Self-improvement and growth are a big topic for me and I think it is everyone's duty to become the best version of himself. I try to read every day and with this blog, I want to summarize the books that I have read and say my thoughts about them.

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Devin Hasler


## 🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences

1. The meaning of life is constantly evolving and changing
2. The tensionless state is not the state to be in
3. Meaning in life is the primary force in human existence

## 🕵🏼Who Should Read It?

I can recommend this book to everyone interested in the events that occurred in a Nazi camp. Additionally, since Viktor Frankl is a psychiatrist with extensive knowledge in the field of psychiatry, the book is interesting for anyone who wants to learn more about the psychological aspects of individuals in extreme situations and their search for meaning in life.

## ☘️ How the Book Changed Me

Personally, I already knew some things about the events in concentration camps from movies and documentaries, but the book provides a different perspective on the story – one that focuses on the human mind in these situations. This is highly intriguing and has altered and influenced my perspective on the meaning of life, particularly the idea that the meaning of life can change from hour to hour, month to month, or year to year. Logotherapy has indeed altered my perspective on how I view the meaning of life and how to discover it.

## ✍️ My Top 3 Quotes

> “Emotion, which is suffering, ceases to be suffering as soon as we form a clear and precise picture of it.” Baruch Spinoza
>

> “He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how.” Friedrich Nietzsche
>

> “Don’t aim at success— the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it.” Viktor E. Frankl.
>

## 📒 Summary + Notes

The young adult version of the book that I read is structured very effectively, interweaving Viktor Frankl's real-life experiences in the camp with his development of logotherapy. Additionally, at the end of the book, there is a chronology of Viktor's life along with some authentic photographs.

### Viktor Frankl’s Live

Frankl was born in Austria in 1905 and developed an early interest in philosophy, experimental psychology, and psychoanalysis. While in high school, he corresponded with Sigmund Freud as he attended adult education philosophy classes. During these classes, the instructor recognized Viktor's intellect and allowed him to deliver a lecture on the meaning of life. While still in college, Frankl established his first private youth counseling program, encouraged by a friend who noticed his exceptional talent for identifying psychological issues and uncovering motivators. Simultaneously, he began working at the Psychiatric University Clinic. In 1930, Frankl earned his medical doctorate and went on to establish additional clinics and serve as head of various clinical departments.

During this period, the Nazi ideology was gaining ground in Germany, culminating in their invasion of Austria in 1938 during the infamous Kristallnacht. In that same year, Frankl received a visa for the United States but decided not to go due to his elderly parents. With the outbreak of World War II in September 1939 following the Nazi invasion of Poland, the situation deteriorated rapidly.

By 1941, the German Einsatzgruppe was tasked with executing Jews between the front lines, and the SS had already begun their initial gas chamber experiments in Auschwitz. In the midst of these events, Viktor Frankl, along with his entire family, was arrested and taken to the concentration camp known as Theresienstadt. Subsequently, Frankl was transported to various other concentration camps, eventually becoming completely separated from his family.

In 1945, he was liberated and made his way back to Vienna, only to discover that his entire family had been killed.

### Experiences in a concentration camp

Viktor Frankl was thrust into a concentration camp with abruptness, and none of the prisoners had any knowledge of what awaited them within those barbed wire fences or how long their stay would last. This uncertainty cast a bleak shadow over their experiences, as there seemed to be no glimmer of hope on the horizon. Frankl categorized his experiences in the concentration camp into three stages.

**Stage 1**

This initial stage commenced shortly after their arrival at the camp. Upon arrival, they were sorted into two groups by an SS officer: one group consisted of those deemed fit for labor, while the other comprised the sick and elderly. Those placed in the latter group were unknowingly destined for the gas chamber. The constant looming threat of death created an unimaginable level of stress. Additionally, the brutal punishments meted out by the guards were excruciating to witness, compelling the prisoners to avert their eyes from the unbearable scenes. However, as days or weeks passed, a shift began to occur.

**Stage 2**

During this stage, the human mind started to react to the unrelenting stress and threat of death. The mind began to numb itself and entered a state of apathy. This apathy rendered the prisoners increasingly insensitive to the hourly beatings and the horrific sights around them. All their energy, effort, and emotions now coalesced around a singular objective: survival.

