So you've read U Thrive now. In 100 words or less, identify the part of the book that is most likely to stick with you the longest. What's your take away? Don't answer this question until you've finished reading the entire book.
“There is no greater indicator of happiness and success in college than the quality of your relationships.” (32) I identify with Chapter 2; relationships are one of the largest aspects of college and having the right people around you can make or break college. My takeaway is that so many aspects make up your short 4 years of college, friends, classes, workout routines, sleep schedule, eating habits and more. President Godwin says it best “College is 50% in the classroom and 50% what you do outside of it.” You only have one shot at college… make it count.
The part of the book that is most likely to stick with me the longest is Chapter 4. More specifically, the section on growth and fixed mindsets stuck out to me the most because I realized while reading it that I have a fixed mindset with certain situations, such as my schoolwork and grades. My takeaway is that fixed mindsets can be changed, and the first step to change is being aware of the mindset. It will not be easy to change, and it will take a lot of mental work, but it will be extremely beneficial to me in the end.
The biggest thing that will stick with me after reading this book is that even the big city professors that study and teach stuff like this for a living offer advice similar if not identical to that of parents of grandparents. They went in depth with studies and findings, but most of their advice boiled down to things my parents or family had told me already. Some of the things were interesting with the depth they went into and I have a better understanding of a thing or two, but I expected that the advice I get from professors who study how to make college easier would be different than that which my family tells me.
Chapter 9 resonated with me because I could heavily relate to Alan. Like him, my grandfather passed away before I left for college last year. Similar to him, I didn't connect his passing to my mood and because of this, my mood kept getting worse. A quote that hit home with me is, "It's okay for life to be hard, but it's not okay for life to be miserable (for too long)." This mindset is my take away and I will continue to remind myself of it as I go into my next semester. Emily Crowley
One of the most influential parts of the book for me was chapter 6. As a person who has such a hard time focusing on any one task and is constantly getting distracted it feels so relieving to know that I am not alone in this. I will probably reread that chapter a lot over the next four years just to remind myself that there are ways to keep myself focused and than losing interest in homework or studying is normal for lots of people. I love that it doesn't make it out to be such a horrible thing to lose focus but rather just a skill that I may need to learn to refine a little more. I definitely will be working on that skill for the rest of my life.
The part that will stick with me in U thrive is chapter 9 titled, "Mental health: dealing with tough times". I think this chapter will stick with me because it gives me hope as well as It is very relatable. It talks about how these people that were battling with their demons overcame adversity. This chapter sheds light on the fact that we all face battles that we have to overcome. Some people have many more and much more daunting battles but nevertheless we all go through some form of adversity in our life. Some people cripple and fall under this adversity but others thrive. I think my favorite part is when it says, " your desire to create change counts for a lot". If we want change and to overcome the adversity in our life we have to be intentional and truly have a desire to make a change.
The part of U Thrive that will stick with me the longest is chapter 2. In high school, I never took the time to maintain my relationships with others, which led to me not really having any friends. This led to me barely having any fun experiences in high school, and not many positive memories to look back on. The reason this chapter sticks with me so well though is that I did manage to find some fantastic friends my senior year that made high school way better for me. My grades rose, my mental health improved, and I felt great. I understand the importance of having relationships with other people and how much you have to benefit from them.
My biggest takeaway from U Thrive was probably from chapter 5. Depending on the situation, I can either be too optimistic about situations that I forget to think through decisions, or so pessimistic that I give up on things that would probably turn out for the best. That chapter really made me think about how I react to things. I do not want to jump to conclusions and let it ruin my day. I am excited to find a balance in this field and to use my ABCDE’s and see how things change.
I feel like I got a lot out of this book, but I think the biggest takeaway for me was that I’m much more pessimistic than I thought I was. I’ve always thought I would be considered an optimist, but after reading this book, I’ve noticed I have pessimistic thoughts all the time and I often have a negative attitude. Though, I’m glad this book made me more aware of my pessimism, because now I can start to try to shift my thoughts to more positive ones.
The chapter in the book that spoke to me the most was definitely chapter nine. It speaks of difficulties and challenges that people face in their lives. Therefore, I believe this chapter is relatable to anyone. Everyone has had bad things happen to them, and everyone faces challenges and difficult decisions. The question that we all have to ask ourselves is what are we going to do about it. Will we use our struggles and our difficulties as an excuse to feel sorry for ourselves? Will we cause these challenges and difficulties to make us feel less confident in ourselves? The best way for us to deal with these difficult times and the difficult times of others is to use these hard situations for the good. We can use them to inspire us. We can use them to inspire other people. Most importantly, we can use them to help us become stronger better people in the future. This is why chapter nine spoke to me more than any other chapter.
The part of this book that really stuck out and resonated with me was Chapter 6 when it said, “willpower is essential to thriving in life.” If you do not have willpower and motivation to move forward and meet your goals, then seeing progress and thriving in your life will be difficult. I also enjoyed Chapter 6 because it allowed me to see that sometimes you do lose the willpower to do certain things and that is normal and okay so long as you can find the proper self-control and balance in your life to push through and thrive.
The chapter that will stick with me the longest is chapter 9. My mental health had become a struggle for me when I started high school, and particularly the last five months of my senior year after an incident at school. When it showed me how Robert Downey Jr., an actor I love, struggled with mental health and still became successful, it made me feel so hopeful about the ability to overcome challenges, no matter how difficult. While I am still healing from so many things, this chapter really shed light on how there is always hope.
I believe that Chapter 4 is most likely to stick with me the longest. It made me realize how much power lies in the way that we perceive the world around us. Often when things in my life do not go the way I planned, I seek to change things externally. However, after reading this chapter, I now know that a simple change in mindset can make for a world of change. I will keep this in mind throughout this next semester and beyond.
After finishing U Thrive, I would say the Epilogue stuck with me the most personally. It really showed me that, even though I procrastinated, I have more than I could ever ask for around me! It really showed me how blessed I am and helped me remember to be thankful for everything around me! Any circumstance you are in in life, you can thrive! I hope to share the knowledge I received from this book to everyone around me who is having a rough time, not just in college, but in life as well!
Through the entire book, chapter 7 spoke loudest to me. I have always struggled with overthinking the little things, and it often causes me to miss the big picture. My takeaway is that I can choose what to prioritize, and that the bare minimum is okay sometimes. Not every decision is life-altering. I am not required to put my resources into things that I don’t want to or that won’t hold much weight in the long run, and sometimes just okay will suffice. It’s all about balance.
Chapter 8 is the part of the book that will stick with me the longest. I have always looked at stress as a bad thing, so when I get stressed, I stress more because I am stressed which is stressful. This chapter taught me that the right amount of stress is a good thing, and to not feel guilty or overwhelmed about stress. It made me feel validated in my stress. This chapter also taught me some techniques for when I am too stressed that I am eager to try. Exercises like belly breathing and simply saying “I’m excited” are some examples of what I want to try doing when I feel overwhelmed.
The part of UThrive that will stick with me the most is Chapter 7, about making choices. I can be a very indecisive person, and it's even worse when I have a lot of options to choose from, because I always wonder after making my decision what it would be like if I had gotten this instead of that. This chapter had a lot of good advice, like knowing when to be a maximizer or a satisficer.
Chapter 9 was the part that stuck with me the most. I've struggled with mental health for quite a while and it gets hard, especially when your brain convinces you that no one is there for you and that no one understands what you're going through. It's helped me realize that you can still be successful when you struggle with your mental health. There is always going to be someone who knows what you're going through and will help you through it.
