Book #2 Post #2

In Deep Shift: Riding the Waves of Change to Find Peace, Fulfillment, and Freedom

The book In Deep Shift: Riding the Waves of Change to Find Peace, Fulfillment, and Freedom, by Valerie Gangas is a very insightful book to read. This book is an empowering guide to help people navigate through significant life changes and is organized into three different parts:

-       Part 1: Okay, WTF Is Going On?

-       Part 2: Welcome to Opposite Land

-       Part 3: Meanwhile, Back in the Real World…

In Part 1, Valerie Gangas discusses and reflects on a deeply personal story; one that caused her to experience a deep shift in her life. She starts off by describing what her childhood was like growing up and the challenges she dealt with, including her struggles with anxiety, depression, and disconnected feelings. She then recounts a pivotal moment in her life when she experienced a spiritual awakening that completely changed her outlook on life. In 2010, she endured a sudden and intense panic attack — one that was so severe that she felt as if she was going to die. However, after fearfully laying on her floor for a while she experienced something she never thought was possible—a moment of surrender. At this exact moment, she let go of every single piece of resistance and fear in her body and was able to find a profound sense of peace and clarity. One thing she discussed in Part 1 that I will never forget is when she explained that the process of transformational change requires a willingness to let go of old patterns and beliefs and embrace new ways of thinking and being. This stood out to me because I am a person who strongly dislikes change and is always trying to prevent it from happening (even if it is good for me in the long run). But after her discussion on this, I have realized the importance of change and how resisting it does more harm than good. Throughout Part 1, Valerie emphasizes the importance of cultivating gratitude, self-compassion, and a sense of purpose in life, and provides her readers with tips on how to practice daily mindfulness and how to identify and eliminate limiting beliefs. 

 In Part 2, Gangas focuses on the concept of manifestation and discusses how it can be used as a tool for transformational change. She begins by briefly explaining what manifestation is and discusses how our thoughts and beliefs can shape our everyday reality. Throughout Part 2, Valerie emphasizes the importance of being intentional with our thoughts and beliefs and explains how being intentional and mindful will allow us to manifest the life we desire for ourselves. Even though she strongly believes in the idea of manifestation, she encourages her readers to not rely too heavily on it by also encouraging people to act towards their specific goals. She offers various techniques for setting intentions, visualizing desired goals, and aligning one’s energy with specific outcomes. Ultimately from Part 2, I learned the importance of taking responsibility for my own life and how to take proper action towards creating the life I desire to live. 

 In Part 3, Valerie discusses the importance of self-love and self-compassion throughout the process of transformational change. She begins by explaining the importance of cultivating a sense of self-love and self-compassion towards oneself and urges readers to be kind and gentle with themselves throughout the process of change — even when it is hard. She provides her readers with guidance on how to accomplish this and offers several techniques on how to create a positive self-image, overcome self-doubt, and practice self-care. One of the biggest things I took away from Part 3 was learning the importance of forgiveness. Because forgiveness is a tool for healing and transformation, it is important to practice daily forgiveness in order to release negative emotions and move towards a more peaceful and fulfilled life. 

 Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and am very glad that I chose to read it. Like many, especially in today’s world, finding peace, fulfillment, and freedom in the midst of changes and challenges of everyday life is a constant struggle. However, after reading this book I feel as if I am now capable of finding these things—with a little practice of course. One thing in particular that this book taught me that I will remember forever is that change is inevitable and that we must learn to move with change by cultivating a mindset of adaptability, flexibility, and openness to new experiences. Additionally, I learned that because fear is one of the biggest factors that prevents us from growing and transforming, we must confront our fears and step outside of our comfort zones so that we are able to discover new greater possibilities and opportunities. All in all, this book serves as a good reminder that as human beings we need to learn how to embrace our strengths and weaknesses, forgive ourselves for our mistakes, and treat ourselves with kindness and compassion every single day.