**Stage 3**

This stage was reached upon liberation from the prison, which brought a sudden release of pressure. Ironically, this newfound freedom was challenging for the inmates to cope with. The prolonged stress had eroded their ability to experience joy, and they had to slowly reacquaint themselves with it. Frankl described the moment of liberation as a form of depersonalization, where everything seemed unreal, unlikely, as if in a dream. Some prisoners, as Frankl observed, began to misuse their newfound freedom, behaving licentiously and ruthlessly.

### Logotherapy

Frankl's personality, shaped by his profession and skills, was notably reflective and composed. These attributes enabled him to engage in scientific inquiry even in the direst circumstances of the concentration camp. This aspect of his character is evident in his statement: "Fundamentally, therefore, any man can, even under such circumstances, decide what shall become of him—mentally and spiritually. He may retain his human dignity even in a concentration camp."

He also expressed the profound idea: "If there is a meaning in life at all, then there must be a meaning in suffering." Given his harrowing experiences, his ability to articulate such thoughts is truly remarkable.

This reflective nature and the capacity to thrive in unusual situations led Frankl to develop Logotherapy.

The central goal of Logotherapy is to help individuals find meaning in their lives, as it is believed by many to be the primary motivating force. The scope of Logotherapy encompasses various topics, one of which addresses the common misconception that the ideal state for individuals is one of equilibrium or tensionlessness. Frankl discovered that such a state often gives rise to common problems, leading to what he termed "Sunday neurosis," where people descend into depression as they realize the lack of fulfillment in their lives after a busy week. This results in individuals oscillating between extremes of distress and boredom.

The absence of guidance on how to find meaning in life and its significance has contributed to high rates of depression among teenagers. Many young people struggle because they are not taught what they should do, lack traditions that provide direction, and often don't even know their own aspirations. Prolonged periods of aimlessness can be a ticket into depression.

Another key aspect emphasized by Frankl and Logotherapy is the importance of acknowledging one's responsibility for their own life. Logotherapy posits that this is the core of human existence.

In conclusion, I'd like to leave you with one of Frankl's statements that should never be forgotten: "Man has both potentialities within himself; which one is actualized depends on decisions but not on conditions."

Viktor Frankl is undoubtedly an intriguing figure with a wealth of valuable insights. His theories and knowledge should receive greater recognition. I highly recommend this book, and I hope to see you in my next blog. Thank you for your time.

With regards 
Devin Hasler

A book about finding a meaning and purpose in life.

Man's search for meaning


## 🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences

1. Without a meaningful mission greatness can never be achieved
2. Greatness is discovering your unique gifts and talents to pursue your Meaningful Mission and make the maximum positive impact on the people around you.
3. Be aware of your emotions, your thoughts and your behavior

## 🕵🏼Who Should Read It?

The book's target audience is people new to the self-improvement industry. The book covers basic and fundamental questions and offers practical exercises to find a mission and meaning in life. That said, people who have already read some self-improvement books may find this one boring because similar questions are posed throughout the book.

## ☘️ How the Book Changed Me

The book had no influence on me. I found the book very repetitive and boring to read. The book contains multiple practical exercises that interrupt the reading flow. Also, some exercises are repetitive. After answering the questions and doing the exercises, I did not gain any new knowledge because most of the questions I had already answered before.

## ✍️ My Top 3 Quotes

> “Life is just too short to waste any of our emotional energy on things that don’t matter.” Joel Osteen
>

> “You’ll never rise any higher than the way you see yourself.” Joel Osteen
>

> “Thoughts are the language of the brain and feelings are the language of the body.”  Dr. Joe Dispenza
>

## 📒 Summary + Notes

The goal of this book is to find the purpose of your life and, in doing so, discover your greatness. Lewis Howes divides this journey to finding your purpose into four steps. But before he begins, he explains what greatness means.

### What is Greatness

Lewis Howes has a very simple and understandable definition of greatness. He defines greatness as follows: “Greatness is discovering your unique gifts and talents to pursue your Meaningful Mission and make the maximum positive impact on the people around you.”

