The Decision: Overcoming Today's BS for Tomorrow's Success
Written and Narrated By: Kevin Hart
Length: 5 hrs and 54 mins
Went in hoping for >Meh< but came out with >WOW<
Lemme explain how Life works, okay? In a nutshell, it’s like this: Your parents do the best they can based on what their parents modeled based on what THEIR parents modeled and blah blah coping skills necessary cuz o’ AWFUL foundations blah.
Does that make it clear? Does that explain why I spent two years with my first therapist whenst I was in my early 20s, eight years with my next in my late 30s and early 40s, and now four years with my current therapist here whenst I’m in m’ 50s?
Yeah, it’s sad…
But see, this is what my second therapist, the AWEsome Jennifer! taught me: It feeeeeels like you’re going in circles, dealing with the same issues, but actually it’s more like a spiral. You learn a bit about a situation, trundle along, get smacked upside the head by the kinda sorta same situation, but you apply what you learned and learn a little bit more, trundle along, Cosmic 2-by-4, apply and learn, trundle, 2-by-4 again… I WOULD add here “ad nauseam” but, really, it gets easier. It’s just that there are a LOT of lessons one is learning, and there’s a LOT to be undone along the way.
Enter Kevin Hart’s The Decision, the audiobook the current AWEsome Sara! suggested I might listen to. She said it has sorta what we’d been working on for the past four years, but in a different, more humorous way. She suggested, wryly, that given my potty mouth, why I’d just take to his words like a duck to freakin’ water.
And Oh. My freaking. GOSH! WOW…
So yeah yeah yeah she suggested it, but it wasn’t until I saw it for $5 on an Audible sale that I actually got it cuz, you see, I’d listened to, and reviewed, the man’s earlier memoir and, while amusing, I wondered given his cheating ways, what exACTly he could teach me. Turns out? A LOT!
You ready for more Nutshell? Part I: The F—k Yes Moment which consists of the invitation along with the Art of Thriving and Mental Strength training. Part II: Know Before You Go with what to leave at home before you enter Kevin Hart’s Boot Camp: Jealousy, Perfectionism, Comparison, Unhealthy fear, Fear of failure, Resistance, Self-Doubt, Anger, Blame, Judgment of Others, and Self-judgment.
And then there’s Part III: Orientation which has all the weapons he puts in your arsenal and training with them. Things like having a positive mindset, determination, Non-reactivity, etc etc along with coining terms such as: Cowboying up (Owning your s—t), What-Is-Ness (Taking life as it is), and such things as Teddy Bearing (Not everybody’s gonna like you, but if you relax and treat others well, give out positive energy and are likable? You’re just going to attract some good to you).
Part IV: Mental Fitness which is your training program of Daily Sources of Power and the Practices to keep in place (Anti-Virus Software: Somebody toxic? Boom! Gone, outta your life! and Negatives to Positives: Reframing a failure into a temporary defeat and finding the good in ANY outwardly unfortunate experience, whether you learn and make amends, or you learn and apply it in the future). There’s Part V: The front lines and a welcome to the battle your life will be, to Part VI: Victory and a keep on fighting attitude, keep on learning, keep on striving for better, for your best and then some.
Then there’s Troubleshooting cuz s—t is still going to happen, and 14 Specific Troubleshooting questions that show how Kevin would handle a situation. These might be the best part because it’s practice in action. One question is an: I’ve got a great wife and kids, am a good provider, but hate my job. How do I make changes and still be a good provider? Kevin pulls it waaaaay back and reminds the asker that the BEST thing to do is to be freaking grateful for all the love in life and to look at the current job and see what changes can be made there first, take advantage of all the good that’s there, reframe the mindset upon going to work, etc etc etc.
There’s soooo much here, and I found myself quoting Hart to my husband like I’d never quoted my therapists before. Also turns out that he’s listening to what I’m quoting like never before. In a couple of days we’re both going to be starting the 30-Day with No Complaining challenge, plus we’re going to be waking up and asking ourselves Where Will I Find My Joy Today? We’ll be meeting, holding each other accountable, and we’ll be encouraging each other as we go. Yessssss!!!!
It helps that the man canNOT phrase things withOUT profanity. If profanity is not your thing, oh doooo stay away from this; as a matter of fact: Run, RUN like the wind!!! It just so happens that I enjoy using the occasional obscenity as a noun, verb, adjective, interjection m’self, so I’m open to it all. Plus, this is a truly transparent production complete with stomach growls/coulda been farts, and little asides and rabbit holes gone down. It’s all hilarious.
Say what you will about the man, and he posits that if you google Kevin Hart Scandal, you’ll see just what-all kinda stuff he’s had to deal with (EnTIREly self-created). Whether he was caught cheating, or he lost the dream gig hosting the Oscars cuz of earlier unfortunate choices of humor targets, the man has certainly been knocked down, and he’s as certainly picked himself up. That he’s done so, and he’s come out as cheeky and as positive as before?
Well, in this Age of Outrage, in this Age of Negativity and Hate, all I’ve gotta say is Thank You, kind sir, for reminding me how to laugh, how to let it all go.
Yesssss!!!! Must thank the AWEsome Sara!
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