Wonderhell - by Laura Gassner Otting

About the Book

Have you ever accomplished something you weren't so sure you could do? Success has always been the end goal, but when you achieve it ... something infuriatingly predictable happens. You start wondering what more you can do. Instead of success bringing you happiness, it hands you an increased hunger to achieve something even bigger. And with that desire also comes uncertainty, self-doubt, anxiety and stress. Success, in other words, is kinda wonderful ... but it's also kinda hell. Welcome to Wonderhell. Wonderhell is that space in your psyche where the burden of your newly discovered potential plops down, unpacks its backpack, and asks: Hey, you! Whatcha got for me? Living in an ambitious, results-oriented society, we often mischaracterize the turbulent emotions that surround success, deeming them a "necessary evil"--a byproduct of one's rise to the top. We tend to think that we just need to survive these difficult moments, to hang on by our fingernails and somehow get through these stressful, unwanted side effects of our success. We torture ourselves with a never-ending internal dialogue: I can handle this. Can I handle this? But we are wrong. Learning to live in this newfound potential can be exciting rather than exhausting. Emotions like fear, anxiety, and heartbreak are not collateral damage, slings and arrows to be absorbed and swallowed down, silenced and pushed aside. Rather, each emotion is a portal that shows us what more we can do, if instead we recognize that on the other side of this wonderful hell that we so badly wanted is another and another and another . . . but only if we choose to accept it.

Book Synopsis

WALL STREET JOURNAL BESTSELLER!

AS SEEN ON GOOD MORNING AMERICA!

Have you ever accomplished something you weren't so sure you could do? Success has always been the end goal, but when you achieve it ... something infuriatingly predictable happens. You start wondering what more you can do.

Instead of success bringing you happiness, it hands you an increased hunger to achieve something even bigger. And with that desire also comes uncertainty, self-doubt, anxiety and stress.

Success, in other words, is kinda wonderful ... but it's also kinda hell. Welcome to Wonderhell.

Wonderhell is that space in your psyche where the burden of your newly discovered potential plops down, unpacks its backpack, and asks: Hey, you! Whatcha got for me?

Living in an ambitious, results-oriented society, we often mischaracterize the turbulent emotions that surround success, deeming them a "necessary evil"--a byproduct of one's rise to the top. We tend to think that we just need to survive these difficult moments, to hang on by our fingernails and somehow get through these stressful, unwanted side effects of our success. We torture ourselves with a never-ending internal dialogue: I can handle this. Can I handle this?

But we are wrong.

Learning to live in this newfound potential can be exciting rather than exhausting. Emotions like fear, anxiety, and heartbreak are not collateral damage, slings and arrows to be absorbed and swallowed down, silenced and pushed aside. Rather, each emotion is a portal that shows us what more we can do, if instead we recognize that on the other side of this wonderful hell that we so badly wanted is another and another and another . . . but only if we choose to accept it.

Review Quotes

"Lucky for you--Laura Gassner Otting is here with her highly
anticipated new book. She'll teach you to achieve your dreams and the success
you deserve by navigating your Wonderhell."

--MEL ROBBINS, New York Times best-selling
author of The 5 Second Rule

"Packed with wide-ranging research, inspirational
interviews, relatable hilarity, and just the right amount of edginess, Wonderhell
is a hopeful and entertaining roadmap for anyone who has ever dreamed that they
could be more."

--DR. AMY CUDDY, New York Times best-selling
author of Presence

"Wonderhell helps us make sense of the joy and
anxiety, the promise and uncertainty, the fun and hardship that so often define
moments of profound transformation."

--JONATHAN FIELDS, Best-selling author of Sparked,
host of Good Life Project(R) podcast

"With her inimitable mix of inspiration, relatability, and
real talk, Laura Gassner Otting guides us to meet our potential. Wonderhell
is a book for anyone and everyone who chooses to grow in life."

--DR. SUSAN DAVID, #1 Wall Street Journal
best-selling author of Emotional Agility

"High achievers understand that the first success is just
the first step to what you can accomplish. Part cheerleader, part roadmap, Wonderhell
perfectly lights the way for those who dare to dream bigger."