What I really like about this definition is that the focus is less on you than on others. To be great is not about doing the best for yourself but more about doing what you can do best for others. If you follow this definition, you will not only find happiness because in most cases the things you do best are also what you love to do, but you will also be successful because having an impact on people means solving problems, which leads to success.

### The Enemy of Greatness

Lewis explains that the biggest enemy of success is not having a meaningful mission, not having a clear path that leads you to your goals.

Lewis says something that should be taught in every school and is probably the cause in 70% of all depression cases. “Not having direction or purpose creates a vacuum in your soul, a vacuum that fears, sadness, and mental health challenges rush to fill.”

In my personal opinion, every kid should learn in school how to discover their life's purpose and how to work toward achieving it. Obviously, some may not be able to answer that right away, and even if they do, there's a high chance that this goal will change as they get older. But the most important thing is that they engage with the question.

### The Barriers of Greatness

As Lewis explains, probably the biggest barrier to success is self-doubt—fear of failure, fear of success, and fear of judgment. These three factors often define your self-doubt, as the doubt diagram suggests.

<img src="/images/blog/theGreatnessMindset/theDoubtDiagram.jpg" alt="The Doubt Diagram" title="The Doubt Diagram" width="50%" height="auto" />

The Doubt Diagram

I've heard a lot, and Lewis Howes talks about it as well, that there is no person on this earth who achieved success without experiencing failure. This is something we should never forget. Additionally, fear has a very natural origin – to protect us from danger. Although most of our fears are no longer life-threatening, we have to keep in mind that this is the most natural response and that it's much more important to push through fear in order to reach greatness.

### The Mindset of Greatness

Another important part of reaching your greatness is your mindset. But what is a mindset? Mindset, as Lewis puts it, includes your thoughts (how you think), your emotions (how you feel), and your behavior (how you act). If all of these aspects align with your meaningful mission, you are doing everything right.

### The Game Plan for Greatness

In this chapter, Lewis Howes shows how to put all the previously done exercises and knowledge into action. He talks about how important it is to set specific goals because they will give you the motivation to take action. Because at the end of the day, you can have laid out the perfect plan to reach your greatness, but if you don't put in the hours, you will never achieve what you want. Think like LeBron James, who always did more than everybody else until it paid off.

<img src="/images/blog/theGreatnessMindset/theTransformationZone.jpg" alt="Greatness Mindset and Powerless Mindset" title="Greatness Mindset and Powerless Mindset" width="50%" height="auto" />


Greatness Mindset and Powerless Mindset

To conclude this brief blog post, I want you to take with you this figure. It's a simple and effective summary of the book, encompassing all the mentioned topics within it. With that, I hope to see you in my next blog post, and thank you very much for reading.

With regards  
Devin Hasler

A book about finding your meaningfully mission and with that your greatness

The Greatness Mindset


## 🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences

1. The ultimate goal of stoicism is living Eudaimonia, which means in good terms with your inner daimon
2. Stoicism is something that has to be practiced again and again, it is not something that can be achieved
3. To practice stoicism you have to take responsibility, live with areté and focus on what you control

## 🕵🏼Who Should Read It?

This book has a very basic and beginner-like approach to Stoicism. It covers all the major Stoics in the history of the human species and explains the basic principles that these Stoics taught. That's why the book is perfect for everyone new to Stoicism and wanting to learn the foundations. However, the book is also a good read for people who have already been confronted with the teachings of Stoicism.

## ☘️ How the Book Changed Me

The book equipped me with Stoic principles and tips to apply in everyday life. It strengthened and improved my knowledge of Stoicism. In the chapter “Preparing Practices”, Jonas Salzgeber lists practices for living as a Stoic. This list provides good direction and shows the basic practices to undertake.

## ✍️ My Top 3 Quotes

> “Seek not for events to happen as you wish but rather wish for events to happen as they do and your life will go smoothly.” Epictetus
>

> “The impediment to action advances actions. What stands in the way becomes the way.” Marcus Aurelius
>

> “Leisure without study is death— a tomb for the living person.” Seneca
>

## 📒 Summary + Notes

A long time ago, Stoicism was deeply rooted in the educational system. People saw it as a practice to pursue happiness, and they aspired to live and die well. Sadly, with the passage of time, the teachings of the Stoics receded into the background, and fewer and fewer people now live the Stoic way of life. The educational system no longer deems it appropriate to teach how to live happily; instead, it focuses on teaching the pursuit of status and materialistic things.

