In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown, a leading expert on shame, authenticity, and belonging, shares ten guideposts on the power of Wholehearted living—a way of engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.
Each day we face a barrage of images and messages from society and the media telling us who, what, and how we should be. We are led to believe that if we could only look perfect and lead perfect lives, we’d no longer feel inadequate. So most of us perform, please, and perfect, all the while thinking, “What if I can’t keep all of these balls in the air? Why isn’t everyone else working harder and living up to my expectations? What will people think if I fail or give up? When can I stop proving myself?”
In her ten guideposts, Brown engages our minds, hearts, and spirits as she explores how we can cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, “No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough,” and to go to bed at night thinking, “Yes, I am sometimes afraid, but I am also brave. And, yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am worthy of love and belonging.”
“This important book is about the lifelong journey from ‘What will people think?’ to ‘I am enough.’ Brown’s unique ability to blend original research with honest storytelling makes reading The Gifts of Imperfection like having a long, uplifting conversation with a very wise friend who offers compassion, wisdom, and great advice.”
—Harriet Lerner, New York Times best-selling author of The Dance of Anger and The Dance of Connection
“Brené Brown courageously tackles the dark emotions that get in the way of leading a fuller life; read this book and let some of that courage rub off on you.”
—Daniel H. Pink, New York Times best-selling author of A Whole New Mind
“Courage, compassion, and connection: Through Brené’s research, observations, and guidance, these three little words can open the door to amazing change in your life.'”
—Ali Edwards, author of Life Artist
Reads like a blog; 130 pages, not the 260 Amazon lists This isn’t a bad book if you don’t mind that it reads like a blog and is as deep as most blogs. First, it has 120 pages of text, plus blank pages, lots of white space, and some notes. Amazon has the page count completely wrong (as of Feb 2011, they list it at 260 pages). The author takes on large topics but doesn’t go far with any of them. The chapter on “Cultivating Creativity” is about 4-1/2 pages. The one sub-titled “Letting Go of Perfectionism,” presumably the focus of the book, is 7…
Required Reading – A Living Guide I have just purchased 40 more copies to give to my closest friends and clients! This book heralds the solid research of Dr. Brene Brown and leads us toward an authentic approach to living a life devoid of the many misguided concepts of “personal perfectionism”. Every human on the planet should read this book, then read it again with your spouse and adult children. Both this and her previous book will live in my library for the rest of my life.
I loved this book with my whole-heart. The Gifts of Imperfection is a little gem of a book that offers readers a way to change their lives through adopting the practices of “wholehearted” living. Brené Brown shows us how to live more authentic and compassionate lives, while learning to embrace our imperfections, and recognize what issues get in our way, such as shame and fear. Although the book is an easy read on one level, it is a complex blueprint for living could take a lifetime to put into practice. The author challenges…