The part of the book that will stick with me the longest is probably chapter 7. Making decisions is hard because I think deeply about effects that come from them. This book taught me that it is sometimes better to not do that because it can be hurtful to yourself to have so many choices and be overthinking every one of those choices. As I go through college, I am ready to try doing suggested things such as making more irreversible decisions and doing things that will keep me from having so many decisions to make in the first place.
The chapter that stuck out to me the most was chapter 8. If I’m not careful, I can allow myself to become stressed to an almost unhealthy level. I have never considered before that stress can be a good thing; in fact, stress is often what motivates us to get things done. This chapter has changed my mindset on stress, and I hope to no longer look to eliminate stress but rather use it for my own benefit.
Chapter 4 is the chapter that will stick with me the longest. It reinforces the ideas of the stoic philosophers I have researched, saying that how you perceive the world is just as, if not more, important than physically changing it. I always find it easier to say that I will change the way I view a situation. Nevertheless, I still struggle every time I try to control my mindset. It is a process. And after reading that part in the book, I told myself to devote more attention to these stoic beliefs.
The part of the book that has already stuck with me is Chapter 4. The way that you interpret the world around you is just as important as the world itself. Changing your mindset from a fixed to a growth mindset is the singular change that can take you from simply surviving your situation to thriving in life and work. This change in some areas of my life has taken me from being scared of a life encounter, to being excited and ready for whatever that time may hold.
I think the part of the book that is most likely to stick with me the longest is the idea of trying to think of stress as beneficial. The first and last week of the semester for me is always so stressful it’s almost unbearable. I often find myself shutting down and unable to do anything at all for long stretches of time, I’m so stressed. So trying to think of my stress as a tool to get things done, a physiological response in my body designed to make me work harder and think better, will help me a lot.
think the part of the book that will stick with me the longest is the stress mindset mentioned in chapter eight. I really struggle with managing my stress levels, but this chapter offered many great solutions to the problems I have regarding stress and the way I view it. The fixed vs. growth mindsets mentioned in chapter four also encouraged the way I now view stress. My takeaway is that I should enable my stress to work towards my benefit, not my detriment. It can be a friend instead of a foe.
Although I have learned so much from reading U Thrive, the chapter that really stuck out to me was chapter 2. The 4 yellow flags (Escalation, Invalidation, Negative Interpretation, and withdrawal) opened my eyes and made me realize all the different ways a conversation can go down. This chapter taught me how to handle tense conversations and how to respond to them as well. If I have quality relationships, happiness and success will easily follow. From now on, I will start prioritizing important relationships and I will express my feelings more openly to others.
The chapter that will stick with me the longest is chapter two. Making and maintaining relationships is a major part of our lives. Chapter two really helps break down how people respond and how to handle conversations. It also helps to identify the yellow flags when a conversation has taken a turn for the worse and how to deescalate the situation, whether that be with humor or I statements or speaking in a calm voice.
I would have to say that the chapter that stuck with me the most is chapter 8. I have always been a person that takes on a lot and is constantly busy so naturally I have dealt with a lot of stress. I always thought that stress was a bad thing and that I needed to get rid of it. It’s nice to know that some stress is a good thing. If anything, learning this information helps my stress levels. I would have to say that my biggest takeaway from this book is that stress can be helpful at times.
Chapter 5 now has its own personal area of my brain. I think this chapter has opened a shown a new light and has led me to see how I perceive inconveniences and other things. My whole life, I have been brought down by little things and find it difficult to separate bad things from me. My biggest goal for this semester is to try to remember, not me, not always, not everything. I want to change my PES to an OES. In turn this will make me happier and easier to be around.
One of the big takeaways that I enjoyed in the book was the topic talking about keeping your physical health up to keep your mental health in check. The topic is in multiple chapters such as 6, 10, and 11, and it talks about how keeping in shape and improving your diet will keep your mental state clear and you'll be more likely to be happy in life. A lot of the misery today is because the food industry is declining and today's culture encourages hedonism. Improving your life through diet and exercise will improve your life mentally as well.
The quote that stood out the most to me is: “The engaged life emerges when we are using our strengths and talents to meet challenges.” Our signature strengths seem somewhat natural to us and in our life, we are truly engaged when we are able to put our signature strengths into action. It wasnt only this quote but I also found my results on the VIA strengths survey interesting. It allowed me to understand my signature strengths better and now I will be able to apply both my personal, school, and professional life.
The chapter that I will remember the most is chapter 14 the quote at the beginning instantly caught my attention. “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” By George Bernard Shaw. This caught my attention because we grew up being told life is about finding your purpose and yourself. We as children and teenagers do not know who we are, or what we want to be. Then most of us go looking for who we are and get wrapped in social views and do not become the person we want to be. Instead of looking for ourselves, we should be creating ourselves; every challenge, struggle, and achievement shapes us into who we are today. It also states that our lives matter, our lives make sense, and we have a purpose or a basis for our aspirations and pursuits in life. I struggle every day to remember that my life matters and that somewhere at some point I have a purpose. I think as college students we are going to go through one of the most challenging things in life and we must remember all of this has a point in the end. The final thing we must remember is to keep pursuing and creating ourselves. We all have a point in life.
I have two big takeaways that I want to continue to think on. I want to learn to be more optimistic, but not too much so. I just want to improve from my formerly negative, pessimistic ways. I think having more optimism will allow me to see the good in things that I maybe didn't do too well on. For instance: "Well, I didn't do too well on this test but at least I know what I need to study up on some more." Another thing that I took from this book, is that I need to learn to accept things that are just, "good." For too long, I strived for the absolute best, but every time I didn't reach that high standard, I felt disappointed in myself. I want to still set high goals, but be ok with myself if I fall a bit short. It's less about being the best, and more about seeing how much I can grow.
My main takeaway (golden nugget if you're Dr. Felts) after reading U-Thrive was towards the end where the idea of passion was explored. I find myself not being truly passionate about much in life, but I still believe that individuals who are passionate about the right things and in the right ways are those that make the largest impacts on the world. There are certainly things I would like to be more passionate about--maybe fostering those passions should be one of my goals for the semester.
Chapters two and nine were my favorite. They talked about how important your relationships are, and how important taking care of your mental health is. I especially liked in chapter nine when the authors talked about how anxiety and depression isn't necessarily a disease you get rid of like the flu, but something you learn to handle and fight. Taking this and pairing it with chapter two, this book reminded me the importance of having accountability partners and battle buddies, people who will stand by your side through it all and help you handle your worst battles.
"How we react to challenging events dictates both our experience and the outcome" (91). Chapter 4 Mindsets really stood out to me throughout this book. Learning and understanding thinking traps really opened my eyes and forced me to do some self-reflection. Personalizing is something that I definitely struggle with in my relationships, so being able to read and understand how it works and ways to combat it was something that I enjoyed greatly.
The part of the book that is the most likely to stick with me is the chapter about willpower. It had not consciously occurred to me that making decisions that require willpower - no matter how small it may be - do add up and exhaust the mental and physical capacity I have to control urges or desires. From this, I have recognized that it is important to not rely on willpower alone when making decisions; instead, like much of the books suggests, it is more beneficial, and ultimately successful, to plan towards my strengths and prepare for my weaknesses.
The part of U Thrive that resonated most with me, was the chapter about stress. I'm an anxious person and sometimes stress helps me get things done but sometimes it debilitates me. This chapter stressed the importance of finding a healthy balance between motivational stress and debilitating stress; I am going to try to find my balance this semester so that I can use stress to my advantage.