Today, more and more people are becoming familiar with Stoicism again, thanks to the hard work of popular Stoics. New Stoics and authors are emerging, leading to its resurgence in popularity.

### 1 The most important Stoic Philosophers

There were a lot of people, especially in the old times who influenced Stoicism but not one of them had a bigger impact on modern-day Stoicism than these four individuals.

**Seneca the Younger (c. 4 BCE – 65 CE)**

Seneca was born around the time of Jesus in Spain and was educated in Rome, Italy. He was a highly successful playwright and achieved wealth through intelligent financial ventures. Seneca is considered one of the finest writers of antiquity, and much of his work has survived, serving as an important source of Stoic philosophy.

**Musonius Rufus (c. 30 CE – c. 100 CE)**

Musonius Rufus is the least known Stoic of Rome. He had his own Stoic school where he taught a simple and practical philosophy. He believed it was unnecessary to teach things that were of no practical value. Musonius offered detailed advice on eating habits, one's sex life, proper dress, and how to behave towards one's parents. Unfortunately, Rufus never wrote down his teachings and wisdom.

**Epictetus (c. 55 CE – c. 135 CE)**

Epictetus had a remarkable life trajectory. He started as a slave and was later purchased by a secretary of Nero, the Emperor of Rome. Upon the death of his owner, Epictetus gained his freedom and established a school where he taught his philosophy.

**Marcus Aurelius (121 CE – 180 CE)**

Marcus Aurelius is one of the most renowned Emperors of the Roman Empire. Furthermore, he remains to this day the most well-known Stoic philosopher, primarily due to his book 'Meditations,' which I have already covered in a [blog](https://www.peopleofgrowth.com/post/meditations).

### 2 The Stoic Happiness Triangle

The core principles of the teaching of Stoic Philosophy can be covered with the Stoic Happiness Triangle. This Triangle was invented by Jonas Salzgeber.

The Triangle shows the principles “Take Responsibilities”, “Live with Areté” and “Focus on what you control”.

<img src="/images/blog/theLittleBookOfStoicism/stoicHappinessTriangle.jpg" alt="Stoic Happiness Triangle" title="Stoic Happiness Triangle" width="50%" height="auto" />

Let’s discuss the meaning of all the other principles.

**Eudaimonia**

In the middle of the Triangle, there is Edaimonia. It represents the ultimate goal of life. It means being on good terms (eu) with your inner daimon, your highest self.

**Live with Areté**

If we want to be on good terms with our highest self, we need to close the gap between what we’re capable of and what we’re actually doing. This is really about being your best version in the here and now, explains Jonas in this book.

**Focus on what you control**

Jonas explains this as follows: At all times, we need to focus on the things we control, and take the rest as it happens. What already is has to be accepted because it’s beyond our power to undo it. What’s beyond our power is ultimately not important for our flourishing. What’s important for our flourishing is what we choose to do with the given external circumstances.

**Take Responsibility**

Good and bad come solely from yourself. This follows the first two corners that say external things don’t matter for the good life, so living with areté, which is within your control, is enough to flourish in life. Also, you’re responsible for your life because every external event you don’t control offers an area you can control, namely how you choose to respond to this event.

Now after we have discussed what stoicism is and what values are contained in this philosophy we can now look at how stoicism can be practiced.

### 3 How to practice Stoicism

In this chapter, Jonas Salzgeber discusses the core principles of practicing Stoicism.

The most important principle among them is to **Brace Yourself**. This means that all the negative and challenging aspects of your life should be viewed as opportunities for personal growth and inner strength. The more difficulties you face, the stronger you will become.

To achieve this, it is crucial to be **mindful**. A Stoic is capable of pausing between a stimulus and their response to that stimulus. We need to be aware of our lives in order to make positive changes. Additionally, living in the present moment is essential, as it is the only aspect of life that we can control. If you want to learn more about mindfulness and living in the present, I recommend checking out the blog from the book  [*The Power of Now*](https://www.peopleofgrowth.com/post/the-power-of-now).

