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Strength of Authenticity
In Your REAL Life: Get Authentic, Be Resilient & Make It Count!, you provide readers with a framework for coping with adversity and fostering resilience. What inspired you to write this book?
For many years I contemplated what was the formula or the “special sauce” I was using to get through some really hard things in my life. Growing up in Columbus, Ohio and then living around the world in far-away places like New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Singapore, I came to experience some really catastrophic moments of adversity. 9/11 (Terror attacks) to 3/11 (Earthquake-Tsunami-Nuclear meltdown) and so many things in between, but I’d made it out ok, unscathed. I actually had a former teacher of mine comment and ask, “What is it that you do that enables you to get through all of the crappy things in life?”
I didn’t really know. I didn’t think it was luck, nor did I think it was any one singular skill. I worked to answer this question, but importantly, as I came to find the answer I wanted to create a tool (mostly) for myself. As I got going in making this blue print, through reflection and my life learnings, I realized the “formula” for success was the (now) REAL Model. Putting it together turned into quite a “field guide” of resources and ideas. In many ways, writing the book was also a journey of realization, acceptance, purpose, and self love– all of which are sources of inspiration and themes in the book.
How much research did you undertake for this book, and how much time did it take to put it all together?
My whole lifetime has been research for this book! Ha! But seriously, as a veteran HR practitioner and certified coach and leadership executive, I started to formulate the ideas for the book about ten years ago. I was seeing a lot of people, leaders and managers suffer at work for failing to be their authentic selves AND not being able to cope with change or adversities that arise at work. It was during the covid pandemic that I actually started to put pen to paper and outlined my ideas. The pandemic (and book delivery services) provided the heaps of time I needed to read and thoroughly review scholarly literature and the science. The goal of the book was to pull together all the science and make a practical ‘one-stop-shop’ resource for people, so they wouldn’t have to read everything I did. The research and writing took about a year. It was the editing and final elements of publishing that took me much longer. In the end it was about an eighteen month process. Nevertheless, the book and model stand grounded in psychology and neuroscience but breathe life into concepts for winning at life and work, ultimately achieving a life filled with wellbeing and joy.
What is one piece of advice someone gave you that changed your life?
“Don’t ever stop being you. You’re the only one (of you).” The first time I heard this, I was struggling with being my whole self. I was struggling with my LGBTQ identity and how I wanted to show up in the world. These words hit me powerfully and forced me to actually celebrate my core value and strength of authenticity. I think once I fully embraced these words, there was no going back.
What is the next book you are working on, and when will it be available?
I have two concepts in outline form and I’m slowly working on both. The first is an adaptation of Your REAL Life— which will be about applying the REAL Model to organizations and businesses. The second is a book about mental health and positive aging while using the REAL Model to achieve a mid-life (and beyond) of wellbeing and joy. You know its easier to write books than to publicise them, so one book at a time! Both are in development — so watch this space!
Author Links: GoodReads | LinkedIn | Instagram | Website | Amazon
Nathan Andres has ridden life’s roller-coaster and is often asked the secret to his resiliency. After years of research, education, practice, and reflection, he’s not only found the answer, but turned it into a formula anyone can use.
Your REAL Life introduces the REAL model, a practical framework for coaching yourself through adversity of any scale. Using the anchors of Reality, Energy, Authenticity, and Love, Nathan breaks down the key ingredient to beating anything life throws at you: authentic resilience.
Grounded with psychology and basic neuroscience as well as best practices in the coaching field, Your Real Life teaches you everything you need to know to build authentic resilience. When you get REAL, you don’t just bounce back from hardship-you bounce beyond it.
Your REAL Life: Get Authentic, Be Resilient, Make it Count
In Your REAL Life: Get Authentic, Be Resilient, Make it Count, Nathan Andres delves into the essence of authenticity and resilience, drawing upon the iconic words of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “To thine own self be true.” Andres’s work emerges as a compelling guide, not unlike a modern-day manual, exploring the necessity of resilience in confronting life’s challenges.
The narrative is rooted in Andres’s personal experiences, lending it an authenticity that resonates deeply with the reader. He skillfully intertwines these experiences with a broader examination of universal challenges, providing a lens through which the omnipresence of adversity and the lurking shadow of impostor syndrome are viewed. The book emphasizes how one’s response to life’s “little bumps” can dictate the trajectory of their journey, either propelling them forward or holding them back. Andres lays out the multifaceted nature of challenges in a candid, matter-of-fact manner, compelling readers to confront and understand these difficulties. This clarity, combined with a holistic grasp of the subject, establishes the book as both insightful and accessible.
The author offers not just narrative and theory but also practical exercises and reflective prompts. These tools underscore his commitment to aiding personal growth and highlight the importance of authenticity in a world where the term is often used superficially. Andres’s writing style is noteworthy for its simplicity, yet it never compromises the depth and richness of the content. The book strikes a fine balance between being relatable and inspiring, intertwining personal anecdotes with valuable lessons. It guides readers through various life scenarios, from mundane daily decisions to significant career choices, underscoring the transformative power of resilience and self-awareness.
In essence, Nathan Andres has crafted a work that goes beyond mere literature. It stands as a tool for personal growth, offering readers not only insights but also practical methods to navigate through life’s complexities with authenticity and resilience at their core.
Pages: 260 | ASIN : B0C3DSMKSK
LITERARY TITAN 