Lyari Literary Forum held a book review Session on the Book “Emotional Agility” by Susan David. The book was reviewed by Ammar Sheikh who is a certified trainer and an avid book reader. The Session was held in Mullah Fazul Library on 3rd, September 2022.
Emotional Agility is a non-fiction, self-help genre, authored by Susan David. The book consists of 11 chapters and 288 pages.
The author is a 51 years old South African psychologist and speaker. She has done her Ph.D. in clinical psychology. She is also co-founder of Harvard medical school and is also a committee member of the United Nations and World Economic.
As per the speaker review, this book addresses the people who can do with improving their emotional and mental health. The main crux of the emotional Agility is connected to the Author’s personal life and including the daily lives of youths and parents. The entire book is based on its front page quote “Get Unstuck, embrace change, and thrive in work and life”.
Ammar sheikh further reviewed that, every human being possess emotions, such as in a room full of people one cant deny being emotionless. Everyone has emotions and everyone has feelings and all human carries those 7 Universal emotions within them which are Anger, Fear, disgust, happiness, sadness, surprise, and contempt.
Human emotions are like balloons, the more you blow a balloon and in the end it bursts that’s how human emotions are. When they become uncontrollable and unmanageable they explode therefore we witness violence and fights because they are not emotionally agile. The author says the human is a hook and that’s how certain emotions are hooked to them Due to which some are intolerable to lies, abuses, deception, and more. if we omit certain emotions then there will be no difference between a man and a robot. Such as, when a person in Karachi, wakes up, there is no light, no gas for breakfast, no water for bathing, and somehow when he/she prepares for office or any academic institution and road met with traffic then that person’s emotions will rise on the peak that’s how the patience level and acceptance of people in Karachi is kinda low and anger issues higher because they are not in a chilling and soothing environment.
Therefore, Susan emphasized Emotional agility “which is a process that allows us to be in the moment though it isn’t about ignoring difficult emotions and thoughts. It’s about holding those emotions and thoughts loosely, facing them courageously and compassionately, and then moving past them to make big things happen in your life.”
This, in other words, is what we commonly know under the term “mindfulness” and it is the essence of cognitive-behavior therapy and more specifically, one of its third-wave derivatives—acceptance and commitment therapy. Instead of negative thoughts or intrusive thoughts we are treated to hooks. Ruminations are replaced with monkey-mindedness and we are introduced to “brooders” and “bottlers” (of emotions)
This, at the end of the session, the speaker said that Emotional Agility presents a new, science-backed method for navigating life’s many trials and problems so that one may reach the goals and path to fulfillment, with which you’ll face your emotions head-on, observe them objectively, make choices based on your values and gradually change your attitude, mindset and behaviors.
Understanding your emotions as they arise is a mandatory precursor to consciously choosing how you’ll deal and handle with them. However, it’s not that simple and easy. It’s a habit that requires practice. The practical part, the ability you’ll need to regularly exercise, is mindfulness. While being too mindful can be a problem, noticing your emotions allows you to step out and get some space.
