As I was looking for new books to read, I accidentally stumbled across this book called The Mountain Is You by Brianna Weist. It was one of the best things that happened to me. For most of us, we are our own greatest obstacle and this book saves you from yourself. There is so much content and depth on each page of the book. It helps you to understand yourself better and why you behave the way you do. So here's my summary notes of the book:
"Much like nature, life is very often working in our favour"
To wish that life should not have battles is foolish; instead of letting life get the best out of you, I suggest you get the best out of life. Instead of letting a bad circumstance get to you, I suggest you get the best out of the bad circumstance. When you start doing this, your life will be transformed for the best. There's nothing stopping a person who keeps going no matter what.
"The breakdown is often the tipping point that precedes the breakthrough"
When there's a problem, you solve it. You don't hide from it, you don't avoid it; you solve it. Every difficulty is an opportunity to grow beyond your comfort zone, and every obstacle only makes you better and swifter. Struggles work out in your favour if you have the right attitude. Just as an eagle uses the storm to fly higher, use your circumstances to your favour.
"There's nothing holding you back in life more than yourself"
Often we tend to blame our parents, our circumstances, the government, even the climate for our misfortunes; but in reality nothing stops us from getting past all obstacles to get what we want.
Imagine the picture of a mother who wants her child to be healed at whatever cost; she will do whatever it takes.
The potential of the human mind is unfathomable; limitless really!
Determination, perseverance and a deep desire can get you past all resistance and obstacles in the way of you achieving your dreams.
However, hopelessness can do the exact opposite; it puts you in a state of apathy; where you don't even try.
"On the surface, self-sabotage seems masochistic"
Having a negative belief about you and your circumstance is a form of self-sabotage. Why would you ever talk yourself down? Why would you ever punish yourself and do harm to yourself? Because self-sabotage is an unconscious coping mechanism; a maladaptive coping mechanism!
It's not the solution to your problem; it's not the healing mechanism to your wounds; rather, it's a numbing mechanism that provides momentary relief. Just as an alcoholic would reach for his bottle at times of pain to immediately numb the pain; to stop thinking about his pain. It's a momentary solution to a deep-seated chronic problem, rather than a permanent solution or cure to his pain.
"Your mountain is the block between you and the life you want to live"
The transformed life starts when you start facing all your problems/pain points head on, excavate the hidden wounds, deal with it, then gradually heal from it. Just as a surgeon would clean and freshen an open wound, before applying medicine and allowing it to heal, before closing the wound.
"Resistance is what happens when we have a new project that we need to work on and simply can't bring ourselves to do it"
We feel resistance to a task that we wish to perform because of fear of failure; the task being daunting with limited time to complete it; or it's just something new that we have never done before. For instance, you pass on an event that requires public speaking because of your nerves.
You wish to be this fluent speaker in your head but you pass on the event because you've never done it before; and you will not in the future if you keep passing on opportunities. So what can we do about it? Instead of freaking out in fear, you make a plan. Your daily routine now includes reading articles, listening to podcasts, practicing speeches with family and learning from other public speakers.
Now you have tricked your brain into performing the task by easing into the task one baby step a time each day instead of shocking it. And very soon, public speaking is your new normal.
In conclusion, I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone because we all unconsciously self-sabotage to varying degrees, from the food choices we make to major life choices such as career and relationships; and this book helps bring self-awareness and subconscious thought patterns to light so that you might recognize them and stop them.
For pdf version click here:
Comments