The initial quote at the beginning of chapter 14 really hit home for me. It said, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” My whole life the ideal that you had the responsibility to “find yourself” was always the goal. This chapter completely challenged the idea that you’re not responsible for finding something that hasn’t been created yet. It’s then your responsibility to create experiences, opportunity, purposes, and goals, in order to create yourself into the person you’ll become proud of. I think every person’s perspective on what the purpose of life is will be different. That’s because we don’t all live the same lives with the same backgrounds, personalities, families, friends, and cultures. What we have grown to learn, know, and understand, will develop each person's idea of what their purpose in life is. Regardless, it’s something that is created not that already exists.
What will stick with me the most is the “I am excited” technique in chapter 8. When it comes to new things, I can be both excited and really nervous because the unknown scares me. A lot of times I let my nerves get to me and back out of things that could have opened up opportunities or created awesome memories. I like this technique and plan to use it often because it allows me to focus on the excitement I feel instead of the nerves. Hopefully this will make it easier to embrace new things rather than fear them.
I think the biggest takeaway for me is the Convo Warning Signs. I have a really bad habit of rushing in by the seat of my pants in conversations and basically extemping* my way through the entire thing, usually making a load of mistakes along the way. But being able to see the things to avoid is a great visual aid on how to be mindful when I speak.
The part of the book that will stick with me the longest is chapter one, in particular when it discusses the impact of a positive mindset. Powerlifting is a good example of this; if you get hyped up and truly believe you can get the weight then you usually will, however if you were to walk into the weight rack thinking "I don't know if I can get this'' then you will usually fail or struggle to get the weight. My takeaway is that positive mindsets can help you through struggles and can also help you make the most of opportunities.
I think that my greatest take away from this book is to remember to socialize and generally put yourself out there. I tend to shut down when I get really stressed and spent a lot of days last year shut up in my room because of it. After reading this I hope to try and make the conscious decision to push back against this urge by going out with my friends for activities and dinner when they as instead of succumbing to my desire to stay in.
Definitely pg 207 where it informs me to "take ten seconds to look at the food. Then take ten seconds to smell the food...throw in another ten seconds to really chew and swallow the food" But in all honesty though I think the book really was learning about the thinking traps on pg 93. I do a lot of castrophizing myself along with falling into other traps and it was nice to be presented with ways to combat these issues. I'm not sure if I will be able to breakaway from these traps immediately, but at least I have an avenue to work on them now. I do kinda wish I had read this book before my first year of college though as I was very insecure about making friends the summer before.
The biggest takeaway for me from the book was Chapter 2 which focused on relationships. Relationships are a huge part of your success and being able to make the right ones is crucial, especially in college. The 4 yellow flags mentioned in this chapter also helped me better understand how to interpret conversations. This chapter just overall made me realize how important relationships are and the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people.
This book contained a vast amount of insight that I think was very beneficial towards my current stage in life. However, for me, I would have to say that Chapter 1 stuck out to me the most. Before reading this chapter, I felt very stuck in my negative mindset. I was trying to prepare myself for college and get excited, but all I felt was anxiety. I have been helping run a small business (if you ever have had to do this then you know what it’s like) all summer and my schedule change has caused me to worry about how I am going to juggle all of my responsibilities. This particular chapter taught me that being positive can affect my daily life and my future. I still get anxious about how I will be able to handle everything I need to do, but I will try to see what things I am grateful for everyday too. “Positive emotions can help you through the challenges as well as make the most of the opportunities”. Using this quote, I have been able to adjust my mindset to take each task step by step, without stress.
The most impactful section of the book for me was by far Chapter 4 about mindsets and how to change them for the better. It's encouraging for everyone, whether you have a fixed or growth mindset. It shows how you can learn from it just by being aware. Your mindset can even change and you can do what you can to help your current one. I currently have a growth mindset, but in my past I was very fixed. With my own determination I evolved from it, and now I'm up for challenges if they help me in the long run.
"When you are utterly absorbed in what you are doing -- exercising a signature strength... when all distractions have melted away and only the present place, time and action exist, you are in flow" (Page 67). This chapter is what inspires me to get off my phone and go do something productive with my time. Flow is why when I play softball nothing else going on in my life matters, I am so engrossed in the game that it is all I can think about. I want to have that feeling all the time, and this chapter explained to me how I can do that.
"Knowing exploring, and applying your talents and signature strengths provide the pathway to living an engaged life." The Big Idea Chapter 3 In this chapter, the author discusses how your strengths and talents can be both natural and acquired with practice and intentional growth in each area. It touches on your character strengths and even your lesser strengths that you really aren't sure what to do with. As I have taken time in the past year or so, I have come to terms with the fact that choosing a path in life will require me to use some lesser skills that I have. Though at times it can be scary and make me doubtful that I have made the right choice, I have to hold on to the fact that facing these strengths that have room for growth will benefit me more than anything. How can I learn from only practicing the skills I'm good at? I can't. These lesser strengths, or a completely lack thereof, could range all the way from not having social skills in a business job to not having a an empathetic heart when pursuing a psychology degree to become a counselor. Each of these situations will require time and patience to master and become part of a person's life and character. How a person choses to deal with their strengths and weaknesses tells everything about who they are as a person, their character, and how successful they will be in whatever career they chose to pursue. Lizzie Jones
Chapter 8: Stress: Making It Work for You, is the most likely to stick with me. I tend to get psyched out and overwhelmed really easily. So, I need to find a balance and use my stress to my advantage to become a better student, having a “just-right dose of stress”(155). Rather than letting that stress beat me. I need to find the right level of stress that helps me succeed and stay on top of my work and not fall behind, without getting so stressed out I am unable to calm down long enough to complete simple tasks.
The part that is most likely to stick with me is chapter 5. I am very big on optimism and I think it is so important in having a good life. I think an optimistic mindset can carry you very far. But, like it says in the chapter, a small dose of pessimism can be helpful and give you that little jolt that you need. I think in general, optimism can totally change a persons mindset and I am going to for sure apply it to my everyday life.
There are several elements of the book I have already started implementing. For example, positive emotions. I have been thinking positively every morning I wake up. The book's experiments indicate that "positive priming" leads to better success. So that is what I have been doing, when I wake up, I just immediately put myself in a positive mindset. It is probably too soon to tell if it is working, and to what degree, but regardless thinking positive thoughts isn't a bad thing even if it is not making me any more successful... Unless it turns out positive priming is an utter failure for me, I think it is going to stick with me. Common sense says Happy = Better, but it is very interesting to see this tested and see the results. Starting in Chapter 1, and continuously throughout the book, it has experiments that prove that positivity is beneficial. For the next 4 years, and perhaps even the rest of my life I am going to implement this by having a positive mindset, and scheduling things I like doing to keep myself happy and positive.
As a student athlete, part three of UThrive, “Student Bodies” naturally put me on the spot. I believe it is this section that will cause for a continuation of pondering. Staying physically active as chapter ten discussed, is not an issue as I am on the cross country and track team here at ECU and we run miles upon miles every day. It was chapter eleven and twelve that hit a sore spot; “Sleep” & “Nutrition”, or rather, the lack thereof. I tend to put these aspects on the back burner quite frequently. My body says no, but my mind, like a broken record says, “whatever it takes”. I’m not so sure that I’m wrong for being this way. Obligations, whether academically related or not, must get done and there is so little time do it all. Sinking ships throw things overboard to stay afloat, I do the same. I could be wrong, but I'm not so sure.
