Table of Contents
Prologue: You Can Change
Chapter One: Action
Chapter Two: Crushing Haunting Thoughts
Remembrance of Things Past and Things Yet to Come
The Seeds of Our Discontent
Full Circles of Pain
My Mantra
Exercise: Crafting Your Own Mantra
The Six Simple Rules of Mantras
A Game Mantra
A Simple Example
Stopping the Broken Loop
Chapter Three: You Have No Idea How to Breathe
Exercise: Box Breathing
Chapter Four: The Killer Inside Me
The Nature of the Tormentor
Weapons of the Tormentor
Perfectionism
Name-Calling, Global Put-Downs, and Absolutes
Imagery and Highlight Reels
Should/Could/Would
Horriblizing/Catastrophizing
Projection
Chaining
Why Is the Tormentor There?
What Didn’t Work and What Did
Exercise: The Best Friend Inside You
Exercise Follow-Up
Chapter Five: A Realistic Picture of You
Exercise: Pictures of You
Exercise Part One
Example Exercise
1.Physical Appearance
2.Personality
3.Mental Functioning
4.Emotional Landscape
5.Performance at Work/School
6.Performance on Everyday Tasks
7.Friendships
8.How Other People See You
9.Love Relationships
10.Sexuality
Exercise Part Two
1.Physical Appearance
2.Personality
3.Mental Functioning
4.Emotional Landscape
5.Performance at Work/School
6.Performance on Everyday Tasks
7.Friendships
8.How Other People See You
9.Love Relationships
10.Sexuality
The Fault in Our Stars
Exercise Part Three
The Revised List
Exercise Part Four: Building on Your Strengths
Exercise Part Five
A Time to Reflect
Chapter Six: Reinforcement Learning
Exercise: Crafting Your Own Affirmation
Chapter Seven: Flow
What Makes an Activity a Flow Activity?
The Seven Keys to Flow
Exercise: Picking a Flow Activity for Yourself
Flow as Lifestyle
Chapter Eight: Do Cool Shit
Trying New Things in a New Way
Finding Fun and Adventure on the Road and at Home
Step One: Release Expectations
Step Two: Learn Your Lessons
Exercise: Finding Adventure
Part One: Exploring Your Own Ideas
Part Two: Leveling Up
Part Three: AirBnB Experiences
Breaking the Cycle
Chapter Nine: Mastering Depression Diet
Which Diet Do I Pick?
What to Eat
Avoiding Processed Foods and Additives
Forget Perfection
Being Less Wrong
Longevity Versus Weight Loss
Start Where You’re At
Eating Like Okinawans
Kicking Bad Food Habits
Economic Arguments Against Healthy Eating
Just Because You Walked into Whole Foods Does Not Make You Healthy
Plan for When Your Willpower Is Weak
Listen to Your Body
Early Warning Signs of Disease
Exercise: Healthy Eating Now
Follow-Up Exercise:
The Common Sense Diet
Chapter Ten: It’s Okay to Feel Bad Sometimes
Exercise: Embracing Negative Emotions
Bonus Follow-Up Exercise: A Day of Self-Care
Bonus Follow-Up Exercise: Make It Regular
The Way Out Is Through
Chapter Eleven: Don’t Be Afraid to Suck
Adventures in Unawareness
Exercise: Learning to Suck
Exercise: Part Two
Exercise: Part Three
The Mountain Is the Way
Chapter Twelve: Asking for What You Want
The Threefold Path
Exercise: What Do You Want?
Work
Relationships
Friendships
Health
Money
Experiences
Sexuality
Exercise Part Two: Refining Your Dreams
Exercise Part Three: Your Nightly Request to the Universe
Chapter Thirteen: Asking for What You Want from Other People
Aggression and the Way of Rage
Beliefs and Emotions Behind Aggressive Behavior
Where Aggression Leads You
Passive
Beliefs and Emotions that Drive Passive Behavior
Where Passivity Leads You
Passive Aggressive
Beliefs and Emotions that Create Passive Aggression
Where Passive Aggressive Leads You
Why These Styles Fail
My Story
Assertiveness
Why Aren’t You Assertive Already?
Fear.
Breaking the Loop
Exercise: Getting Assertive
Exercise Part Two: Facing the Fear
More and More Assertive Each Day
Chapter Fourteen: The Power of No
Opting Out
Something’s Got to Give
Trimming the Fat
Saying Goodbye
Planning for a Rainy Day
Exercise: Planning for Depression
Exercise Part One: What Really Needs to Happen Today?
Exercise Part Two: Estimating How Long Things Really Take
Exercise Part Three: Doing the Basics on the Hardest Days of All
Day to Day to Day
Chapter Fifteen: Mastering Relationships and Love
50 Shades of Gray
Out of Purgatory
The Broken Template Society
Recognizing Good and Bad Relationships
Spirited Away
Emotional Balance
A Meeting of the Minds
Better Living Through Chemistry
The Five Keys to Better Relationships
Exercise: Understanding Your Relationships
Chapter Sixteen: The Cave You Fear to Enter
The Guiding Light
The Ministry of Sleep
Where You Fear to Tread
Action
The Path of Fear
Put that Boulder Down
Exercise: The Final Summit
Notes
Chapter Two: Crushing Haunting Thoughts
Chapter Three: You Have No Idea How to Breathe
Chapter Four: The Killer Inside Me
Chapter Five: A Realistic Picture of You
Chapter Six: Reinforcement Learning
Chapter Seven: Flow
Chapter Eight: Do Cool Shit
Chapter Nine: Mastering Depression Diet
Chapter Twelve: Asking for What You Want
Chapter Fifteen: Mastering Love and Relationships
Chapter Sixteen: The Cave You Fear to Enter
