Brene Brown shows us through her research and her own personal life examples, how to live a wholehearted life. She guides us in realizing that our perceived imperfections are what makes us who we are...that by embracing our imperfections, we can combat shame and defeat and turn them into self love and worth!
The strength of Brene Brown's "Gifts of Imperfection" lies in two things: clear information and straightforward brevity. I read this book on my Kindle, and the pages/chapters seemed to fly by, which is a good thing, because often "self-help" books (which I'm hesitant to categorize this as...) seem to take quite a while to get to the point, and by that time I'm sort of over reading them. There's so much I want to remember that I have to start taking notes, and then it becomes more like some sort of an assignment than something that is life-shifting.
But Brown's book is succinct and not at all sentimental, which I truly appreciated. There's straightforward information based on years of research she has done, and it's presented in a way that's incredibly appealing for anyone reading. Basically, Brown shares the knowledge she's gleaned, shares maybe one or two examples (often from her own life in a "pull-no-punches" style), gives a few suggestions of how to shake things up a little, and then moves on to the next topic. I *really* loved that about the book. As you read, it feels like you are making progress instead of getting caught up in a riptide of new behavior. I know that's a weird way to explain it, but it's refreshing, in a way, to read something like this and feel like you are immediately being empowered to just stop thinking and start making a change.
Reading it was more of an experience and a short lesson in what she calls "Wholehearted Living." I finished the book a few days ago and I'm STILL thinking about it. I really recommend this book for anyone who is interested in living a more authentic life (topics such as gratitude, spirituality [not religion!], joy, play, honesty are covered) and wants to get moving in the right direction without following some person program set out by one of the many self-help gurus out there.
In my life I did everything I possibly could to be perfect and to make sure everyone loved or at least liked me. When I made mistakes, and at 50-yrs of age I made my share, the guilt ate through to my very core. The penance I paid in the way of hustling 'make up' behavior was mind boggling. This quest for a 100% approval rating and the ridiculing self talk of failure and imperfection left me exhausted and seeking total isolation! I turned to coaching, therapy, self-help books and meditation to get some relief and possibly find explanations for my self-limiting behavior patterns.
A lot of what I read made sense and I started to understand myself better. It was not until I read THE GIFTS OF IMPERFECTION, however, that I understood that I can actually let go of the shame I feel for not being 100% likable, I now understand that I don't have to feel guilty for making mistakes and I am not responsible for how other people feel.
I can unreservedly recommend this book as the best self-help book I have ever had the sheer pleasure of reading. I had so many aha moments that I lost count. They were so compelling that I wrote them on index cards. When my shame meter starts running on overdrive they serve as calming flashcards that turn off my revving emotional motor.
Brene's breaks through the emotional blur of life. She uses her research and writing skill, good mind and a whole boat load of personal vulnerability to provide her readers with laser-like, easy to implement solutions to everyday problems that would otherwise just continue to keep us baffled and running in emotional circles! I love this book! It has clarified that only I can chose who I am. And, I can have what I want without feeling ashamed or guilty for being selfish. This easy to read book has liberated me from ever hustling for approval from anyone else again!
Today, I see all my imperfections quite clearly and I love every single one of them to bits - I am imperfect and proud of it! Hurray for imperfection! Hurray, who says I have to be perfect! Having courage is not shameful, having an opinion is nothing to feel guilty about and being wrong occasionally does not make me wrong all the time. I own my stuff - the good, the bad and the ugly. Confronting my imperfections and owning that I am not perfect has been the most liberating experience of my life!