Chapter 6 really impacted me with the idea of Willpower being necessary to Thrive. The idea of keeping what's important first and powering through our world's distractions. My biggest issue has been not being able to say no. Being able to take a moment and step back from things I know I won't have time for has been a struggle in recent years. So, at the end of the last semester I promised myself I would ease up on my burdens and control myself a bit more. The chapter really helped me in understanding how important that promise really is.
Chapter 11 sticks out to me, particularly the section 'F(M)ood Matters'. This section stood out to me because I relate to it and it explained what I didn't understand about food in accordance with mood. One example used is comparing how Cathy felt after eating a cheeseburger or granola and yogurt (unlike the burger, the yogurt left her feeling physically and mentally fresh). "Cathy has come to realize that making good decisions about what she puts in her body is nurturing in every sense of the word" (201). This chapter reveals new ideas and explanations that I will use to create a healthier lifestyle. -Charlie Rogers
Chapter 3 stuck out the most to me, and my strongest character strength is love of learning. This chapter really helped me with identifying and utilizing my strengths. I have been trying out several things to help me improve in my strength areas and achieve my flow state when I am working. Overall, this book taught me a lot about college and what I should expect, as well as showed me several skills I will use throughout my time at college and all through my career.
Most of this book is going to stick with me the longest. It has helped me realize I do not have the greatest mindset right now. As of right now, a great starting point for me was chapter 5 and understanding my strengths. I identified my bad habits a lot within this book, but “John’s” story hit home for me. I was, am, directionless. I do not really understand my strengths yet and I realize now that it is affecting my drive in college. My takeaway is that there is a lot more to success and happiness than a degree.
The first chapter was far and away the heaviest hitting for me. It'll stay with me for a long time as it will really affect my day-to-day life. I am currently planning on doing something that makes me happy before I do anything important to my success, and treat myself to a reward afterward. I am setting up a schedule of work time to entertainment in order to maximize my performance in whatever it is that I am doing. My takeaway from this book is that you don’t have to work yourself to death to succeed and be happy.
The first half of the book is incredibly important for me, and is something that has changed my viewpoint, at least slightly. But Part 1, the first three chapters of the book, are incredibly beneficial for me as a person.
The book starts off by addressing things that I have trouble with in Part 1. The very first chapter is about the science of happiness, something that I have trouble feeling very often due to immense amounts of stress and some emotional baggage. It shows to me that even just having a positive mindset going into class can help greatly, and that's something I've put into practice in even my most stressful situations so far, and it has done wonders for my content in life.
The second chapter focuses on relationships and that is another aspect of life that I have trouble expanding because I don't work well in social situations. Lots of loud noises or many voices speaking at once overloads my brain and makes it impossible for me to focus, so I can't really speak to anyone without that awkward nagging in the back of my mind telling me to find a quiet space. I also tend to overthink what I say to other people, so I just prefer to never say anything at all. This second chapter addresses some of these things. For example, the book says that making and having relationships improves your life as a whole, and putting that simple check on what relationships mean helps me to be more open to relationships.
The third chapter of the book explains that you need to exercise your strengths, as well as saying that "weakness" isn't really a thing, it is just a lesser strength, and exercising your strengths is beneficial, be they lesser or greater. This has helped me improve on the things that I have previously mentioned in this summary, and that is something that I will value greatly.
By far the most impactful part of U Thrive for me was chapter 5, dealing with optimism, pessimism, and realism. I am an optimist, to the point where I'll tell myself I'll pull off at least an eighty percent up until twenty minutes before an assignment is due. So as one might expect, I really needed to hear about toxic optimism and the good in some well-applied pessimism. Moving forward I will try to look at things more realistically, particularly in regard to how I use my time and resources.
The part of the book that will stick with me the most is the part about stress and making it work for me. Stress is a constant part of my life, and usually leaves me with a constant migraine, and a sense of panic. I'm still working on improving it, but every time I feel anxious about doing something I tell myself I'm excited and that helps. I think it is helping to get me through the speeches that I don't want to do.
Chapter 6 "Willpower: Doing What You Really Want to Do", was my favorite. Of all the chapters, I needed this one the most. Going into the chapter I thought my willpower was well tended to, but as I examined myself, I found that more and more often it has been waning. I found that I succumb to the temptations of distractions more and more often, leading to late nights of cramming and desultory works. This chapter helped to remind me of the importance of inner strength and the ability to tell myself "no". I intend to recultivate this ability going forward.
I loved this book. I also shared it with my colleagues already. Each chapter and all the paragraphs from this book are worth praising. It’s tough to pick just a few great ones that I consider as a takeaway. However, there is one of my favorite statements that I can share: I even memorized to remind myself of the very exact words because, in my point of view, they will be an automatic Mantra to think of while having bad times or any important stages of life. The statement is from Chapter 1 and even after reading the whole book, I wanted to go back and think about that paragraph. The statement says- “Get into a relationship with yourself: pay attention to what makes you happy, what delights you, and offer yourself those gifts.” There are so many things that we want to have, various places we wish to visit or see once in our life, people we want to build good relationships with, and adventures of life that we want to experience. Before any of these things come “I.” Without understanding one’s own nature, ways of happiness, purpose, and exploring one’s own love for self, loving other beings, and any other stuff seems impossible. I think if we know how to control our minds in good and bad situations, know what makes us happy, what will carry guilt, and so on, we could easily figure out about others’ happiness and value too. That would also lead to success in our college or later, professional life (not to forget our personal life.) I will take this statement as a takeaway as it is the key process, to begin with, self and achieve success in any situation in life. Once we get victory over ourselves, there would be no disappointment from any others as self-love will overcome any challenges. I also think loving myself and loving others without expecting anything in return is the main purpose of life. Expecting nothing in return from others will always save our positive emotions. I have already started many activities suggested by this book. One of them is writing down three grateful things every night before bed. That’s my other takeaway. I can already experience the positivity throughout the day. Honestly speaking, sometimes, it’s difficult of something that I am grateful of because of tiredness (maybe). But I just write down about even the smallest thing that I could think of that gave me some level of satisfaction or happiness. That’s how, I have made it my habit in my daily routine before bed. This takeaway is giving me positive results and I would try to maintain it forever. Most of my mornings seem beautiful. I wake up with very good vibes. I assume the reason is the things I think of before I sleep. Writing those things down may always save my next day with positivity. I could accept both my success and failure as a learning process if I carry on good habits like this. From chapter 2, this statement “Negative interpretation is often the projection of your own fears and worries” is what will take away. I should really stick to control my mind over negative emotions/interpretations. That would benefit me not to waste my time and have guilt over thinking such things, later. It will also reduce stress that takes birth with fears and worries. Fears spoil everything, even the easier things. That might be the cause of loss of many opportunities, especially in college life. I hope to carry all these productive things and be in a good state of mind no matter what stage of life it is.
