January 2023 Book of the Month

Category: Empowerment, Library, Monthly Book Reviews, News

YESSS! The S.U.M.O Secrets to Being a Positive, Confident Teenager – Paul McGee 

New Year is often a time we set ourselves new challenges or improve on existing behaviour.  It’s also an opportunity for a fresh start, a chance to change unwanted behaviours and become a better version of yourself.  It’s with this in mind that I present the library’s first Book of the Month for 2023. 

YESSS! is an easy-to-understand guide to retraining your brain, a guide which uncovers the secrets of overcoming some of the challenges you may face as a teenager.  Its practical advice will help you stop putting yourself down and help you to embrace more of the opportunities made available to you with greater confidence.  The author, Paul McGee, has been promoting his S.U.M.O philosophy for over 25 years.  S.U.M.O stands for Shut Up and Move On, but if you find that too aggressive you could replace that with Stop, Understand and Move On.  Paul talks about Red Cap and Blue Cap parts of the brain. The Red Cap or fast part of the brain is the threat detector, driven by emotions and pleasure seeking.  The Blue Cap or slow part of the brain thinks long term and is more rational.  Crucially, the Blue Cap brain is not fully developed until your twenties which is why the five S.U.M.O Secrets will help you navigate your teenage years more successfully. 

This is an entertaining read.  I’m a fan of Hippo Time (wallowing!) and so the idea that Hippo Time is acceptable as long as you realise that it is as stop on your journey and not the final destination, really resonated with me. 

Check out the other books in the Wellbeing section of the library, if you would like to understand more about your teenage brain, to help you navigate the next few years more easily.