Also, to practice Stoicism you need ******************************self-discipline.****************************** To improve in any area of life needs effort and with that self-discipline to keep trying and keep coming back.

### 4 Practices

At this stage of the book, Jonas lists important practices for training oneself to live a Stoic way of life. Due to the limited space in this blog, I will only list the most important practices for me in this section.

**Remind Yourself of the Impermanence of Things**

This is highly significant considering the nature of life. Nothing is permanent, and everything comes and goes. Therefore, we should not cling to things but instead accept and appreciate what we have or experience in the present moment.

**Contemplate Your Own Death**

Although it may sound intimidating, contemplating our own death holds immense value if approached correctly. Many people fear death because they are afraid of missing out. However, as previously mentioned, "nothing is impermanent." That's why it's crucial to reflect on our own mortality. This practice helps us stop wasting time on trivial matters and increases mindfulness. One exercise I find helpful is called "The Funeral," where you imagine your own funeral. Envision your family gathering and delivering speeches. The question is: what do you want your family to say about you? This exercise aids in determining your core values and improving your focus on what truly matters.

**Eliminate the Nonessential**

This should be self-evident, yet it is one of the most challenging things to accomplish. Focusing on the essentials is a struggle for every individual. However, when achieved, it brings immense benefits.

Please note that this is not an exhaustive list of practices from the book, but rather my personal top three. If you want to explore all the practices, along with additional situational practices, I highly recommend reading the entire book.

I wish you the best on your stoic journey and I look forward to seeing you reading my next blog post.

With regards  
Devin Hasler

A book about the principles and practices of stoicism.

The little book of stoicism


## 🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences

1. The phone is a big opportunity, but a dangerous one as well
2. It is important to be more mindful of your phone
3. Implement digital detoxes in your daily life

## 🕵🏼Who Should Read It?

Almost 60% of people between 18-34 are addicted to their phones. There are endless studies that show the attention span of humans decreases. The average dopamine level that a person in this day and age experiences is astronomically high. This all means that this book could solve many problems for many people. What I have to say, though, is that if someone is already informed about the negative effects a phone can have, then the book can come off as somewhat repetitive. On the other hand, the 30-Day Challenge can also be undertaken by more experienced people.

## ☘️ How the Book Changed Me

The book improved my knowledge about the negative side effects of phones, but sadly, there were not a lot of new things contained in the book. That's why the book only gets 3 stars from me. I did not participate in the 30-Day Challenge of the book because I already do most of the actions. Probably the biggest impact the book had on me was raising my awareness about my phone.

## ✍️ My Top 3 Quotes

> “The easiest way to break this habit is to make it harder to reach for your phone while you’re in bed.” Catherine Price
>

> “Our Phones are designed to addict us.” Catherine Price
>

> “social media represents the epitome of Trojan horse design.” Catherine Price.
>

## 📒 Summary + Notes

The book is structured into a theoretical and practical part. In the theoretical part, Catherine Price discusses why phones are so addictive and how they are designed to be addictive. She also explains how phones can change your brain. In the practical part of the book, Catherine Price presents a 30-Day Challenge that provides a step-by-step plan on how to break up with your phone.

### The Wake-up

Phones are designed to addict us. Our phones have one of the biggest impacts on our brain chemistry. They are designed to provide us with rewards in various forms. As a result, our brain associates certain behaviours with rewards. The chemical released in this process is dopamine. Dopamine is the excitement hormone, and we greatly enjoy being excited. The problem is that any experience that triggers the release of dopamine is something we will want to experience again, which is how we become addicted to our phones.

Another reason why we are addicted to our phones is that they are equipped with subtle positive reinforcements. These reinforcements give us the feeling of control, and as we know, humans love to be in control.

The effects of our phones on our brains are widely known in science. One of those effects is the impact on our attention span. Studies have shown that the attention span of people between 18-34 is drastically shorter than the attention spans of older generations who have less contact with their phones. This is reflected in the movie industry, where movie scenes are now much shorter compared to older movies. There are significantly more cuts and images in modern movies, whereas scenes changed at a slower pace in older films. This effect has a significant impact on schools and the education system in general. Teaching materials need to be more interactive, playful, and interesting in order to engage students effectively.

