Brianna Wiest

Microshifts Over Breakthroughs

True change stems from small, consistent adjustments rather than a single epiphany. Wiest underscores this by stating, 'If you're stuck in life, it's probably because you're waiting for the big bang, the breakthrough moment in which all your fears dissolve and you're overcome with clarity.' Instead, she advocates for 'microshifts,' incremental changes that build new habits over time, creating lasting change.

Self-Sabotage as a Coping Mechanism

Brianna Wiest argues that self-sabotage is not a sign of self-hatred but a coping mechanism fulfilling unrecognized needs. She writes, 'self-sabotage is simply the presence of an unconscious need that is being fulfilled by the self-sabotaging behavior.' For example, someone might sabotage their career to avoid the vulnerability that comes with success. Understanding these underlying needs is crucial for overcoming self-sabotage.

The Necessity of Rock Bottom for Radical Change

Wiest suggests that hitting rock bottom often acts as a turning point for transformative change. She explains, 'Rock bottom becomes a turning point because it is only at that point that most people think: I never want to feel this way again.' This idea emphasizes that significant personal growth often begins in moments of extreme discomfort, forcing individuals to confront their reality and make definitive choices for self-improvement.

Reframing Anxiety as a Strength

Highly intelligent people often experience anxiety because their brains excel at making inferences from seemingly disconnected stimuli. Wiest explains, 'a faulty inference is when you come up with a false conclusion based on valid evidence.' The key to overcoming this anxiety is to develop better reasoning skills and healthier thinking patterns that accurately interpret the threats.

Inner Peace and Emotional Control

Wiest explores the concept of inner peace as crucial for mental health. She explains, 'Inner peace is the state of being connected to the deep internal knowing that everything is okay and always will be.' It's about learning to process complex emotions rather than suppress them, detaching from unnecessary worries, and understanding that true happiness comes from within.

Healing Trauma is a Physical Process

Trauma is stored in the body at a cellular level, not just in the mind. Wiest points out, 'TRAUMA IS NOT IN YOUR HEAD. IT IS IN YOUR BODY.' To heal trauma, one must work through it physically, by paying attention to bodily sensations such as tension or tightness and using methods like deep breathing, meditating, and self-soothing practices to relax those areas.

Purpose in Everyday Actions

Wiest illustrates that one's purpose doesn't always align with monumental achievements but can be reflected in simple everyday actions. 'Your purpose today may have been to offer someone a smile when they were at their lowest.' Recognizing your everyday impact leads to self-improvement, focusing on becoming the happiest, kindest, and most authentic version of yourself.

Identify Your Triggers

Make a list of situations where you commonly self-sabotage. Take note of the emotions and thoughts that arise in these situations to understand the unmet needs or irrational fears driving your behavior.

Embrace Discomfort for Growth

Often, change is avoided because of its associated discomfort. Wiest advises staring into this discomfort to facilitate growth, helping you tackle the real issues.

Focus on Incremental Changes

Instead of waiting for a sudden breakthrough, start making small changes in your daily habits. For instance, if you want to eat healthier, begin by choosing one part of a meal to improve.

Practice Physical Self-Soothing

Utilize techniques like deep breathing, meditating, and hydration to calm your body during anxious moments. Focusing on physical responses can significantly aid in trauma recovery.

Visualize Your Best Self

Close your eyes and envision the best version of yourself. Use this vision to guide your actions and decisions, aligning them with your ultimate goals.

The greatest act of self-love is to no longer accept a life you are unhappy with.

Self-sabotage is simply the presence of an unconscious need that is being fulfilled by the self-sabotaging behavior.

Rock bottom becomes a turning point because it is only at that point that most people think: I never want to feel this way again.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to interpret the sensations that come up in your body and understand what they are trying to tell you about your life.

A mind-blowing, singular breakthrough is not what changes your life. A microshift is.

The human mind is something called antifragile, which means that it actually gets better with adversity.

Mental strength is not just hoping that nothing ever goes wrong. It is believing that we have the capacity to handle it if it does.

You cannot force yourself to let go, no matter how much you know you want to… You cannot simply loosen your grip, relax a little, and will yourself to stop thinking entirely about something.

Your ultimate purpose is to become the ideal version of yourself. Everything else flows from there.

Self-sabotage is not a way we hurt ourselves; it’s a way we try to protect ourselves.

Your upper limit is essentially the amount of ‘good’ that you’re comfortable having in your life.

Perfectionism isn’t actually wanting everything to be right. It’s not a good thing.

Mourn the loss of your old self and embrace the new you

Understand that it is not the mountain that you must master, but yourself

Identify your core commitments and be aware of them

Visualize and become one with your future self'

Replace negative thoughts with empowering affirmations

Embrace yourself and accept yourself as you are

Explore and recognize your patterns of self-sabotage

Facing your mountain is the only way to unlock the potential within you.

Your mountain is the block between you and the life you want to live. Facing it is also the only path to your freedom and becoming.

The mountain is often less a challenge in front of us as it is a problem within us, an unstable foundation that can be overcome with courage and self-belief.

The power to move mountains lies within you.

The mountain within is the source of true power.

The journey to self-mastery begins with the mountain within.

You can't move the mountain until you believe you can.

The mountain is within you, and the power to move it is too.

In reality, self-sabotage is simply the presence of an unconscious need that is being fulfilled by the self-sabotaging behavior.

The greatest act of self-love is to no longer accept a life you are unhappy with. It is to be able to state the problem plainly and in a straightforward manner.

What you believe about your life is what you will make true about your life.

In the end it is not the mountain that you must master but yourself.

To have a mountain in front of you does not mean you are fundamentally broken in some way. Everything in nature is imperfect and it is because of that imperfection that growth is possible.

The greatest act of self-love is to no longer accept a life you are unhappy with.

Self-sabotage is simply the presence of an unconscious need that is being fulfilled by the self-sabotaging behavior.

Rock bottom becomes a turning point because it is only at that point that most people think: I never want to feel this way again.

Emotional intelligence is the ability to interpret the sensations that come up in your body and understand what they are trying to tell you about your life.

A mind-blowing, singular breakthrough is not what changes your life. A microshift is.

The human mind is something called antifragile, which means that it actually gets better with adversity.

Mental strength is not just hoping that nothing ever goes wrong. It is believing that we have the capacity to handle it if it does.

You cannot force yourself to let go, no matter how much you know you want to… You cannot simply loosen your grip, relax a little, and will yourself to stop thinking entirely about something.

Your ultimate purpose is to become the ideal version of yourself. Everything else flows from there.

Self-sabotage is not a way we hurt ourselves; it’s a way we try to protect ourselves.

Your upper limit is essentially the amount of ‘good’ that you’re comfortable having in your life.

Perfectionism isn’t actually wanting everything to be right. It’s not a good thing.

Your will is the engine that will move the mountain.