Emotional Agility by Susan David

“Our contract with life is a contract that is brokered with fragility, and with sadness, and with anxiety. And if we’re going to authentically and meaningfully be in this world, we cannot focus on one dimension of life and expect that focusing on that dimension is going to then give us a well-rounded life.”

Susan David’s book Emotional Agility breaks down the importance of accepting the wide range of emotions we feel as part of the human experience, and the importance of understanding how to engage with them correctly instead of attempting to control them.

We need to move away from emotional rigidity and towards emotional agility.

She breaks Emotional Agility into four steps:

1. Showing Up (Taking a moment to feel our emotions and look at them with curiosity)
2. Stepping Out (Step away from our emotions and label them as something we are feeling instead of using them as a definition)
3. Walking Your Why (Take a moment to define your values)
4. Moving On (Making changes in your habits that align your time and actions with your values)

How can shifting your focus with emotions help you out?

I’d love to hear from you. Find me on Twitter and Instagram.

Also be sure to check out her amazing TED Talk! 🙂