Another effect of our phones is that due to the constant high level of dopamine we experience, we become desensitized to the dopamine released from smaller things like a beautiful tree or a hug from someone we like. As a result, we seek more time on our phones to achieve the same level of dopamine release.

Because of all these effects and the challenges associated with breaking up with our phones, specific tools can assist us in achieving that goal. Currently, I am working on a project that helps individuals maintain focus on important tasks. This is accomplished through a session blocking system, where users can specify the duration they want to concentrate, and the app locks their phone for that specified period. If you are interested and would like to learn more, please visit [focuscoinapp.com](http://focuscoinapp.com/) and sign up for the newsletter to receive notifications about the app's launch.

## The breakup

In this chapter of the book, Catherine Price provides the reader with a step-by-step plan on how to break up with their phones. This plan is outlined in a 30-Day Challenge, designed to gradually free oneself from excessive phone usage.

The 30-Day Challenge begins with small but impactful changes, such as disabling notifications, logging out of or deleting social media apps, and organizing distracting apps into a single folder. Additionally, changing the phone background to a text that serves as a reminder to stay aware is recommended.

As the 30-Day Challenge progresses, Catherine introduces more advanced techniques like the WWW (What for, Why, and When). Implementing and adhering to the WWW concept may not be easy, despite its simplicity. To practice the WWW, individuals are encouraged to ask themselves the following questions each time they feel the urge to reach for their phones:

**What For?** What are you picking up your phone to do? (For example, to check your email, browse Amazon, order dinner, kill time, and so on.)

**Why Now?** Why are you picking up your phone now instead of later? The reason might be practical (I want to take a photo), situational (I’m in the elevator), or emotional (I want a distraction).

**What Else?** What else could you do right now besides checking your phone?

If, after answering these questions, you still find it reasonable to pick up your phone, you are allowed to do so.

Furthermore, Catherine Price suggests an intriguing approach known as "detox days." This entails locking your phone away for an entire day. It can be a shared activity with your partner, friends, or even your entire family.

Now armed with these newly learned strategies, I hope you will be able to successfully break up with your phone. I look forward to seeing you in my next blog post.

With regards  
Devin Hasler

A book about how to break your addiction and be mindful with your phone.

Break up with your phone



## 🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences

1. To live in the now is the greatest power
2. All the stress, pain and unhappiness occur because of a separation between the body and the mind
3. Not the past nor the future is relevant only the now

## 🕵🏼Who Should Read It?

The content of the book addresses everyone's life, and every person on this earth fights against the mind, their beliefs, and their emotions. This is why everyone should read this book. However, what I have to say, though, is that I can imagine the style of the book is not for everyone. The book is written in a sort of FAQ format, which is not everyone's favourite. Additionally, the book has a spiritual touch, which may be a bit too much for some people. But despite these points, I would highly recommend everybody to read this book.

## ☘️ How the Book Changed Me

The book changed me positively, as I am now more aware of the importance of being present in many situations. If I experience strong emotions, I remind myself of the sayings of Eckhart Tolle, and I try to acknowledge the feeling and let it pass away. Another thing that I started doing because of the book is being more present in daily tasks such as brushing my teeth, walking, or eating. All of these things have already had an impact on my overall level of happiness and appreciation in life.

## ✍️ My Top 3 Quotes

> “The mind is a superb instrument if used rightly. Used wrongly, however, it becomes very destructive.” Eckhart Tolle
>

> “You cannot be both unhappy and fully present in the Now.” Eckhart Tolle
>

> “Resistance is the mind.” Eckhart Tolle
>

## 📒 Summary + Notes

As mentioned before, the book is written in an FAQ style, which means that Tolle addresses posed questions and provides answers to them. The book has no underlying storyline. Because of this, I will try to group the posed questions and explain how Eckhart answers them.

### The Now

Eckhart Tolle explains that the "Now" is the only thing to strive for in life. He states that if someone manages to be fully present in the present moment, they have achieved the greatest power in the world. Tolle elaborates that all problems, self-doubt, and stress arise when we fail to live in the present moment. If we dwell on past events or constantly worry about the future, it becomes nearly impossible to find happiness and live a stress-free life. The issue with the past is that we allow our past experiences and actions to limit our potential in the present. The problem with the future is that it is merely an illusion and a product of our imagination. Our minds tend to continually attempt to predict the future, but most of these predictions are filled with negative or worst-case scenarios.