--AMY PURDY, New York Times best-selling author
of On My Own Two Feet, 3x Paralympic Medalist, Oprah 100

"Wonderhell packs Laura's beautiful writing,
passionate stories, and seasoned wisdom into the ultimate guide to finding
balance in our success. If you want advance praise to set your intentions and
priorities, learn to find peace, and embrace the potential for the life you've
always wanted--read this book!"

--DR. MARSHALL GOLDSMITH, Thinkers50 #1 Executive
Coach, New York Times best-selling author of What Got You Here Won't
Get You There

"Laura Gassner Otting reimagines the stories we tell
ourselves about success and shows how mixed emotions like fear, uncertainty,
and stress that accompany success are often a sign that we're on the right
track."

--OZAN VAROL, Best-selling author of Think Like a
Rocket Scientist

"If you want to feel seen, heard, and affirmed for who you
are and who you are becoming--Wonderhell is the must-have guide for a
journey that can often feel lonely."

--MINDA HARTS, Best-selling author of The Memo

"With actionable insights and an intuitive framework, Wonderhell
is a bold invitation that every entrepreneur must read."

--KARA GOLDIN, Founder of Hint Water, Wall Street
Journal best-selling author of Undaunted

"A wise, loving, laugh-out-loud funny guide / kick in the
pants for navigating the inevitable (but rarely discussed) fear we face on the
path to success. For anyone who wants to be more and do more, Wonderhell
will help you turn confusion into confidence, exhaustion into exhilaration, and
worry into winning."

--DR. TASHA EURICH, Organizational Psychologist, New
York Times best-selling author of Bankable Leadership and Insight

"Wonderhell is an essential book for those who are
ready to push themselves to new heights. Full of inspiring stories of people
who dared to ask more of themselves, Laura offers research, tips, and tools in
an easy, fast read so that you can push forward with confidence through the
messy middle."

--ERICA DHAWAN, Author of Digital Body Language

"Laura's decades of experience as an executive recruiter
shine in Wonderhell. She offers readers practical and powerful tools to
achieve consistent success that's delivered with her trademark warmth and wit.
If you're on the dangerous and exciting cusp of becoming more than you thought
you could be--or you dream of getting there--then Laura Gassner Otting's new book
is for you."

--DORIE CLARK, Wall Street Journal best-selling
author of The Long Game, executive education faculty, Duke University
Fuqua School of Business

"I count myself lucky that Laura Gassner Otting responds to
my texts. Sure, I'll brag that I have that kind of unbridled access to someone
who has both had success and knows how to help others achieve it. Thankfully, her
brainy new book, Wonderhell, is much more than a few text messages. Now,
you too can benefit from her unique perspectives, powerful thoughts, and
actionable strategies to better manage your present and future opportunities.
When doubt creeps (or when the ego wails 'You deserve this!'), Wonderhell
is here to provide balance and a healthier approach to keep things going in the
right direction. What a ride!"

--MITCH JOEL, Founder of ThinkersOne, host of Six
Pixels of Separation

"If you've ever gone further and achieved more than you
thought you could . . . and then gone, 'Now what?!' . . . this is the book for
you. Wonderhell shows you not only how to make the most of your present
success, but what it takes to go further still."

--MICHAEL BUNGAY STANIER, Author of The Coaching
Habit and How to Begin

"You will realize you are not alone after reading these
incredible stories of triumph and tragedy from so many different people and
perspectives. Wonderhell is a masterclass filled with humor, truth, and
a bit of edge. If you feel lost, if you feel alone, if you feel stuck . . .
this book is for you."

--TIFFANI BOVA, Wall Street Journal
best-selling author of Growth IQ

"LGO's unique take on a seriously under-discussed success
truth is both illuminating and incredibly timely. Her practical guidance is truly
invaluable for today's high performers--especially those looking to invest their
time and energy with more intentionality and clarity."

--ERIN KING, Author of You're Kind of a Big Deal

"Wonderhell takes a deep dive into the gap between
who you were and who you've become so you can experience your full potential
without limit (and help others do the same), now! Laura Gassner Otting inspires
me again and again!"

--RICHIE NORTON, Award-winning author of Anti-Time
Management and The Power of Starting Something Stupid