Dr. Abbie Maroño details her path to empowerment and the steps you too can take
Shame is a popular way that individuals can view themselves and the events in their lives. They may believe that it is how the world views them during troubling times. It is easy to fall into the trap that one is at fault because they were present in a (perceived) negative event. This is never the healthiest approach. It creates a mental cage and traps people in that space. Individuals should know that they have options, and that they’re not based on mumbo-jumbo or hype. They’re backed by science.
Dr. Abbie Maroño earned her PhD in Psychology and is an active practitioner in the field of human behavior. In Work in Progress, she discusses the steps individuals can take to make the journey from feeling shame to choosing empowerment. This book acts as a field guide to recognizing the language we use, the choices we make, and the ways we can reward ourselves for the steps we make toward success.
Dr. Maroño opens the book by revealing forces that made her life miserable. These include familial, educational and professional pressures. These challenges pushed her to make self-destructive choices just to achieve social survival. Using shame as a moral compass negatively impacted her self-respect and self-esteem. (This section of the book is a difficult read for those who may have gone through similar events.)
She continues, switching to defining what shame is and how it feels by providing details on the chemicals that both cause and react to negative circumstances and choices. She explains that actions like suppression can isolate individuals from engaging in self-reflection. This approach is exacerbated when responding to discomfort and trauma.
The second half of the book provides the steps to regain a sense of self through mindfulness, body awareness and emotional regulation. These are some of the tools individuals can use to build resilience. Instead of framing our identities in shame and its corresponding limited mindset, the choice can be made to engage a growth mindset. The same event that occurred can be viewed in a sense of opportunity instead of tragedy.
Dr. Maroño supports each piece of advice with science. Her research includes over 40 studies on topics including social isolation, altruistic punishment, locus of control, and imposter phenomenon. Anyone going through a tough time can benefit from reading Work in Progress. The event that one perceives as a tragedy may not be one at all. A mindset change may be all it takes to reframe attitudes and identity from shame to empowerment.
Work in Progress is available in multiple formats on Amazon.com. You can read Dr. Maroño’s many informative blog posts on The Doctor’s Corner.