1. 1-Sentence-Summary:
1.1. Best Self will help you become the hero you’ve always wanted to be by teaching you how to be honest with yourself about what you desire, identify your toxic anti-self, and discover the traits of the greatest possible version of you that you can imagine.
2. Favorite quote from the author:
2.1. "It's not selfish to take care of yourself." - Mike Bayer
3. 3 lessons:
3.1. Start defining the best version of yourself to take the first step toward reaching your full potential.
3.1.1. There are two versions of yourself, one positive and the other negative.
3.1.2. Learn to become aware which of these two is in control.
3.1.2.1. To do that, identify their characteristics and attributes.
3.1.2.2. Write all of your positive traits on a piece of paper.
3.1.2.2.1. Ask other people what you are good at to get a start.
3.1.2.3. Then, you can put a face and superpowers to it so you know when you’re acting as your best self!
3.2. Annihilate the fear that holds you back with the power of honesty.
3.2.1. Your weapon against fear is being honest with yourself.
3.2.2. Remember that fear is always lying to you.
3.2.2.1. When it says you’re not good enough or you can’t, none of those things are true.
3.2.2.2. But they’re real feelings that make you waste time living a life that’s mediocre.
3.2.3. To beat your worries, begin by identifying what they are.
3.2.3.1. Journal about the answer to the question “What fears do I have that are holding me back from changing my life?”
3.2.3.2. If you take this seriously, dig deep, and really examine your answers carefully, you’ll find a theme you can begin to tackle.
3.2.4. To beat what you’re afraid of, test it.
3.2.4.1. Train your positive thinking muscle so it’s strong enough to believe in the truth rather than the lies of doubt.
3.2.4.1.1. This is hard because you usually focus more on the fear itself than solutions, but you can change this habit.
3.2.4.2. To turn your mind to solving the problems in your way, complete the following statements on your piece of paper:
3.2.4.2.1. “My fear is”
3.2.4.2.2. “It’s keeping me from”
3.2.4.2.3. “My plan to stop it becoming reality is”
3.3. You will be the best at taking care of others when you’re good at taking care of yourself first.
3.3.1. If you want to reach your full potential, you need to serve others.
3.3.1.1. But you can’t get there if you’re not serving your own needs well enough first.
3.3.1.1.1. Without proper self-care, you can’t have the emotional or physical energy required.
3.3.2. You need to learn how to properly deal with the inevitable business and stresses of daily life.
3.3.3. There are a few simple and powerful tools the author gives to do this.
3.3.3.1. Mindful breathing is just one method you can use to destress.
3.3.3.1.1. Pause when things are getting hectic and taking a few deep breaths.
3.3.3.1.2. This will bring the calm and perspective you need to move forward with your day as your best self.
3.3.3.2. Exercise is another tool
3.3.3.2.1. It helps if you find a physical activity you enjoy doing.
3.3.3.3. Make sure that you’re getting enough sleep.
3.3.3.3.1. You can’t expect high cognitive and emotional performance if you’re tired all the time, and that only makes things worse for the people around you.
3.3.3.3.2. Keeping a regular bedtime will help with this.
3.3.3.4. Find some passions will help you balance your life.
3.3.3.4.1. It’s easy to get sucked into work, but find hobbies you enjoy outside of the office.
3.3.3.4.2. To find the time in your busy schedule, consider what stops you from doing these activities, and eliminate those time-wasters.
3.3.3.4.3. Watching TV is a common one that you can give up.