Brave, Not Perfect: Fear Less, Fail More, and Live Bolder Book Review

Part of the fight for equality is the way we are treated as children. Boys are taught that taking risks and getting dirty is just part of being a boy. It’s fine if a knee is scraped or the goal is not achieved. Girls are taught to not take risks, to stay clean. If a girl skins scrapes her knee or does not achieve her goal, it’s akin to the end of the world.

Written by Reshma Saujani, Brave, Not Perfect: Fear Less, Fail More, and Live Bolder, was published last month. In a nutshell, Ms. Saujani describes how girls are raised to be perfect and how that has a negative emotional and mental impact later in life. Interviewing a variety of women, the message is that it’s ok to fail and make mistakes. It is a message that women desperately need to hear.

If I can describe this book in one word, it would be empowering. When we as women are allowed to fail and make mistakes, it is a weight of off our shoulders. It also helps, especially when it comes to mental health and self-esteem issues.

I recommend it.

Advertisement

Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle.

A Small Act Of Kindness Can Bring Smile On Million Faces

View original post

Unworthy Book Review

On the surface, many of us may seem to have it all. A thriving career, loving family, healthy children, supportive spouse or romantic partner, etc.  But underneath all of that, many of us have a secret darkness. This darkness call us names. Tell us that we are stupid, ugly, unworthy, unloved, etc. It keeps us from living our lives to the fullest and fulfilling our dreams.

Anneli Rufus’s non fiction book, Unworthy: How to Stop Hating Yourself is not the average self help book on low self esteem. Unlike many self help books on the subject that from from psychiatrists and doctors that come off as snooty and know it all, this book comes from one of us. Ms. Rufus writes in great detail the reasons for her lack of self esteem. She interviews a variety of people and borrows snippets of press interviews from some well known celebrities who suffered in secret from internal self hatred.

I enjoyed this book. Ms. Rufus writes from a place of understanding. She is one of us, looking in the mirror and see what is wrong with her instead of what is right with her. What I enjoyed about the book was the honest telling of her own fight with low self esteem. She encourages her readers to fight the negative thoughts and anxiety that are so pervasive and persuasive in our lives.

This fight is not easy, but it is worth it.

I recommend this book.