Episode #128: My Self-Improvement Experiment – Everything is Figureoutable

Finding Your Groove With Kathleen Thompson

What if you could figure out everything you wanted? Like how to create a business and life you love? Make the best of a bad situation? Deal with something you can’t change and move on? Well, according to Marie Forleo, you can. On today’s episode, I’m giving you the low-down on Marie’s book “Everything is Figureoutable”. You’ll hear what Marie has to say, and how I made out when I did what she recommends.

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On This Episode

Rhythm of Life – A Motorcycle Manta
Random Riffs – What’s on Your Christmas List?
Feature Segment – Self-Improvement Experiment: Everything is Figureoutable

Today’s Quote

What came up at age 49 is I realized that of all the things I'm interested in, the thing I'm most interested in is figuring out what makes people tick, why people think the way they do, why they act the way they do. And I realized that music is such a great way to investigate why people do what they do. –Yo-Yo-Ma

Rhythm of Life – A Motorcycle Mantra

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I chanted that under my breath as I practiced driving skills at a motorcycle safety course. I was struggling with executing hairpin turns in a small box.

It seemed to help. I passed the test, even though I struggled a bit on that one skill.

But what does that really mean, anyway? That I literally can do ANYTHING? Listen to the episode to hear what I have to say about that.

Random Riffs – What’s on Your Christmas List?

As I watched a friend’s children making their Christmas lists, I began thinking: how many children ask for things they shouldn’t have to be worried about? Like:

• My dad (or mom) comes home from the war
• Shoes to wear to school
• Billy stops bullying me

I have some things like that I want too. Listen to hear what they are.

Santa can’t bring those things and put them under the tree. But we can. It takes each one of us working together to get started. We won’t finish in our lifetime. It’s still worth trying. Because the world will be better for us having done what we can. Together. Merry Christmas. And may the deepest wishes of your heart come true.

Feature Segment: The Self-Improvement Experiment – Everything is Figureoutable

Marie Forleo released a book titled Everything is Figureoutable. I’ve been waiting for this to come out, so chose it as the first in my Self-Improvement Experiment. Marie says you can retrain your brain to think more creatively and positively in face of setbacks. And that will make you unstoppable.

What I love:

Marie doesn’t tell us that everything can be the way we want. Or changed. But she does believe that at the very least we can figure out our next move – our response to what has happened.

We should take action in our life not just for ourselves, but also for others. This is refreshing, and not always discussed in books of this type.

The way Marie talks about fear and how to discern the role fear is playing in the situation. Whether it’s protecting or preventing you from doing what you’re called to do. This alone was worth the price of the book.

Marie’s story-telling is great. It helps the reader to better understand the principles, and keeps it lively.

What I love less:

The beginning of book was stuff I’d heard many times before:

• Belief is what’s behind every though, emotion, and action
• You are responsible for your own life
• “I can’t” means “I won’t”

Some of the recommended actions didn’t have the effect Marie intended. Sometimes the approach was either/or. I found that my answers were more like yes/and. Other of her recommendations were golden. Again, worth the prices of the book.

I’m just over 50% through this book right now. But I didn’t want to wait to talk about it. I may extend this to a second podcast, depending on whether what comes next is different enough from the first half. If not, I’ll move on to the next book – The Book of Afformations by Noah St. John.

Did you read Everything is Figureoutable? If so, please leave a comment to tell me what you learned, or didn’t.

Now go figure out what you’re going to do next.

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To get the most out a book, test the ideas on yourself. And then teach someone else.
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The Self-Improvement Experiment Series

127: Introduction to the Self-Improvement Experiment

Note: I make a few cents if you buy a book from the links on this post.

The post Episode #128: My Self-Improvement Experiment – Everything is Figureoutable first appeared on Kathleen Ann Thompson.