**How to arrive in the now?**

There are multiple ways to enter the present moment, but one of the most commonly used and recognized methods is meditation. Of course, there are various forms of meditation, but one of the simplest forms is focusing on your breath. During meditation, you become the observer of your breath and your body in general. Your thoughts become like clouds that come and disappear. This allows you to reach a state of deep calm and tranquillity: the present moment.

In your daily life, there are many opportunities to be more present in the now. One possibility is to fully feel every step as you walk or to be fully present while eating your meals. You can engage all your senses and feel all the muscles working as you eat.

These brief and small moments of presence in the present moment will dissolve stress and negative thoughts, ultimately improving your day and overall happiness.

### The mind

On the journey of becoming more present, it is vital to acknowledge that you are not the mind. If you believe that you are your mind, you create an illusion of separateness, the illusion that there is a distinct "you" and a completely separate "other." This leads to unconsciousness and a lack of presence. Eckhart emphasizes that it is not necessary to understand the mind on a scientific level, but rather to recognize that you are not your mind. It's important not to mistake the mind itself for a bad thing. The real issue arises when you seek your true self solely within the mind.

The mind also significantly influences the body, which is why being present is crucial. If you cannot feel your emotions and remain disconnected from them, you will eventually experience them solely on a physical level, manifesting as physical problems or symptoms.

### Surrender

To become free from stress and pain, one must surrender. This aspect aligns with Stoicism, as Stoics like Marcus Aurelius (to learn more about Marcus Aurelius, check out this blog: **[Meditations](https://www.peopleofgrowth.com/blog/meditations)**) often state, "What is natural cannot be bad."

The pain you experience is always a result of non-acceptance, an unconscious resistance to what is. Some spiritual teachings even go as far as to claim that all pain in the world is merely an illusion. Surrendering in the context of pain means going into and through the pain instead of resisting it. This may seem counterintuitive, but it leads to accepting and acknowledging the pain, ultimately reducing its dominance.

Eckhart Tolle explains all these concepts with a simple and informal writing style, making the reading of the book highly enjoyable and leading to eye-opening realizations. I highly recommend reading the book to gain a deeper understanding of the power of the present moment. I hope to see you in my next blog post.

With regards  
Devin Hasler

A book by Eckhart Tolle in which he explains the importance of living in the now.

The power of Now



## 🚀 The Book in 3 Sentences

1. EQ is a flexible skill that can be learned. While it is true that some people are naturally more emotionally intelligent than others, a high EQ can be developed even if you aren’t born with it.
2. people with the highest levels of intelligence (IQ) outperform those with average IQs just 20% of the time, while people with average IQs outperform those with high IQs 70% of the time.
3. Emotional Intelligence consists of four key parts: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness and relationship management

## 🕵🏼Who Should Read It?

This is one of those books that everyone should read. It contains general pieces of information that apply to everyone's life, and the book is really easy to read. Every individual possesses emotional intelligence, which in turn affects their life. Thus, it is important for everyone to strive towards enhancing their EQ. Doing so not only benefits the individual but also positively impacts their relationships and those around them. If you are already familiar with books from the self-improvement genre, you will find a lot of familiar information. This is why I gave the book 3 stars.

## ☘️ How the Book Changed Me

Although the book contains valuable information, it did not have a big impact on my life. The book strengthened my perception of EQ and its values, but it did not provide me with a lot of new information about EQ. However, the book did manage to create the habit of trying to figure out the EQs of people, which could be a useful skill for searching for employees or meeting new, interesting, and socially intelligent people in general.

## ✍️ My Top 3 Quotes

> “People trust what they see over what they hear.” Travis Bradberry
>

> “CEOs, on average, have the lowest EQ scores in the workplace.” Travis Bradberry
>

> “What your folks forgot to explain is that you always have a choice-a choice in how you respond to what’s before you.” Travis Bradberry
>

## 📒 Summary + Notes

Emotional Intelligence is one of the three key components of a person. The other two are Cognitive Intelligence (IQ) and Personality. However, there is one important distinction between the three: Cognitive Intelligence cannot be significantly improved with exercise or training; it is largely defined by genetics. Personality is a result of preferences, such as an inclination for introversion or extroversion. Like IQ, personality, as defined by Travis Bradberry, cannot be changed significantly and remains stable over a lifetime. Emotional Intelligence, on the other hand, can be improved with training and practice. Emotional Intelligence is so important because it comes biologically before the rational brain. That means that the rational area of your brain can't stop the emotion by your limbic system.