“There is no greater indicator of happiness and success in college than the quality of your relationships.” (32) I identify with Chapter 2; relationships are one of the largest aspects of college and having the right people around you can make or break college. My takeaway is that so many aspects make up your short 4 years of college, friends, classes, workout routines, sleep schedule, eating habits and more. President Godwin says it best “College is 50% in the classroom and 50% what you do outside of it.” You only have one shot at college… make it count.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book that is most likely to stick with me the longest is Chapter 4. More specifically, the section on growth and fixed mindsets stuck out to me the most because I realized while reading it that I have a fixed mindset with certain situations, such as my schoolwork and grades. My takeaway is that fixed mindsets can be changed, and the first step to change is being aware of the mindset. It will not be easy to change, and it will take a lot of mental work, but it will be extremely beneficial to me in the end.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest thing that will stick with me after reading this book is that even the big city professors that study and teach stuff like this for a living offer advice similar if not identical to that of parents of grandparents. They went in depth with studies and findings, but most of their advice boiled down to things my parents or family had told me already. Some of the things were interesting with the depth they went into and I have a better understanding of a thing or two, but I expected that the advice I get from professors who study how to make college easier would be different than that which my family tells me.
ReplyDeleteChapter 9 resonated with me because I could heavily relate to Alan. Like him, my grandfather passed away before I left for college last year. Similar to him, I didn't connect his passing to my mood and because of this, my mood kept getting worse. A quote that hit home with me is, "It's okay for life to be hard, but it's not okay for life to be miserable (for too long)." This mindset is my take away and I will continue to remind myself of it as I go into my next semester.
ReplyDeleteEmily Crowley
One of the most influential parts of the book for me was chapter 6. As a person who has such a hard time focusing on any one task and is constantly getting distracted it feels so relieving to know that I am not alone in this. I will probably reread that chapter a lot over the next four years just to remind myself that there are ways to keep myself focused and than losing interest in homework or studying is normal for lots of people. I love that it doesn't make it out to be such a horrible thing to lose focus but rather just a skill that I may need to learn to refine a little more. I definitely will be working on that skill for the rest of my life.
ReplyDeleteThe part that will stick with me in U thrive is chapter 9 titled, "Mental health: dealing with tough times". I think this chapter will stick with me because it gives me hope as well as It is very relatable. It talks about how these people that were battling with their demons overcame adversity. This chapter sheds light on the fact that we all face battles that we have to overcome. Some people have many more and much more daunting battles but nevertheless we all go through some form of adversity in our life. Some people cripple and fall under this adversity but others thrive. I think my favorite part is when it says, " your desire to create change counts for a lot". If we want change and to overcome the adversity in our life we have to be intentional and truly have a desire to make a change.
ReplyDeleteThe part of U Thrive that will stick with me the longest is chapter 2. In high school, I never took the time to maintain my relationships with others, which led to me not really having any friends. This led to me barely having any fun experiences in high school, and not many positive memories to look back on. The reason this chapter sticks with me so well though is that I did manage to find some fantastic friends my senior year that made high school way better for me. My grades rose, my mental health improved, and I felt great. I understand the importance of having relationships with other people and how much you have to benefit from them.
ReplyDelete^ John Gladders
DeleteMy biggest takeaway from U Thrive was probably from chapter 5. Depending on the situation, I can either be too optimistic about situations that I forget to think through decisions, or so pessimistic that I give up on things that would probably turn out for the best. That chapter really made me think about how I react to things. I do not want to jump to conclusions and let it ruin my day. I am excited to find a balance in this field and to use my ABCDE’s and see how things change.
ReplyDeleteI feel like I got a lot out of this book, but I think the biggest takeaway for me was that I’m much more pessimistic than I thought I was. I’ve always thought I would be considered an optimist, but after reading this book, I’ve noticed I have pessimistic thoughts all the time and I often have a negative attitude. Though, I’m glad this book made me more aware of my pessimism, because now I can start to try to shift my thoughts to more positive ones.
ReplyDeleteGood wishes to you! Optimism really makes us a happiest person no matter where we go and what we endeavor to do.
DeleteThe chapter in the book that spoke to me the most was definitely chapter nine. It speaks of difficulties and challenges that people face in their lives. Therefore, I believe this chapter is relatable to anyone. Everyone has had bad things happen to them, and everyone faces challenges and difficult decisions. The question that we all have to ask ourselves is what are we going to do about it. Will we use our struggles and our difficulties as an excuse to feel sorry for ourselves? Will we cause these challenges and difficulties to make us feel less confident in ourselves? The best way for us to deal with these difficult times and the difficult times of others is to use these hard situations for the good. We can use them to inspire us. We can use them to inspire other people. Most importantly, we can use them to help us become stronger better people in the future. This is why chapter nine spoke to me more than any other chapter.
ReplyDeleteThe part of this book that really stuck out and resonated with me was Chapter 6 when it said, “willpower is essential to thriving in life.” If you do not have willpower and motivation to move forward and meet your goals, then seeing progress and thriving in your life will be difficult. I also enjoyed Chapter 6 because it allowed me to see that sometimes you do lose the willpower to do certain things and that is normal and okay so long as you can find the proper self-control and balance in your life to push through and thrive.
ReplyDeleteThe chapter that will stick with me the longest is chapter 9. My mental health had become a struggle for me when I started high school, and particularly the last five months of my senior year after an incident at school. When it showed me how Robert Downey Jr., an actor I love, struggled with mental health and still became successful, it made me feel so hopeful about the ability to overcome challenges, no matter how difficult. While I am still healing from so many things, this chapter really shed light on how there is always hope.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Chapter 4 is most likely to stick with me the longest. It made me realize how much power lies in the way that we perceive the world around us. Often when things in my life do not go the way I planned, I seek to change things externally. However, after reading this chapter, I now know that a simple change in mindset can make for a world of change. I will keep this in mind throughout this next semester and beyond.
ReplyDeleteAfter finishing U Thrive, I would say the Epilogue stuck with me the most personally. It really showed me that, even though I procrastinated, I have more than I could ever ask for around me! It really showed me how blessed I am and helped me remember to be thankful for everything around me! Any circumstance you are in in life, you can thrive! I hope to share the knowledge I received from this book to everyone around me who is having a rough time, not just in college, but in life as well!
ReplyDeleteThrough the entire book, chapter 7 spoke loudest to me. I have always struggled with overthinking the little things, and it often causes me to miss the big picture. My takeaway is that I can choose what to prioritize, and that the bare minimum is okay sometimes. Not every decision is life-altering. I am not required to put my resources into things that I don’t want to or that won’t hold much weight in the long run, and sometimes just okay will suffice. It’s all about balance.
ReplyDeleteChapter 8 is the part of the book that will stick with me the longest. I have always looked at stress as a bad thing, so when I get stressed, I stress more because I am stressed which is stressful. This chapter taught me that the right amount of stress is a good thing, and to not feel guilty or overwhelmed about stress. It made me feel validated in my stress. This chapter also taught me some techniques for when I am too stressed that I am eager to try. Exercises like belly breathing and simply saying “I’m excited” are some examples of what I want to try doing when I feel overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteThe part of UThrive that will stick with me the most is Chapter 7, about making choices. I can be a very indecisive person, and it's even worse when I have a lot of options to choose from, because I always wonder after making my decision what it would be like if I had gotten this instead of that. This chapter had a lot of good advice, like knowing when to be a maximizer or a satisficer.
ReplyDeleteChapter 9 was the part that stuck with me the most. I've struggled with mental health for quite a while and it gets hard, especially when your brain convinces you that no one is there for you and that no one understands what you're going through. It's helped me realize that you can still be successful when you struggle with your mental health. There is always going to be someone who knows what you're going through and will help you through it.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book that will stick with me the longest is probably chapter 7. Making decisions is hard because I think deeply about effects that come from them. This book taught me that it is sometimes better to not do that because it can be hurtful to yourself to have so many choices and be overthinking every one of those choices. As I go through college, I am ready to try doing suggested things such as making more irreversible decisions and doing things that will keep me from having so many decisions to make in the first place.
