Think Good: How to Get Rid of Anxiety, Guilt, Despair & the Like to Finally Find Peace of Mind

by J.L. Gerhardt

Ever been irrationally convinced your kids would die in a freak accident? Ever thought to yourself, "I am the smartest person in this room. By far"? Ever considered cutting your wrists? Ever wrestled your thoughts for hours, unable to find focus or silence or order?

You're not alone. And you're not doomed.

Honest, practical, personal and remarkably relatable, Think Good is the book to help you fix your thoughts, yanking you free from the clutches of bad thinking-- anxiety, fear, guilt, despair, pride, self-loathing, lust, and the rest--and enabling the peace, freedom and joy you need.

Think Good is both a better way to think and a better what to think-a mindset and mind skill enabled only by the power of a God bigger than the dark thoughts we can't shake on our own.


Chapters Include:
- Rogues, Ruffians, & Rascals (Everyone has bad thoughts. What are you going to do about them?)
- Out of Control (Neuroscience says you have less control over your thoughts than you think you do. If you're not in control, who is?)
- A Heart Divided (Ever feel a little bit schizophrenic? That's not so weird.)
- The Stronger Wolf (Which wolf is strongest? The one you feed.)
- Under Siege (Or how not to let the outside in)
- Taking Captives & Talking Back (You don't have to let you talk to you that way.)
- Such Things (On how to think good when things are bad)
- Hive Mind (Because sometimes we all need to calm down.)
- The Dangerous Allure of Time Travel (What Marty McFly and Jesus have to say about yesterday, tomorrow and today)
- How To Change Your Mind (Because you're always wrong about something)

Genres: Christian, Nonfiction

208 pages, Paperback

Published November 5, 2016

Reviews

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, so good. Honest and practical. Will be going back through this one again and again!

[Emily Van Hook (vanhooked.on.reading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good. So helpful & practical & realistic & lovely & just what I needed, just what I'm sure so many people needed. The kind of book I plan to go back to again & again.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

This reminded me of a modern, evangelical version of the popular Orthodox book, "Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives," only much more practical. It begins with a helpful introduction to the heart (what early Christians call the "nous"), works through ways to feed and shape our minds to be healthier in the first place, and finishes with strategies to respond to bad thoughts right now. Its full of scriptures and relatable stories shared in Jennifer's honest, friendly, and funny style to help you identify all sorts of problematic thinking and reframe it.

There are exercise questions throughout, and she recommends writing your answers from the beginning. Of course, I didn't because I'm already reading 6 books at once and just anxiously trying to finish all the books! (Can you tell I need to think good?) But, I see now its definitely worth slowing down to reflect as you read, and so I've begun going back through the book again to do the exercises. (This time with no pressure to hurry up and finish.) You have to do the work.

The key word here is practical. Many good books address thinking and anxiety with different emphases, but its too easy to read through lots of information without incorporating what you learn into your habits. This book is a tool to help you not just think about your thinking, but to take it captive.

[Jessica Craft · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive a free copy of this book to review, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The best part about this book is that the information is not just theoretical; Gerhardt gives tons of very practical suggestions and advice for getting your thoughts under control. Her writing is full of personal stories, scriptures, and wisdom from others to help illustrate the main points. The book was a quick read, but by no means easy. Gerhardt's writing is both convicting and encouraging. It is something that I will refer back to time and time again as I continue to strive to "think good," and I urge anyone struggling with taming their thoughts to pick up a copy of this book and give the practical applications a try.

[Jill VanWormer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as a book and it’s really intended to be more of a study. She encourages you early to have your bible out, to participate in the activities and reflection questions, journal, etc. I thought at times there were too many examples or anecdotes where I just wanted to get to the practical applications. There were times where I didn’t necessarily agree or parts that didn’t resonate with me, but that’s typical. There were a lot of good, practical applications and activities/reflections where I will go back and spend more time.

[Laura Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Think Good, Gerhardt manages to combine personal experience, scripture, and research into a wonderfully written manual on how to think better, more often. As someone with a very active mind, and prone to rollercoaster emotions, this book, and its practical exercises is helping me tame the beast and reign in the extremes.

Gerhardt’s vulnerability draws the reader in, making them comfortable looking at their bad thoughts, before dissecting the root of the problem and getting to the solution. So many times authors state the problem and the solution, but they neglect to give you a map from point A to point B. Gerhardt does not do this. Think Good is full of practical exercises to keep you moving forward.

This book is great for individuals but would be a wonderful small group study.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recommend this book to anyone struggling with anxiety or depression.