<img src="/images/blog/emotionalIntelligence20/biologyOfBrain.jpg" alt="Biology of the Brain" title="Biology of the Brain" width="50%" height="auto" />


### The 4 parts of EQ

Emotional Intelligence consists of four parts: self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Each of these parts contributes to your EQ. Self-awareness and self-management can be grouped under personal competence, while social awareness and relationship management can be grouped under social competence.

<img src="/images/blog/emotionalIntelligence20/partsOfEQ.jpg" alt="Biology of the Brain" title="Biology of the Brain" width="50%" height="auto" />

#### Self-awareness

To be self-aware is to know yourself as you really are. There is no finish line with self-awareness. Self-awareness is about knowing the true essence of yourself. It means noticing and understanding your emotions, both positive and negative. Travis Bradberry provides 15 self-awareness strategies and explains them in detail. For the purpose of the length of this blog, I will not do that. I will only provide the ones that I think are the most important.

**Quit Treating Your Feelings as Good or Bad**

This is the principle of stoicism, and I think it is one of the most important things for managing hard times and emotional stress. The importance of suspending judgment of emotions is massive, and it allows your emotions to run their course and vanish.

**Lean into Your Discomfort**

One possible way of managing emotions is to simply avoid them. The problem with this approach is that you will never be able to manage yourself and your problems effectively. A better way than avoiding your feelings would be to move toward your emotions and eventually work through them.

**Visit your Values**

It's crucial to stay focused on the end goal while managing day-to-day tasks. Taking a moment to reflect on your core values and beliefs can make a significant impact.

#### Self-management

Self-management is your ability to use awareness of your emotions to actively choose what you say and do. A high level of self-management ensures that you are not getting in your own way and doing things that limit your success.

********Count to Ten********

This is a very effective way of dealing with anger and frustration. Just stop yourself and count to ten. Then proceed with your regained composure and rational perspective on the situation.

****************************Take Control of Your Self-Talk****************************

Your subconscious mind is very powerful and plays an important role in how we think about ourselves and the world. Therefore, it is important to control your self-talk and regulate what you allow to enter your subconscious mind.

#### Social awareness

Social awareness is the skill to recognize and understand the moods of other individuals and entire groups of people. Social awareness involves looking outward to learn about and understand the emotions and feelings of others. To build your social awareness skills, you will have to observe people in all kinds of situations.

****************************************Greet People by Name****************************************

This concept is so simple yet so effective. Greeting people by their names not only acknowledges them as the essence of who they are, but also allows you to remain connected to them in more than just a superficial way.

******Watch Body Language******

Reading a person's body language is an important skill to master because it is something that is very hard to hide. It provides you with valuable information about the other person and allows you to respond appropriately.

#### Relationship management

Relationships are an essential and fulfilling part of life. Since you are half of any relationship, you have half of the responsibility for improving and maintaining it. All relationships take work, and working on a relationship takes time, effort, and know-how.

******************Be Open and Be Curious******************

Being open means sharing information about yourself with others. This leaves less room for them to misinterpret you. However, just being open is not enough. You also need to be curious about the other person. This general curiosity is important and allows for interesting relationships.

I personally think that EQ is neglected a lot in our society, especially in schools and working environments. In schools, you are not taught that there is something like EQ, and you don’t learn how you can improve your EQ. Learning about EQ and how to improve it would have a dramatic effect on relationships and would probably have a big impact on the success and happiness of people.

If you want to learn from a person who has nearly mastered the four parts of emotional intelligence, check out my blog about the book "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius. Also, feel free to share your thoughts on emotional intelligence and its importance in the world and schools in the comments. I hope to see you again, reading my next blog!

With regards  
Devin Hasler  

A book about Emotional Intelligence, the importance of it and how to improve it.

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