ReplyDeleteThe chapter that stuck out to me the most was chapter 8. If I’m not careful, I can allow myself to become stressed to an almost unhealthy level. I have never considered before that stress can be a good thing; in fact, stress is often what motivates us to get things done. This chapter has changed my mindset on stress, and I hope to no longer look to eliminate stress but rather use it for my own benefit.
ReplyDeleteChapter 4 is the chapter that will stick with me the longest. It reinforces the ideas of the stoic philosophers I have researched, saying that how you perceive the world is just as, if not more, important than physically changing it. I always find it easier to say that I will change the way I view a situation. Nevertheless, I still struggle every time I try to control my mindset. It is a process. And after reading that part in the book, I told myself to devote more attention to these stoic beliefs.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book that has already stuck with me is Chapter 4. The way that you interpret the world around you is just as important as the world itself. Changing your mindset from a fixed to a growth mindset is the singular change that can take you from simply surviving your situation to thriving in life and work. This change in some areas of my life has taken me from being scared of a life encounter, to being excited and ready for whatever that time may hold.
ReplyDeleteI think the part of the book that is most likely to stick with me the longest is the idea of trying to think of stress as beneficial. The first and last week of the semester for me is always so stressful it’s almost unbearable. I often find myself shutting down and unable to do anything at all for long stretches of time, I’m so stressed. So trying to think of my stress as a tool to get things done, a physiological response in my body designed to make me work harder and think better, will help me a lot.
ReplyDeletethink the part of the book that will stick with me the longest is the stress mindset mentioned in chapter eight. I really struggle with managing my stress levels, but this chapter offered many great solutions to the problems I have regarding stress and the way I view it. The fixed vs. growth mindsets mentioned in chapter four also encouraged the way I now view stress. My takeaway is that I should enable my stress to work towards my benefit, not my detriment. It can be a friend instead of a foe.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I have learned so much from reading U Thrive, the chapter that really stuck out to me was chapter 2. The 4 yellow flags (Escalation, Invalidation, Negative Interpretation, and withdrawal) opened my eyes and made me realize all the different ways a conversation can go down. This chapter taught me how to handle tense conversations and how to respond to them as well. If I have quality relationships, happiness and success will easily follow. From now on, I will start prioritizing important relationships and I will express my feelings more openly to others.
ReplyDeleteThe chapter that will stick with me the longest is chapter two. Making and maintaining relationships is a major part of our lives. Chapter two really helps break down how people respond and how to handle conversations. It also helps to identify the yellow flags when a conversation has taken a turn for the worse and how to deescalate the situation, whether that be with humor or I statements or speaking in a calm voice.
ReplyDeleteI would have to say that the chapter that stuck with me the most is chapter 8. I have always been a person that takes on a lot and is constantly busy so naturally I have dealt with a lot of stress. I always thought that stress was a bad thing and that I needed to get rid of it. It’s nice to know that some stress is a good thing. If anything, learning this information helps my stress levels. I would have to say that my biggest takeaway from this book is that stress can be helpful at times.
ReplyDeleteChapter 5 now has its own personal area of my brain. I think this chapter has opened a shown a new light and has led me to see how I perceive inconveniences and other things. My whole life, I have been brought down by little things and find it difficult to separate bad things from me. My biggest goal for this semester is to try to remember, not me, not always, not everything. I want to change my PES to an OES. In turn this will make me happier and easier to be around.
ReplyDeleteMallory Forgione
DeleteOne of the big takeaways that I enjoyed in the book was the topic talking about keeping your physical health up to keep your mental health in check. The topic is in multiple chapters such as 6, 10, and 11, and it talks about how keeping in shape and improving your diet will keep your mental state clear and you'll be more likely to be happy in life. A lot of the misery today is because the food industry is declining and today's culture encourages hedonism. Improving your life through diet and exercise will improve your life mentally as well.
ReplyDeleteThe quote that stood out the most to me is: “The engaged life emerges when we are using our strengths and talents to meet challenges.” Our signature strengths seem somewhat natural to us and in our life, we are truly engaged when we are able to put our signature strengths into action. It wasnt only this quote but I also found my results on the VIA strengths survey interesting. It allowed me to understand my signature strengths better and now I will be able to apply both my personal, school, and professional life.
ReplyDeleteThe chapter that I will remember the most is chapter 14 the quote at the beginning instantly caught my attention. “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” By George Bernard Shaw. This caught my attention because we grew up being told life is about finding your purpose and yourself. We as children and teenagers do not know who we are, or what we want to be. Then most of us go looking for who we are and get wrapped in social views and do not become the person we want to be. Instead of looking for ourselves, we should be creating ourselves; every challenge, struggle, and achievement shapes us into who we are today. It also states that our lives matter, our lives make sense, and we have a purpose or a basis for our aspirations and pursuits in life. I struggle every day to remember that my life matters and that somewhere at some point I have a purpose. I think as college students we are going to go through one of the most challenging things in life and we must remember all of this has a point in the end. The final thing we must remember is to keep pursuing and creating ourselves. We all have a point in life.
ReplyDeleteAllie Brown
I have two big takeaways that I want to continue to think on. I want to learn to be more optimistic, but not too much so. I just want to improve from my formerly negative, pessimistic ways. I think having more optimism will allow me to see the good in things that I maybe didn't do too well on. For instance: "Well, I didn't do too well on this test but at least I know what I need to study up on some more." Another thing that I took from this book, is that I need to learn to accept things that are just, "good." For too long, I strived for the absolute best, but every time I didn't reach that high standard, I felt disappointed in myself. I want to still set high goals, but be ok with myself if I fall a bit short. It's less about being the best, and more about seeing how much I can grow.
ReplyDeleteMy main takeaway (golden nugget if you're Dr. Felts) after reading U-Thrive was towards the end where the idea of passion was explored. I find myself not being truly passionate about much in life, but I still believe that individuals who are passionate about the right things and in the right ways are those that make the largest impacts on the world. There are certainly things I would like to be more passionate about--maybe fostering those passions should be one of my goals for the semester.
ReplyDelete**Golden Quote**
DeleteChapters two and nine were my favorite. They talked about how important your relationships are, and how important taking care of your mental health is. I especially liked in chapter nine when the authors talked about how anxiety and depression isn't necessarily a disease you get rid of like the flu, but something you learn to handle and fight. Taking this and pairing it with chapter two, this book reminded me the importance of having accountability partners and battle buddies, people who will stand by your side through it all and help you handle your worst battles.
ReplyDelete"How we react to challenging events dictates both our experience and the outcome" (91). Chapter 4 Mindsets really stood out to me throughout this book. Learning and understanding thinking traps really opened my eyes and forced me to do some self-reflection. Personalizing is something that I definitely struggle with in my relationships, so being able to read and understand how it works and ways to combat it was something that I enjoyed greatly.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book that is the most likely to stick with me is the chapter about willpower. It had not consciously occurred to me that making decisions that require willpower - no matter how small it may be - do add up and exhaust the mental and physical capacity I have to control urges or desires. From this, I have recognized that it is important to not rely on willpower alone when making decisions; instead, like much of the books suggests, it is more beneficial, and ultimately successful, to plan towards my strengths and prepare for my weaknesses.
