Interview with Beth Benatti Kennedy, author of ReThink Resilience: 99 Ways to Recharge Your Career and Life
Beth Benatti Kennedy, author of ReThink Resilience: 99 Ways to Recharge Your Career and Life recommends a super selection of books! Before jumping into the interview, please check out Beth Benatti's book:
Description from Blackwells: (All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing)
ReThink Resilience: 99 Ways to Recharge Your Career and Life
Do you want to be able to constructively manage change, transform challenges into opportunities, and achieve professional success and personal fulfillment?
The key is resilience!
Authors Beth Benatti Kennedy, Karthik Venkatakrishnan, and Songmao (Ben) Zheng, with a shared passion for helping others succeed, have focused for years on discovering what builds resilience. In this pivotal guidebook, they share their resilience-boosting best practices, curated from the breadth of their professional experiences across diverse sectors of practice and unique life journeys.
ReThink Resilience provides 99 actionable and practical suggestions for boosting resilience that can be readily integrated into your work and life. These boosters focus on the five strategies of the Benatti Resiliency Model(R)-Well-being, Self-awareness, Brand, Connection, and Innovation. Developed by Beth Benatti Kennedy over her 25 years of leadership coaching, this model has helped thousands of people develop the resilience to adapt to changing circumstances, remain productive and engaged, and find greater life and career satisfaction. ReThink Resilience also includes inspiring perspectives and stories from 16 Resilience Champions, people known to the authors who model resilience.
Start boosting your resilience today with ReThink Resilience!
Buy On:
Blackwells £14.30
Waterstones £17.95
Q. Do you have a favourite smart thinking book (and why that book)?
I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It by Barbara Sher, Barbara Smith. Description from Blackwells: (All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing)
My favourite smart thinking book is I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It by Barbara Sher. The book provides practical advice and exercises to help individuals identify their true passions and goals, overcome obstacles, and take actionable steps toward achieving them. It is my favourite for two reasons. The first one is its empowering message and step-by-step guidance to create a more fulfilling life. The second reason is that I met Barbara Sher in person when I was in graduate school at Northeastern University and was part of her book writing program. Her innovative methodology provided the support I needed to write my first book, Career ReCharge: Five Strategies to Boost Resilience and Beat Burnout.
I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It
In this unique exploration of the role of risk in our society, Peter Bernstein argues that the notion of bringing risk under control is one of the central ideas that distinguishes modern times from the distant past. Against the Gods chronicles the remarkable intellectual adventure that liberated humanity from oracles and soothsayers by means of the powerful tools of risk management that are available to us today.
Buy On:
Bookshop.org US $16.74
Blackwells £14.99
Waterstones £14.99
Q. What's the most recent smart thinking book you've read (and how would you rate it)?
Awakening Your Ikigai: How the Japanese Wake Up to Joy and Purpose Every Day by Ken Mogi. Description from Bookshop.org: (All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing)
The most recent smart thinking book I’ve read is Awakening Your Ikigai: How the Japanese Wake Up to Joy and Purpose Every Day by Ken Mogi. I would rate it five out of five. Mogi explores the concept of Ikigai, which translates to “a reason for being”. The book does a beautiful job of explaining how finding and nurturing one’s Ikigai can lead to a more meaningful and fulfilling life. He introduces the five pillars of Ikigai to help readers discover their own sense of purpose. They are:
1. Start small: focus on the details and small steps
2. Accept who you are
3. Harmony and sustainability: rely on others and maintain balance
4. The joy of little things
5. Being in the here and now: find your flow and live in the present moment
The book weaves together insights from Japanese history, philosophy, and modern culture. It also gave me insights into what Ikigai really means in Japan, which is slightly different than how it’s often interpreted in Europe and the USA. The most important theme of Ikigai is finding joy and purpose every day. It can be drinking your morning coffee or looking at a sunset, not necessarily career-related.
Awakening Your Ikigai: How the Japanese Wake Up to Joy and Purpose Every Day
Ikigai is a Japanese phenomenon commonly understood as 'your reason to get up in the morning.'' Ikigai can be small moments: the morning air, a cup of coffee, a compliment. It can also be deep convictions: a fulfilling job, lasting friendships, balanced health. Whether big or small, your ikigai is the path to success and happiness in your own life.
Author Ken Mogi introduces five pillars of ikigai to help you make the most of each day and become your most authentic self:
1. starting small > focus on the details
2. releasing yourself > accept who you are
3. harmony and sustainability > rely on others
4. the joy of little things > appreciate sensory pleasure
5. being in the here and now > find your flow.
Weaving together insights from Japanese history, philosophy, and modern culture, plus stories from renowned sushi chef Jiro Ono, anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, and others, Mogi skillfully shows the way to awaken your ikigai.
Buy On:
Bookshop.org US $17.62
Q. Do you have a favourite childhood book?
The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary. Description from Bookshop.org: (All links earn commission from purchases. Prices accurate at time of writing)
The Mouse and the Motorcycle
My favourite childhood book is Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey. It tells the sweetest story of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard, a pair of ducks who are looking for a safe place to raise their ducklings in the bustling city of Boston. The Mallards explore various locations and finally decide on a cozy spot in the Boston Public Garden. The story captures the themes of family, community, and urban life, which I deeply cherish in my life. The Boston Public Garden has statues of the Mallard family that fans of the book love to visit.
Buy On:
Bookshop.org UK £8.54
Bookshop.org US $10.22
Blackwells £20.99
Waterstones £6.99
Q. Do you prefer reading on paper, Kindle or listening to an audiobook?
I actually prefer reading a good old-fashioned book. I love holding it in my hands and it gives me a great reason to visit our local library in Beverly and go to book shops.
Q. Do you have a favourite bookshop (and why that shop)?
The Paper & String Bookshop
My favourite book shop is The Paper & String Bookshop located at 59 Railroad Ave, South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Paper & String is unique because it has a multifaceted approach to integrating literature and community. Not only does the store offer a wide range of books, but it also emphasizes crafts and community events. Additionally, their commitment to supporting local indie authors is amazing. I am grateful they hosted a beautiful event at their store for ReThink Resilience: 99 Ways to ReCharge Your Career and Life, which I wrote with two co-authors.
Many thanks to Beth Benatti for recommending a super selection of books! Please don't forget to check out ReThink Resilience: 99 Ways to Recharge Your Career and Life.
Daryl
Image Copyrights: (ReThink Resilience: 99 Ways to Recharge Your Career and Life), Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group Inc (I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It), Experiment (Awakening Your Ikigai: How the Japanese Wake Up to Joy and Purpose Every Day), Penguin Books Ltd (The Mouse and the Motorcycle).
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