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Blink 3 of 8 - The 5 AM Club
by Robin Sharma
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You Do You summary
How to Be Who You Are and Use What You’ve Got to Get What You Want
20 mins
Brief summary
You Do You by Sarah Knight encourages readers to embrace their true selves, to stop caring about what others think, and to prioritize happiness over fitting in. It's a fun, light read that gives practical tips on how to be unapologetically you!
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You Do You
Summary of 7 key ideas
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Key idea 1 of 7
The world is full of arbitrary rules that you don’t need to follow.
Life is full of rules. With the exception of laws and formal codes of conduct, most of these are unwritten and enforced by social pressure. Some make a lot of sense. “Don’t tag your friends in unflattering photos” and “Don’t answer the door nude” are pretty good rules, for example.
Others, however, don’t make a lot of sense. And because the world is full of sticklers hellbent on enforcing these arbitrary rules, there are always going to be folks telling you when you should go to college or have kids, or what you should wear to a party. Breaking these rules might not land you in prison, but it may lead to social ostracism.
But here’s the thing: deep down, no one knows more about who you are and what makes you happy than you do. Living by other people’s rules risks leading you away from this intuitive understanding of what you need to do. Instead of living in ways that fulfill you, you may get pressured into Lowest Common Denominator Living. You’ll stifle traits and tics that don’t fit other people’s definition of normality, and consequently end up miserable.
In these blinks, we’ll help you break out of this trap. The name of the game is to learn to see social expectations for what they are and take some of the pressure off yourself by refusing to follow senseless rules.
The best place to start doing this is to embrace a model called Mental Redecorating, an approach to reappraising your supposed “flaws.”
This is about recoding qualities that society regards as negative. “Nerdy,” for instance, is often used to put people down. Mental redecorating, by contrast, would redescribe this character trait in positive terms like “smart” or “knowledgable.” The same goes for a word like “weird,” which is just another way of saying “unique.”
The point to bear in mind here is that there’s nothing wrong with who you are – the social rules that make you think you’re the problem are to blame. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how you can start breaking away from social expectations.
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What is You Do You about?
You Do You (2017) is part broadside against the enforcers of silly norms and part invitation to rethink our relationships with ourselves. Packed with no-nonsense truth-telling, these blinks suggest that whatever you’ve been told to the contrary, there’s nothing wrong with being you – warts and all. In fact, Sarah Knight argues, embracing your true self is the surest path to getting what you want out of life.
You Do You Review
You Do You by Sarah Knight (2017) is an empowering guide on embracing your individuality and living life on your own terms. Here's why this book is worth reading:
- With its refreshing perspective on self-acceptance, it encourages readers to embrace their uniqueness and reject societal expectations.
- Packed with practical advice, it provides actionable steps to help readers navigate personal and professional challenges, fostering personal growth.
- Through honest anecdotes and relatable examples, the book keeps readers engaged, ensuring that the exploration of self-expression is never boring.
Who should read You Do You?
- Individualists and contrarians
- Conformists tired of living by the rules
- Freedom fighters in search of happiness
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You Do You FAQs
What is the main message of You Do You?
The main message of You Do You is to embrace your true self and live life on your own terms.
How long does it take to read You Do You?
The reading time for You Do You varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.
Is You Do You a good book? Is it worth reading?
You Do You is a valuable read for anyone seeking authenticity and self-empowerment.
Who is the author of You Do You?
The author of You Do You is Sarah Knight.
What to read after You Do You?
If you're wondering what to read next after You Do You, here are some recommendations we suggest:
- Get Your Sh*t Together by Sarah Knight
- Big Potential by Shawn Achor
- The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck by Sarah Knight
- Reinvent Yourself by James Altucher
- Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
- One Decision by Mike Bayer
- Weekend Language by Andy Craig
- Hope for Cynics by Jamil Zaki
- 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do by Amy Morin
- I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi