Unlocking Positive Change: A Mindset Revolution
101 ESSAYS THAT WILL CHANGE THE WAY YOU THINK: BY BRIANNA WIEST
Some books stay with you long after you’ve finished them. 101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest is one of those books for me. It’s packed with insights that challenge the way we see ourselves, our emotions, and the world around us. With each essay, I paused, reflected, and often underlined passages that felt like quiet revelations.
This isn’t just a book you read once and set aside—it’s a book you return to, again and again, like a conversation with an old friend. Here are a few essays that resonated with me most deeply.
What the Feelings You Suppress Most Are Trying to Tell You
One of my favorite essays—one I often bring into therapy sessions—is What the Feelings You Suppress Most Are Trying to Tell You. Wiest explores how the emotions we ignore or push aside hold profound messages about our inner world.
She describes emotions as signals, guiding us toward our fears, desires, and unresolved wounds. When we suppress them, we don’t erase them; they linger beneath the surface, influencing our thoughts and behaviors in ways we might not even realize. This essay challenges us to listen—really listen—to what our emotions are telling us instead of trying to silence them.
Her writing makes complex emotional concepts feel clear and digestible, which is why I return to this essay often, both for myself and in my work with clients.
The Little Things That Shape How You Feel About Your Body
Our relationship with our body is deeply personal, yet often shaped by external influences we don’t even recognize. In The Little Things You Don’t Realize Are Affecting How You Feel About Your Body, Wiest unpacks the subtle but powerful ways societal norms, media, and even passing comments can shape our self-perception.
I appreciate how she highlights the quiet background noise—the unspoken messages we internalize about our worth and appearance. She encourages readers to recognize these influences and develop self-compassion, rather than unconsciously accepting negative narratives about their bodies.
Her words serve as a powerful reminder that self-acceptance isn’t about achieving a certain look—it’s about shifting the way we see ourselves.
There Is No Such Thing as Letting Go—Only Accepting What Is Already Gone
We often hear the phrase "just let go," but what does that actually mean? In this essay, Wiest reframes the idea, suggesting that letting go isn’t something we do, but something we accept.
She writes about how we struggle with letting go because we believe, on some level, that we can still control the past. But the truth is, the past isn’t something to hold onto or release—it’s something to make peace with.
This resonated deeply with me. Letting go isn’t about erasing memories or forcing ourselves to move on before we’re ready. It’s a process—one that takes time, reflection, and often, a great deal of self-compassion. No one should rush you into it.
For many of us, learning to let go feels like losing a part of ourselves. But in reality, it’s an invitation to step forward, unburdened, into the present.
What I love most about 101 Essays to Change the Way You Think is that it doesn’t offer simple, feel-good solutions. It invites deep reflection, encouraging us to challenge the way we think, feel, and move through the world.
This book sits on my shelf, well-loved and well-worn, its pages dog-eared and underlined. It’s not just a book—it’s a companion, one I return to whenever I need perspective, reassurance, or a gentle nudge toward growth.
If you’re looking for something that will challenge and expand your thinking, I highly recommend picking up this book. You may find yourself coming back to it, too.
