Author: Brene Brown
Purchase Here The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
Genre: Self Help/ Emotional Health
This book was on my reading bucket list.
Brene brings a different slant to the self-help arena and brings us home to our humanity, which I much prefer in self-help books. As a writer and research professor she likes to look into the human condition and why people do what they do. This book brings together her research in clear and concise chapters under the headings of Guideposts.
These include:
- Guidepost #1 Cultivating Authenticity – Letting Go Of What People Think.
- Guidepost #2 Cultivating Self-Compassion – Letting Go Of Perfectionism.
- Guidepost #3 Cultivating a Resilient Spirit – Letting Go Of Numbing Powerlessness
- Guidepost #4 Cultivating Gratitude and Joy – Letting Go Of Scarcity and Fear of the Dark.
- Guidepost #5 Cultivating Intuition and Trusting Faith – Letting Go Of The Need For Certainty.
- Guidepost #6 Cultivating Creativity – Letting Go Of Comparison.
- Guidepost #7 Cultivating Play and Rest – Letting Go of Exhaustion as a Status Symbol and Productivity as Self-Worth.
- Guidepost #8 Cultivating Calm and Stillness – Letting Go Of Anxiety as a Lifestyle.
- Guidepost #9 Cultivating Meaningful Work – Letting Go Of Self-Doubt and “Supposed To”
- Guidepost #10 Cultivating Laughter, Song and Dance – Letting Go Of Being Cool and Always In Control.
The first 3 chapters I enjoyed, but after that I found the constant referring to her research and her way of using the DIG analogy (get Deliberate, get Inspired, and get Going) over and over again irritating. I know a lot of people seem to have got a lot out of this book, I just found it did not DIG deep enough to help embrace myself with compassion. She referred lightly to mindfulness, which in my experience is an excellent way of embracing through compassion.
What would have been great was to see Brene share her own vulnerability which I didn’t feel she did. And as the book is about this topic it would have warmed me more to the writing.
Summary
Overall it has potential, some elements of interest and support, but it needed to be fuller and more in-depth than it was written. It would make a good beginners’ guide to self compassion but would for me, be only classed as a starting point.
POSITIVE
Clearly laid out, some good thoughts on the topic of shame. Some relevant ways of looking at oneself through the eyes of compassion. A good beginners’ guide.
The Gifts Of Imperfection by Brene Brown
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Kelly Martin, author of ‘When Everyone Shines But You’ is a dedicated writer and blogger who fearlessly explores life’s deepest questions. Faced with a decade of profound anxiety and grief following the loss of her father and her best friend Michael, Kelly embarked on a transformative journey guided by mindfulness, and she hasn’t looked back since. Through her insightful writing, engaging podcasts, and inspiring You Tube channel Kelly empowers others to unearth the hidden treasures within their pain, embracing the profound truth that they are ‘enough’ exactly as they are.
handwriting, it's terrible, even when I try really hard it's still illegible and would so like it to be beautiful copperplate
never being able to leave cups or dishes that need to be washed up, have to do it then & there even if it's just one cup!
It's confidence and self doubt I struggle with and anxiety and worry all the time
i dont have them really that bother my life but i like the curtains to be a certain way the right 1 has to be closed 1st and then left goes over top of right so the sun or moon shine doesnt come in
cleaning, i am a perfectionist when it comes to cleaning and takes me hours x
I have no perfectionist traits because I'm perfect 🙂
I nsuffer from anxiety and depression and know this book has to have some good things in it to help me
I am a perfectionist when it comes to cleaning the home.
has to be my cooking if it aint perfect enough for me its not perfect enough for anyone else especially when I am catering for parties I hate not having things perfect.
If my mac screen isn't clean, then I easily get frustrated! 😉
confidence, especially about weight,
cleaning 🙁
Don't say no often enough so end up with stress head
Dont speak up for myself enough
keeping house.. and then i complain when no one helps out!
i dont stand up for myself
I never believe that my foreign language skills are good enough. I want to speak like a native.
Cleaning
I love that I can do craft, I hate that it never looks good enough. Then I ruin it, and after all that decide that it wasn't so bad after all. I have wasted hours fretting over a bit of craft I have made!!!
making sure everything is cleared away
Expecting other people to live up to my expectations
a bit f everything
How clean my car is!
Don't say No enough
Look out for others. I was brought up with this philosophy. It works when that is the General Culture, as then everyone can be looked out for and supported. Unfortunately when the culture, individuals and or groups are looking out for self and / or being competitive then :- There are those who need assistance who are left without e.g. old (elderly), frail, ill, disabled, those who put effort / energy int tasks/work etc believing the team were ' pulling together' :- When actually there were slackers (those who were avoiding using energy, turning up for own benefit :- to collect wage, keep boss off their back etc).
Oh, for a truly Caring, Sharing Society. Where we meet needs, and control / curb / curtail wants :- As there can be an element of greed, waste, unsustainability etc :- As resources are not limitless.
Not even attempting a work of prose fiction because I know nothing I did could ever match the brilliance of my literary heroes, so what`s the point of trying?
So many. I'm vain I suppose … I'm always worried about how I look, I'm obsessive about cleaning and always push myself.
washing up………………. it has to be done in a certain way OR DON'T BOTHER DOING IT!!!!!
looking at rooms and noticing the tiny tiny details (how the curtains were pulled, how the hem of a curtain doesn't sit quite right. How the paint is not quite fully lined up in a position. Relaxing is hard when you see a coaster in the wrong place…
start with good intentions but soon lose interest
Just what i need!
A place for everything & everything in it's place!
I don't Standing up for myself x
having things done properly, like cleaning and ironing
Trying to please everyone
I am bit of a control freak and don't believe anyone can do a job as good as I can. I find it difficult to let go and let people have a try and help me.
If I get something wrong or forget something, I get really annoyed with myself. Thing is, as you get older, you can't be as good as you were when you were younger.
I'm a fusspot when it come to the English language and am annoyed on a daily basis by poor spelling and bad grammar 🙂
My hair I hate it when it doesn't go right
At work 🙁 I spend so long being a perfectionist about things that I never get everything done. I need to sort out my time management and prioritise what is actually having a positive impact on my students' learning x
Stubbornness!
Cleanliness, the perfectionist part of me is never happy but the lazy part says leave it for another day – I end up in mental turmoil
Trying to please everyone
Trying to make everyone happy!