Good Vibes, Good Life: How Self-Love Is the Key to Unlocking Your Greatness

Bittersweet is based on the premise that “light and dark, birth and death—bitter and sweet—are forever paired”. Cain encourages the reader to accept feelings of sorrow and longing as inspiration to experience sublime emotions—such as beauty and wonder and transcendence—to counterbalance the “normative sunshine” of society’s pressure to constantly be positive. The book advises that sensitivity to the bittersweet—both the bitter and the sweet in life—elevates our way of creating, leading, raising children, loving, and achieving a deeper and more enriching life.

Deep Work is a concept popularized by Cal Newport in his book titled “Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World”. The term refers to the ability to concentrate on cognitively demanding tasks for extended periods without distraction.

According to Newport, deep work is becoming increasingly important in today’s knowledge economy, where there is an abundance of information and distractions that can easily pull us away from important work. He argues that deep work is necessary for producing high-quality work, achieving productivity, and fostering personal growth.

Newport proposes that deep work involves four key strategies:

1. Work deeply – Focus on important tasks and eliminate distractions that can hamper your productivity.
2. Embrace boredom – Avoid the temptation of constant stimulation and learn to enjoy boredom to allow your mind to focus and recharge.
3. Quit social media – Reduce or eliminate the use of social media to minimize distractions and maximize productivity.
4. Drain the shallows – Eliminate low-value activities that can consume your time and energy.

By adopting these strategies, Newport believes that individuals can cultivate deep work habits and achieve their goals more effectively.