ReplyDelete✎ Luken Sloan
The part of U Thrive that resonated most with me, was the chapter about stress. I'm an anxious person and sometimes stress helps me get things done but sometimes it debilitates me. This chapter stressed the importance of finding a healthy balance between motivational stress and debilitating stress; I am going to try to find my balance this semester so that I can use stress to my advantage.
ReplyDeleteThe initial quote at the beginning of chapter 14 really hit home for me. It said, “Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” My whole life the ideal that you had the responsibility to “find yourself” was always the goal. This chapter completely challenged the idea that you’re not responsible for finding something that hasn’t been created yet. It’s then your responsibility to create experiences, opportunity, purposes, and goals, in order to create yourself into the person you’ll become proud of. I think every person’s perspective on what the purpose of life is will be different. That’s because we don’t all live the same lives with the same backgrounds, personalities, families, friends, and cultures. What we have grown to learn, know, and understand, will develop each person's idea of what their purpose in life is. Regardless, it’s something that is created not that already exists.
ReplyDeleteWhat will stick with me the most is the “I am excited” technique in chapter 8. When it comes to new things, I can be both excited and really nervous because the unknown scares me. A lot of times I let my nerves get to me and back out of things that could have opened up opportunities or created awesome memories. I like this technique and plan to use it often because it allows me to focus on the excitement I feel instead of the nerves. Hopefully this will make it easier to embrace new things rather than fear them.
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest takeaway for me is the Convo Warning Signs. I have a really bad habit of rushing in by the seat of my pants in conversations and basically extemping* my way through the entire thing, usually making a load of mistakes along the way. But being able to see the things to avoid is a great visual aid on how to be mindful when I speak.
ReplyDelete*Is this a word? Nope, do I care definitely not!
The part of the book that will stick with me the longest is chapter one, in particular when it discusses the impact of a positive mindset. Powerlifting is a good example of this; if you get hyped up and truly believe you can get the weight then you usually will, however if you were to walk into the weight rack thinking "I don't know if I can get this'' then you will usually fail or struggle to get the weight. My takeaway is that positive mindsets can help you through struggles and can also help you make the most of opportunities.
ReplyDeleteI think that my greatest take away from this book is to remember to socialize and generally put yourself out there. I tend to shut down when I get really stressed and spent a lot of days last year shut up in my room because of it. After reading this I hope to try and make the conscious decision to push back against this urge by going out with my friends for activities and dinner when they as instead of succumbing to my desire to stay in.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely pg 207 where it informs me to "take ten seconds to look at the food. Then take ten seconds to smell the food...throw in another ten seconds to really chew and swallow the food" But in all honesty though I think the book really was learning about the thinking traps on pg 93. I do a lot of castrophizing myself along with falling into other traps and it was nice to be presented with ways to combat these issues. I'm not sure if I will be able to breakaway from these traps immediately, but at least I have an avenue to work on them now. I do kinda wish I had read this book before my first year of college though as I was very insecure about making friends the summer before.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest takeaway for me from the book was Chapter 2 which focused on relationships. Relationships are a huge part of your success and being able to make the right ones is crucial, especially in college. The 4 yellow flags mentioned in this chapter also helped me better understand how to interpret conversations. This chapter just overall made me realize how important relationships are and the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people.
ReplyDeleteThis book contained a vast amount of insight that I think was very beneficial towards my current stage in life. However, for me, I would have to say that Chapter 1 stuck out to me the most. Before reading this chapter, I felt very stuck in my negative mindset. I was trying to prepare myself for college and get excited, but all I felt was anxiety. I have been helping run a small business (if you ever have had to do this then you know what it’s like) all summer and my schedule change has caused me to worry about how I am going to juggle all of my responsibilities. This particular chapter taught me that being positive can affect my daily life and my future. I still get anxious about how I will be able to handle everything I need to do, but I will try to see what things I am grateful for everyday too. “Positive emotions can help you through the challenges as well as make the most of the opportunities”. Using this quote, I have been able to adjust my mindset to take each task step by step, without stress.
ReplyDeleteThe most impactful section of the book for me was by far Chapter 4 about mindsets and how to change them for the better. It's encouraging for everyone, whether you have a fixed or growth mindset. It shows how you can learn from it just by being aware. Your mindset can even change and you can do what you can to help your current one. I currently have a growth mindset, but in my past I was very fixed. With my own determination I evolved from it, and now I'm up for challenges if they help me in the long run.
ReplyDelete"When you are utterly absorbed in what you are doing -- exercising a signature strength... when all distractions have melted away and only the present place, time and action exist, you are in flow" (Page 67). This chapter is what inspires me to get off my phone and go do something productive with my time. Flow is why when I play softball nothing else going on in my life matters, I am so engrossed in the game that it is all I can think about. I want to have that feeling all the time, and this chapter explained to me how I can do that.
ReplyDelete"Knowing exploring, and applying your talents and signature strengths provide the pathway to living an engaged life."
ReplyDeleteThe Big Idea
Chapter 3
In this chapter, the author discusses how your strengths and talents can be both natural and acquired with practice and intentional growth in each area. It touches on your character strengths and even your lesser strengths that you really aren't sure what to do with. As I have taken time in the past year or so, I have come to terms with the fact that choosing a path in life will require me to use some lesser skills that I have. Though at times it can be scary and make me doubtful that I have made the right choice, I have to hold on to the fact that facing these strengths that have room for growth will benefit me more than anything. How can I learn from only practicing the skills I'm good at? I can't. These lesser strengths, or a completely lack thereof, could range all the way from not having social skills in a business job to not having a an empathetic heart when pursuing a psychology degree to become a counselor. Each of these situations will require time and patience to master and become part of a person's life and character. How a person choses to deal with their strengths and weaknesses tells everything about who they are as a person, their character, and how successful they will be in whatever career they chose to pursue.
Lizzie Jones
Chapter 8: Stress: Making It Work for You, is the most likely to stick with me. I tend to get psyched out and overwhelmed really easily. So, I need to find a balance and use my stress to my advantage to become a better student, having a “just-right dose of stress”(155). Rather than letting that stress beat me. I need to find the right level of stress that helps me succeed and stay on top of my work and not fall behind, without getting so stressed out I am unable to calm down long enough to complete simple tasks.
ReplyDeleteThe part that is most likely to stick with me is chapter 5. I am very big on optimism and I think it is so important in having a good life. I think an optimistic mindset can carry you very far. But, like it says in the chapter, a small dose of pessimism can be helpful and give you that little jolt that you need. I think in general, optimism can totally change a persons mindset and I am going to for sure apply it to my everyday life.
ReplyDeleteThere are several elements of the book I have already started implementing. For example, positive emotions. I have been thinking positively every morning I wake up. The book's experiments indicate that "positive priming" leads to better success. So that is what I have been doing, when I wake up, I just immediately put myself in a positive mindset. It is probably too soon to tell if it is working, and to what degree, but regardless thinking positive thoughts isn't a bad thing even if it is not making me any more successful... Unless it turns out positive priming is an utter failure for me, I think it is going to stick with me. Common sense says Happy = Better, but it is very interesting to see this tested and see the results. Starting in Chapter 1, and continuously throughout the book, it has experiments that prove that positivity is beneficial. For the next 4 years, and perhaps even the rest of my life I am going to implement this by having a positive mindset, and scheduling things I like doing to keep myself happy and positive.
