University of Minnesota - UMN Executive Leadership Insights
The Adversity Hack
Book

The Adversity Hack

Get Out of Your Own Way, Shift Your Thinking, and Change Your World

Meg Poag
River Grove Books, 2021
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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Engaging
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

Has suffering become a regular part of your life? Leadership coach Meg Poag says it doesn’t have to be. When you shift your mind-set, you can create the life you want. Drawing from a wide range of sources, including behavioral psychology, ancient spiritual teachings, neuroscience and popular culture, Poag promises to help you overcome self-limiting beliefs, negative habits and destructive emotions with her step-by-step guide. She offers tools to help you become the best possible version of yourself.

Summary

You are the one preventing yourself from living your dream. Escape the suffering by shifting your mind-set.

Many people falsely believe that feeling unfulfilled, resentful and frustrated is a normal part of life. Suffering occurs when you make external factors responsible for your happiness. Escape the suffering by shifting your mind-set. Aim to cultivate your own inner joy, while transforming any adversity you face into a powerful source of strength and learning. 

Shifting your negative thought patterns requires confronting your ego – the part of your personality that supports your unhealthy beliefs and reactions. Your ego is survival-based. It can protect you when your amygdala – the part of your brain triggered by fear and stress – activates, but you shouldn’t let it control you. Learn to decipher when your ego is in control, and to tap into the inner states of your “higher self,” which focuses on learning and creating. These states include: inspiration, exhilaration, presence, trust, wholeness, peace, love, joy and gratitude.

Ask yourself questions about your thoughts to ...

About the Author

Meg Poag is an executive coach and the founder and CEO of Mission Squared, a consulting firm that aims to transform organizations “by transforming their people.”

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