Communication, Leadership Development, Personal Development, psychology

Bittersweet By Susan Cain

Imagine a world without sadness, loss, or suffering where no one is ever in a bad mood. Tears are unheard of. You never wake up at 3:00 a.m. riddled with worry or anxiety about the future. Lovers never leave each other. Loved ones never die.

Immediately, I think we would all agree that this sounds pretty great, but according to bestselling author Susan Cain, it might not be so straightforward!

See, sadness, pain, and loss all play essential roles. Without them, life’s joys would be more mundane. The people you love wouldn’t feel so precious. And moments of happiness wouldn’t feel special at all. Without darkness, you don’t notice the light. If you’ve never tasted bitterness, you can’t recognize sweetness.

This week I read ‘Bittersweet’ by Susan Cain. The book has the subtitle ‘How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole’ and is, in its essence, a reflection on how a bittersweet state of mind can help us transcend pain – both on a personal and collective level!

According to Cain, the Bittersweet is a neglected but truly beautiful quality. She defines it as “A tendency to states of longing, nostalgia, and sorrow: an acute awareness of passing time: and a curiously piercing joy at the beauty of the world.”

It’s the understanding that the tragedy of life is inescapably paired with its splendor. It’s compassion, sadness, modesty, hidden suffering and quietness, and the plangent allure of the happy-sad.

We hope you will enjoy this animated summary, where we will walk you through the essential pieces of wisdom conveyed in the book:

Voiceover credit: Deborah Dike on FIVERR

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Personal Development, psychology

Quiet By Susan Cain

This week I read ‘Quiet’ by Susan Cain. The book has the subtitle ‘The power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking’ and is, in its essence, a reflection on how many modern societies discourages introverted behavior and why Cain believes this is a dang shame.! For me it was a real page-turner that got me reflecting on my own preferences and how the ‘twists and turns’ of life has shaped me into the 41-year-old; Mom, Youtuber, Wife, Daughter, Sister, Busines women, Entrepreneur, I am today.

I can only recommend reading the full book, but should you find yourself short on time, you can check out our animated summary of the book on the YouTube Channel

Here is a small teaser on the key Insight we will walk you through.

Key Insight #1 Introverts versus extroverts    

According to Cain, our lives are highly impacted by where we fall on the Introvert-Extrovert spectrum.

There are many differences between Extroverts and Introverts.

As a general rule, most extroverts would rather talk than listen. They relish company, and their outgoing, vibrant nature draws people to them.

On the other hand, Introverts tend to be more reserved and less motivated by fame and fortune. They may be social and enjoy parties but often prefer spending quality time with friends or family.

With that said, it is important to emphasize that the human personality is highly complex. All introverts or extroverts are not alike, and there is a broad spectrum within each personality type.

#2 Why Society favors extroverts

In the 1920s and 1930s, as corporate America flourished, people’s fascination with movie stars grew, and the influence of advertisements became stronger. And so began the shift from a strong societal focus on character to an even stronger focus on personality.

Great power now came from having a great personality, and your demeanor and reputation immensely affected your success both in Society and business and as a result Society started valuing extroversion as the preferred personality trait.

#3 Why Society needs to stop underestimating introverts.

Now that we have learned how the glorification of extroversion came about, Susan Cain emphasizes why it is entirely unreasonable.

She points out that some of the greatest minds within Arts, Politics, Entrepreneurship, and science belong to introverts and emphasize introversion’s strengths and unique qualities. Qualities such as persistence, heightened sensitivity, and empathy! She also highlights that Introverts make great leaders because of their predisposition to listen and their openness to carry out the suggestions of others.

You can check out the video here: https://youtu.be/wPiTzYxCO4o

If you do decide to visit http://www.Youtube.com/BigIdeasGrowingMinds, remember to Subscribe to the channel so you don’t miss out on future Big Ideas!! 

**And If you enjoy our videos, please consider supporting us on Patreon – Your support would not only mean the world to us but also allow us to continue making awesome FREE content for many years to come.

Become a Patron!

Take care and see you soon.

#Bigideasgrowingminds #becomeabetteryou #KnowledgeBouillonCubes #SusanCain #Quiet #ThePowerOfIntroverts #BigIdeas #GrowingMinds #Learning #Leadership #Leadershipdevelopment #Development #Selfdevelopment #communication #booksummary #meaning #Selfreflection #Inspiration #PersonalDevelopment #Leadershipqualities #LeadershipSkills #Selfimprovement #becomeabetterleader