The Mountain Is You - Summary
The Mountain Is You - Summary
The Mountain Is You - Summary
of The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest
A mountain stands between you and your best self.
Just as a mountain is formed by two sec ons of earth colliding, your internal mountain is formed by a
conscious and unconscious need colliding. Maybe you've commi ed to changing your diet but ended up
in a Wendy's drive‐through days later, or vowed to be your own boss, but keep forge ng to work on a
promising business idea you have.
We all do this ‐ we say we want to change but unconsciously fear change and sabotage our change
efforts.
The longer we allow this inner conflict to persist, the larger the mountain inside us gets. If we never face
our mountain, change is forced upon us. If we resist changing our diet or lifestyle, we'll get hit with a
severe change in the form of a terminal illness. If we resist professional change, we'll likely be forced out
of a job or business, which is worse than any change we could have ini ated.
The key is not to wait for change to happen but to embrace change. The objec ve of life, beyond
mee ng our basic survival needs, is to change and conquer our internal mountains so we can become
the best versions of ourselves.
Start conquering an internal mountain standing between you and your best self by going somewhere you
can relax and reflect on the ques on, “What change do I feel the most resistance to doing?” As you think
of answers, no ce which poten al change produces the greatest tension in your body. That tension may
stem from a painful associa on to change you formed in the past.
Process past pain
To overcome self‐sabotage, focus on where the tension is in your body and then ask it where it came
from. A memory of a failure or embarrassing experience may come to mind.
For instance, you may want to leave your current job to find more fulfilling work, but you feel intense
resistance. Focusing on that resistance might bring you back to the me you lost your job. The
uncertainty and stress of that experience forged a belief that you should hold onto any job you get, no
ma er how miserable you are in that job.
Beliefs forged by past pain act as invisible weights pulling you back down to the base of your mountain.
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Summary of The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest
Close your eyes and imagine being transported back to the painful experience and si ng next to
your past self at the moment of peak emo onal pain. With the benefit of being months or years
removed from that experience, your current self can reassure your younger self that things will
get be er. In fact, some good things will come from the experience in the form of new insights,
opportuni es, and rela onships. This reassurance allows your younger self to fully accept what
they're experiencing and let it pass through them like rainwater flowing through a duct
unencumbered.
Now, you may cry or sweat during this experience because, as Brianna Wiest says, “EmoƟons are
physical. When not felt probably they become embodied and literally stuck in our bodies, and we
need to flush them out.” (paraphrased)
For this reason, I found the best me to explore my resistance to change and revisit painful experiences
is during physical exercise. I like to close my eyes while riding a sta onary bike, and while I sweat, I
imagine my past self releasing and le ng go of any nega ve feelings that led to a limi ng belief holding
me back.
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Summary of The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest
Without the weight of limi ng beliefs holding you back from the change you want to make, it's now me
to formulate a plan to move up your mountain. The best way to do that is to ask your future self for help.
Formulate a plan with your future self
Grab a notebook and pen and sit somewhere quiet and close your eyes. Take a few centering breaths
and imagine you're in a well‐lit room with a table and two chairs. Imagine si ng on one chair and then
asking your highest poten al future self to come into the room
and sit down in the other chair. This future self has made the
change you seek. Imagine this future self to be whatever age
feels right to you ‐ they may be twenty years older or three
years older. No ce how they look, behave, and sound.
Once you feel their presence, open your eyes and start wri ng
down ques ons in your notebook regarding the steps you must
take to make the change you seek, and then write down the
answers you imagine your future self saying.
Think of it like having a radio as you climb up the mountain and having a wise and experienced climber
on the other end who can help you navigate the challenging terrain.
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Summary of The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest
Turn this highest poten al future self‐visualiza on into a daily habit and you will feel like you're gradually
merging with your future self, which will allow you to have the confidence to step into the unknown and
pursue change.
Maintain momentum up the mountain with microshi s
Our minds play nasty tricks on us ‐ when we declare a posi ve change, we feel great, but the instant we
a empt to change, we feel terrible. The discomfort of change is not a sign that we are doing something
wrong but a sign that we are doing something unfamiliar. Microshi s allow us to gradually inch into
unfamiliar territory, which prevents us from freaking out and running back to our old ways.
Brianna Wiest says, “A microshiŌ is changing what you eat for one part of one meal just one Ɵme. Then
it’s doing that a second Ɵme and a third. Before you even realize what’s happening, you’ve adopted a
paƩern of behavior.”
When you dri back to old change avoidance habits, such as aimlessly scrolling through social media to
distract yourself, make a three‐second shi away from that behavior and toward the change you’re
resis ng. Then another. And another.
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Summary of The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest
Takeaway
Brianna Wiest says, “The mountain that stands in front of you is the calling of your life, your purpose
for being here, and your path finally made clear. One day, this mountain will be behind you, but who
you become in the process of geƫng over it will stay with you always.”
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Summary of The Mountain is You by Brianna Wiest
Key Quotes
“Your mountain is the block between you and the life you want to live. Facing it is also
the only path to your freedom and becoming. You are here because a trigger showed
you to your wound, and your wound will show you to your path, and your path will
show you to your des ny.”
“Self‐sabotage is what happens when we refuse to consciously meet our innermost
needs, o en because we do not believe we are capable of handling them.”
“Self‐sabotage is simply the presence of an unconscious need that is being fulfilled by
the self‐sabotaging behavior.”
“What you believe about your life is what you will make true about your life.”
“To truly heal, you are going to have to change the way you think. You are going to
have to become very conscious of nega ve and false beliefs and start shi ing to a
mindset that actually serves you.”
“The greatest act of self‐love is to no longer accept a life you are unhappy with. It is
to be able to state the problem plainly and in a straigh orward manner.”
“Rock bo om becomes a turning point because it is only at that point that most
people think: I never want to feel this way again.”
“Stop accep ng your own excuses. Stop being complacent with your own
jus fica ons. Start quan fying your days by how many healthy, posi ve things you
accomplished, and you will see how quickly you begin to make progress.”
“It is very hard to show up as the person you want to be when you are surrounded by
an environment that makes you feel like a person you aren’t.”
“Let’s be clear about something: To put an end to your self‐sabotaging behavior
absolutely means that change is on the horizon. Your new life is going to cost you
your old one. It’s going to cost you your comfort zone and your sense of direc on. It’s
going to cost you rela onships and friends. It’s going to cost you being liked and
understood. It doesn’t ma er. The people who are meant for you are going to meet
you on the other side.”
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