ReplyDeleteAs a student athlete, part three of UThrive, “Student Bodies” naturally put me on the spot. I believe it is this section that will cause for a continuation of pondering. Staying physically active as chapter ten discussed, is not an issue as I am on the cross country and track team here at ECU and we run miles upon miles every day. It was chapter eleven and twelve that hit a sore spot; “Sleep” & “Nutrition”, or rather, the lack thereof. I tend to put these aspects on the back burner quite frequently. My body says no, but my mind, like a broken record says, “whatever it takes”. I’m not so sure that I’m wrong for being this way. Obligations, whether academically related or not, must get done and there is so little time do it all. Sinking ships throw things overboard to stay afloat, I do the same. I could be wrong, but I'm not so sure.
ReplyDeleteChapter 6 really impacted me with the idea of Willpower being necessary to Thrive. The idea of keeping what's important first and powering through our world's distractions. My biggest issue has been not being able to say no. Being able to take a moment and step back from things I know I won't have time for has been a struggle in recent years. So, at the end of the last semester I promised myself I would ease up on my burdens and control myself a bit more. The chapter really helped me in understanding how important that promise really is.
ReplyDeleteChapter 11 sticks out to me, particularly the section 'F(M)ood Matters'. This section stood out to me because I relate to it and it explained what I didn't understand about food in accordance with mood. One example used is comparing how Cathy felt after eating a cheeseburger or granola and yogurt (unlike the burger, the yogurt left her feeling physically and mentally fresh). "Cathy has come to realize that making good decisions about what she puts in her body is nurturing in every sense of the word" (201). This chapter reveals new ideas and explanations that I will use to create a healthier lifestyle.
ReplyDelete-Charlie Rogers
Chapter 3 stuck out the most to me, and my strongest character strength is love of learning. This chapter really helped me with identifying and utilizing my strengths. I have been trying out several things to help me improve in my strength areas and achieve my flow state when I am working. Overall, this book taught me a lot about college and what I should expect, as well as showed me several skills I will use throughout my time at college and all through my career.
ReplyDeleteMost of this book is going to stick with me the longest. It has helped me realize I do not have the greatest mindset right now. As of right now, a great starting point for me was chapter 5 and understanding my strengths. I identified my bad habits a lot within this book, but “John’s” story hit home for me. I was, am, directionless. I do not really understand my strengths yet and I realize now that it is affecting my drive in college. My takeaway is that there is a lot more to success and happiness than a degree.
ReplyDeleteThe first chapter was far and away the heaviest hitting for me. It'll stay with me for a long time as it will really affect my day-to-day life. I am currently planning on doing something that makes me happy before I do anything important to my success, and treat myself to a reward afterward. I am setting up a schedule of work time to entertainment in order to maximize my performance in whatever it is that I am doing. My takeaway from this book is that you don’t have to work yourself to death to succeed and be happy.
ReplyDeleteThe first half of the book is incredibly important for me, and is something that has changed my viewpoint, at least slightly. But Part 1, the first three chapters of the book, are incredibly beneficial for me as a person.
ReplyDeleteThe book starts off by addressing things that I have trouble with in Part 1. The very first chapter is about the science of happiness, something that I have trouble feeling very often due to immense amounts of stress and some emotional baggage. It shows to me that even just having a positive mindset going into class can help greatly, and that's something I've put into practice in even my most stressful situations so far, and it has done wonders for my content in life.
The second chapter focuses on relationships and that is another aspect of life that I have trouble expanding because I don't work well in social situations. Lots of loud noises or many voices speaking at once overloads my brain and makes it impossible for me to focus, so I can't really speak to anyone without that awkward nagging in the back of my mind telling me to find a quiet space. I also tend to overthink what I say to other people, so I just prefer to never say anything at all. This second chapter addresses some of these things. For example, the book says that making and having relationships improves your life as a whole, and putting that simple check on what relationships mean helps me to be more open to relationships.
The third chapter of the book explains that you need to exercise your strengths, as well as saying that "weakness" isn't really a thing, it is just a lesser strength, and exercising your strengths is beneficial, be they lesser or greater. This has helped me improve on the things that I have previously mentioned in this summary, and that is something that I will value greatly.
By far the most impactful part of U Thrive for me was chapter 5, dealing with optimism, pessimism, and realism. I am an optimist, to the point where I'll tell myself I'll pull off at least an eighty percent up until twenty minutes before an assignment is due. So as one might expect, I really needed to hear about toxic optimism and the good in some well-applied pessimism. Moving forward I will try to look at things more realistically, particularly in regard to how I use my time and resources.
ReplyDeleteThe part of the book that will stick with me the most is the part about stress and making it work for me. Stress is a constant part of my life, and usually leaves me with a constant migraine, and a sense of panic. I'm still working on improving it, but every time I feel anxious about doing something I tell myself I'm excited and that helps. I think it is helping to get me through the speeches that I don't want to do.
ReplyDeleteChapter 6 "Willpower: Doing What You Really Want to Do", was my favorite. Of all the chapters, I needed this one the most. Going into the chapter I thought my willpower was well tended to, but as I examined myself, I found that more and more often it has been waning. I found that I succumb to the temptations of distractions more and more often, leading to late nights of cramming and desultory works. This chapter helped to remind me of the importance of inner strength and the ability to tell myself "no". I intend to recultivate this ability going forward.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book. I also shared it with my colleagues already. Each chapter and all the paragraphs from this book are worth praising. It’s tough to pick just a few great ones that I consider as a takeaway. However, there is one of my favorite statements that I can share: I even memorized to remind myself of the very exact words because, in my point of view, they will be an automatic Mantra to think of while having bad times or any important stages of life. The statement is from Chapter 1 and even after reading the whole book, I wanted to go back and think about that paragraph. The statement says- “Get into a relationship with yourself: pay attention to what makes you happy, what delights you, and offer yourself those gifts.” There are so many things that we want to have, various places we wish to visit or see once in our life, people we want to build good relationships with, and adventures of life that we want to experience. Before any of these things come “I.” Without understanding one’s own nature, ways of happiness, purpose, and exploring one’s own love for self, loving other beings, and any other stuff seems impossible. I think if we know how to control our minds in good and bad situations, know what makes us happy, what will carry guilt, and so on, we could easily figure out about others’ happiness and value too. That would also lead to success in our college or later, professional life (not to forget our personal life.) I will take this statement as a takeaway as it is the key process, to begin with, self and achieve success in any situation in life. Once we get victory over ourselves, there would be no disappointment from any others as self-love will overcome any challenges. I also think loving myself and loving others without expecting anything in return is the main purpose of life. Expecting nothing in return from others will always save our positive emotions. I have already started many activities suggested by this book. One of them is writing down three grateful things every night before bed. That’s my other takeaway. I can already experience the positivity throughout the day. Honestly speaking, sometimes, it’s difficult of something that I am grateful of because of tiredness (maybe). But I just write down about even the smallest thing that I could think of that gave me some level of satisfaction or happiness. That’s how, I have made it my habit in my daily routine before bed. This takeaway is giving me positive results and I would try to maintain it forever. Most of my mornings seem beautiful. I wake up with very good vibes. I assume the reason is the things I think of before I sleep. Writing those things down may always save my next day with positivity. I could accept both my success and failure as a learning process if I carry on good habits like this. From chapter 2, this statement “Negative interpretation is often the projection of your own fears and worries” is what will take away. I should really stick to control my mind over negative emotions/interpretations. That would benefit me not to waste my time and have guilt over thinking such things, later. It will also reduce stress that takes birth with fears and worries. Fears spoil everything, even the easier things. That might be the cause of loss of many opportunities, especially in college life. I hope to carry all these productive things and be in a good state of mind no matter what stage of life it is.
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