The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are

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Overview

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.

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The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are

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More About This Book

Overview

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.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
Brown, author or I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't), again urges us to expose and expel our insecurities in order to have the most fulfilling life possible. Her latest is a guidebook for pilgrims on the journey to wholehearted living, which she defines as containing courage, compassion, deliberate boundaries, and connection. She has defined 10 guideposts for personal introspection, which involve cultivating some positive quality, whether it be authenticity, self-compassion, or a resilient spirit, intuition, meaningful work, or laughter. Each guidepost is the focus of a chapter that contains illustrative stories, primarily from her own life; definitions, including the difference between shame and guilt; quotes from such diverse sources as Diane Ackerman and E.E. Cummings; and brief suggestions of activities that she pursues with the assumption that they might help her audience. Although these activities are highlighted in her introduction to the book, they are in short supply and the book functions more as a chatty meditation on the guideposts. Despite occasional moments of insight, this book's primary value may be in spurring thought and providing references to other authors that will provide further inspiration for those seeking a more meaningful life. (Oct.)
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Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9781592858491
  • Publisher: Hazelden Publishing
  • Publication date: 10/4/2010
  • Pages: 137
  • Sales rank: 489
  • Product dimensions: 5.90 (w) x 8.90 (h) x 0.50 (d)

Meet the Author

Brené Brown, Ph.D., L.M.S.W., is a member of the research faculty at the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work, where she studies how shame affects the way people live, love, parent, work, and build relationships. She is the author of I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn't): Telling the Truth About Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power, and the new book The Gift of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are.

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Table of Contents

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xvii

Introduction: Wholehearted Living 1

Courage, Compassion, and Connection: The Gifts of Imperfection 7

Exploring the Power of Love, Belonging, and Being Enough 23

The Things That Get in the Way 31

Guidepost #1 Cultivating Authenticity: Letting Go of What People Think 49

Guidepost #2 Cultivating Self-Compassion: Letting Go of Perfectionism 55

Guidepost #3 Cultivating a Resilient Spirit: Letting Go of Numbing and Powerlessness 63

Guidepost #4 Cultivating Gratitude and Joy: Letting Go of Scarcity and Fear of the Dark 77

Guidepost #5 Cultivating Intuition and Trusting Faith: Letting Go of the Need for Certainty 87

Guidepost #6 Cultivating Creativity: Letting Go of Comparison 93

Guidepost #7 Cultivating Play and Rest: Letting Go of Exhaustion as a Status Symbol and Productivity as Self-Worth 99

Guidepost #8 Cultivating Calm and Stillness: Letting Go of Anxiety as a Lifestyle 105

Guidepost #9 Cultivating Meaningful Work: Letting Go of Self Doubt and "Supposed To" 111

Guidepost #10 Cultivating Laughter, Song, and Dance: Letting Go of Being Cool and "Always in Control" 117

Final Thoughts 125

About the Research Process: For Thrill-Seekers and Methodology Junkies 127

Notes 131

About the Author 137

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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4
( 68 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(36)

4 Star

(15)

3 Star

(9)

2 Star

(6)

1 Star

(2)

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See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 68 Customer Reviews

  • Posted June 17, 2011

    I Also Recommend:

    My Life in France
    The Violets of March
    Messenger: The Legacy of Mattie J. T. Stepanek and Heartsongs
    EXPLOSION IN PARIS

    Being human....

    This concept is a gem that needs to be studied and practiced! Our struggle for perfection, fear of being seen as "different", fear of being disliked, un-accepted and so many other crippling aspects of "being human" all make us vulnerable to sickness, and misery. This wonderful book endears us to living an authentic life, whole-hearted living and accepting the fact that what makes us different also make us unique and special. We need to embrace our authentic selves and STOP trying so hard to please everyone else by being the way we think THEY want us to be. Yes, it sounds easy on paper but the truth is that, of course, this insight makes more sense than anything else I can think of! This should be on all of our bookshelves!

