A research-based toolkit for turning challenging times into a springboard for healing, insight, and new beginnings. The trauma, loss, and uncertainty of our world have led many of us to ask life’s big questions. Who are we? What is our higher purpose? And how do we not only live through but thrive in the wake of tragedy, division, and challenges to our fundamental way of living?   Choose Growth is a practical workbook designed to guide you on a journey of committing to growth and the pursuit of self-actualization every day. Created by renowned psychologist and host of The Psychology Podcast Scott Barry Kaufman and positive medicine physician and researcher Jordyn Feingold, this is an evidence-based toolkit—a compendium of exercises intimately grounded in the latest research in positive psychology and the core principles of humanistic psychology that help us all navigate whatever choppy waters we find ourselves in.   Topics include fostering secure attachment, setting healthy boundaries, practicing radical self-acceptance, and more—and each exercise is grounded in the latest research from the fields of psychology and positive medicine.   Whether you’re healing from loss, adapting to the new normal, or simply looking ahead to life’s next chapter, this supportive and insightful guide will help you steer yourself to calmer waters—and deeper connection to your values, your life vision, and ultimately your most authentic self. Praise for Transcend by Scott Barry Kaufman:   “What a masterpiece! Maslow 2.0—a must-read for anyone who wants to understand what Maslow meant by self-transcendence. . . . I loved it!” —Angela Duckworth,  New York Times –bestselling author of Grit   “Nothing less than a breathtaking new psychology of humanity. Kaufman will show you how to live your life to the fullest, and in the service of others—all at the same time.” —Susan Cain, New York Times –bestselling author of Quiet and Bittersweet   “Scott Barry Kaufman is one of my favorite thinkers about the psychology of getting better and growing as a person.” —Ryan Holiday, New York Times –bestselling author of Stillness Is the Key   “Both personal and universal, deep and engaging, easy to follow and mind-shifting, Transcend gives us a new understanding of Maslow’s famous self-actualization model and shows us how we can all achieve the kind of life we aspire to.” —Lori Gottlieb, New York Times –bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D., is a cognitive scientist and humanistic psychologist exploring the depths of human potential, and founder and director of The Center for Human Potential. He hosts The Psychology Podcast , and is author and/or editor of nine previous books, including Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization , Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (with Carolyn Gregoire), and Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined . Jordyn Feingold, M.D., is a physician and well-being researcher, integrating the science and practice of positive psychology into medical education and practice. She is a founder of the emerging field of positive medicine. Chapter 1 Anchor Yourself Before setting sail, let's experience what it feels like to get on the boat and anchor ourselves. Throughout this chapter, we will set you up for a smooth ride through the sometimes choppy and often unpredictable waters of life and the growth process. We will familiarize you with the features of your proverbial sailboat, your vessel throughout this growth journey, introduce you to those who may be on this ride with you, prepare you for the whole-body nature of this experience, and help you to secure the base of your boat. Let's begin. What Do You Need? Every human on the planet has fundamental needs that make us far more similar than we are different from one another. You have likely heard of the renowned "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs," the pyramid structure attributed to Abraham Maslow, which posits that humans are motivated by increasingly "higher" levels of needs. As it's been interpreted and taught in psychology courses and pop psychology, the more basic needs-physical health, safety, belonging, and esteem-must be satisfied to a certain degree before we can fully self-actualize, becoming all that we can become. The truth is, though, as Scott details in his book Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization, Maslow never actually created a pyramid to represent his hierarchy of needs. Whereas the pyramid shape implies we must ascend some metaphorical mountain until we complete each step, unlock the next level of possibility, and never look back, this is an unfortunate misrepresentation of the human condition. Maslow emphasized that we are in a constant state of maturation, and that growth is often a two-steps-forward, one-step-back phenomenon. Evolving in our human condition is not any one destination we are moving toward; it is an exp