Book review: Emotional Fitness

By: Consumer Association of Penang

I would reckon this book – despite it is published by the consumers association in MALAYSIA. As it is from a ghost writer, I am not truly sure if the writer is a Malaysian. This book is good, as it explores the different ranges of emotions that individuals may have. Further more, the author tells us of the signs of those emotions and also suggest ways to reduce those “bad” emotions that may appear in us. It is a book worth reading and to be re-read.

Important notes from the book:

Boredom in adults is often a sign of a lack of intellectual stimulation.

We all want to do what we are good at doing.

We need to feel “in charge” of something; we need to be flexible, adapting to the situation; we need to use our judgment.

Mind readers jump to conclusions that are true for them without checking whether they are true for the other person.

Personalization is the tendency to relate everything around you to yourself. A major aspect of personalization is the habit of continually comparing yourself to other people. The underlying assumption is that your worth is questionable. The basic thinking error in personalization is that you interpret each experience, each conversation, each look as a clue to your worth and value.

We can’t be grateful because we are making comparisons with others. Each day write 5 things you are grateful for.

Writing your feelings down will help express them and help you to gain more insight into the problem.

Jealously only reflects your intense needs, your desperation to keep what you want, and your unrealistic demands about what the future should hold.

A mistake is an opportunity to find out what works for you – and what doesn’t.

The error of the past is the wisdom and success of the future.

Patience grants us the time to understand people and the way things are.

We are impatient because we want to be in the future faster than reality will take us there.

Patience, or not daring to go ahead of the world, allows is to get the feel of a situation, to understand context.

True persistence is reviewing the steps taken, looking for ways to improve the process and then carrying out the revised steps.

Every failure you encounter means that you are getting closer to finding a solution that would work.

Resilient people are people who take action, solve problems and reserve time for renewal.

We do not always have a choice in what happens to us, but we always have a choice about how we react to it.

Self nurturing is the time spent rejuvenating your energy and replenishing your spirit.

When you respect someone, you hold someone as worthwhile and valuable, and are honest with him or her. This builds trust and solidifies relationships. It also builds self confidence in the other person.

One earns respect by voluntarily taking that person’s feelings, needs and thoughts into consideration.

By opening yourself up, you are actually placing confidence in others so that they will supportive and reinforcing of you, even if you let down your “strong” mask and show your weaknesses.

A reliable person is one who has a track record of doing what he or she promised to do.