    8 out of 9 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted February 8, 2013

    Wonderful & Helpful!

    An excellent and practical treatment of a ususally unspoken element in understanding/treating depression. I have read many books on getting to the root of personal depression issues and this one cuts to the chase with clarity and a refreshing sense of humor. I feel very inspired by the information and instruction in this book and by the author herself. Her description of her personal process with shame/imperfection really touched a chord within me and I am looking anew at my own journey towards a healthier outlook on life.

    3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 3, 2012

    Highly recommended

    This book brings forth a simple, but very important concept of accepting our own self. What makes the book so great is that it is easy to read and relate to because it comes with Brene Brown's personal experiences and not a lot of analytical mumbo jumbo.

    3 out of 5 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 22, 2012

    Decent

    I was disappointed. Book see,ed dull at points and obvious most of the time. I gave it three stars because it is nice to be reminded that we need to take a breathe and cherish our differences.

    3 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted September 10, 2011

    more from this reviewer

    Irony

    Have not finished the book yet, but so far I like what the author has to say. The irony is that this ebook has some technical difficulties that have prevented me from finishing it. I'm not seeing the gift of this particular imperfection.

    3 out of 7 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 19, 2013

    Good

    Realy teaches you that nobodys perfect and you dont have to be and you should take pride in your inperfections once in a while. I would recomend this to a friend

    2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted January 31, 2011

    So thankful for this book!

    Such an easy yet compelling read.

    2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted June 7, 2013

    Highly Recommended for all you perfectionists out there!

    I highly recommend this book. This book has helped me to relax and enjoy life instead of worrying all the time about being perfect. It's high expectations of ourselves that lead to stress/anxiety and this book helps open your eyes to realize you can be who you are and no one is going to care that you aren't perfect. I will probably end up reading this book again in a few months. It has really changed my perspective on things.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted May 10, 2013

    A book definitely worth owning!

    No matter who you are, you should be able to find something in this book to help you with living your life.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted April 26, 2013

    more from this reviewer

    If you're ready to let go this is the book for you

    This is one of the best "self help" books I've read so far. Teaching me how to let go of preconceived notions of what others have of me and so many other things.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 13, 2013

    Highly Recommend - a true must-read!

    even if you only have time to read the table of contents, your life will be changed! I encourage you to read it cover to cover. Breathe. And then read it again. Thanks, Brene!!!

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted March 29, 2013

    I Also Recommend:

    Outside Looking In: A Collection of Mixed Emotions

    The concept of this book is teaching people how to have self wor

    The concept of this book is teaching people how to have self worth, and how to nurture and develop it. The author definitely knows what she is doing and would like to see more from this concept and would be interested to check out some other topics as well.

    0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted March 4, 2012

    So valuable

    So valuable...to understand and insider the implications personally, and in the larger context of our society.

    0 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted October 1, 2011

    Awesome Authentic Read!

    If you ever really wonder what makes people truly authentic, you won't have to wonder anymore after reading Brene's book. She so completely, deliately and tranparently shares how authemtically we can find ourselves i f we dig deeply within this complex self called our soul.

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted January 20, 2011

    I feel I am enough

    Awesome book which I am suggesting to others to read! Thanks for the insight!

    0 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

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  • Posted December 1, 2010

    Are you enough? The answer is a definite yes.

    At a time when we are asked to be so many things to so many people, this book has become a welcomed breath of fresh air to our need to be perfect. This is our January 2011 book of the month. We'd also recommend that you buy our December book of the month, "When God Stopped Keeping Score," an intimate look at the power of God and forgiveness. It will change your life and it is on sale now here on BN. Proceeds from the sale of each copy will go to support various women and children charities.

    0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted April 21, 2013

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted April 14, 2013

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted February 18, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted March 23, 2011

    No text was provided for this review.

See All Sort by: Showing 1 – 20 of 68 Customer Reviews
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