Society has a very specific idea of what it means to be tough. As many high school football coaches will tell you, toughness is all about gritting your teeth, ignoring your feelings, and pushing through pain and struggle. Right?
Well, not exactly. In fact, science is here to explain what real toughness is all about. As described in the five excellent books below, toughness often means opening up, finding strength in vulnerability, and being good to yourself on your way to success.
Worth the Risk: How to Microdose Bravery to Grow Resilience, Connect More, and Offer Yourself to the World
By Kristen Lee
Risks are a part of life—and “playing it safe” can end up diminishing the very qualities that allow us to adapt, create, and serve our purpose in life. Worth the Risk guides you through a powerful approach to taking small, values-aligned chances that increase your ability to thrive. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Kristen Lee, in the Next Big Idea App
Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation
By Ayelet Fishbach
With fascinating research from the field of motivation science and compelling stories of people who learned to motivate themselves, Get It Done illuminates invaluable strategies for pulling yourself in whatever direction you want to go—so you can achieve your goals while staying healthy, clearheaded, and happy. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Ayelet Fishbach, in the Next Big Idea App
Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness
By Steve Magness
Drawing from mindfulness, military case studies, sports psychology, neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy, a beloved performance coach provides a roadmap for navigating life’s challenges and achieving high performance that makes us happier, more successful, and, ultimately, better people. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Steve Magness, in the Next Big Idea App
Big Feelings: How to Be Okay When Things Are Not Okay
By Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy
Big Feelings helps us understand that difficult emotions are not abnormal, and that we can emerge from them with a deeper sense of meaning. We can’t stop emotions from bubbling up, but we can learn how to make peace with them. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy, in the Next Big Idea App
The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer
By Steven Kotler
A peak performance expert decodes the secrets of those elite performers—athletes, artists, scientists, CEOs, and more—who have changed our definition of the possible, teaching us how we, too, can stretch far beyond our capabilities, making impossible dreams much more attainable for all of us. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Steven Kotler, in the Next Big Idea App
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