventing Your Life?
The reading time for Reinventing Your Life varies depending on the reader's speed. However, the Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is Reinventing Your Life a good book? Is it worth reading?
Reinventing Your Life is a valuable read for anyone seeking personal transformation. It provides insights and practical strategies for overcoming negative patterns and creating positive change.
Who is the author of Reinventing Your Life?
Reinventing Your Life is co-authored by Jeffrey E. Young and Janet S. Klosko.
What to read after Reinventing Your Life?
If you're wondering what to read next after Reinventing Your Life, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Stop Self-Sabotage by Dr. Judy Ho
- How to Be Your Own Therapist by Owen O'Kane
- Reversing Alzheimer's by Heather Sandison
- The Mindful Body by Ellen J. Langer
- Flipnosis by Kevin Dutton
- The Art of Manifesting by Carolyn Boyes
- Wired for Love by Stan Tatkin
- Good Arguments by Bo Seo
- Help Me, I Have No Discipline and Zero Self-Control by Vaughn Carter
- Then I Am Myself the World by Christof Koch