You are a Badass

This book isn’t just a must-read, it’s a must-re-read.  I had been curious about it for some time, and moved it up my list when a friend bought a copy.  LOVE!  The only chapter that wasn’t a 10 for me was the first chapter, so if you pick it up and you’re not sure, flip through it at random.  You’re bound to see at least some of what I did – there has never been a book I marked in so many places, not since my college Latin textbook anyway.  Let me share some tantalizing tidbits:

“be out of struggle”
            
“You are responsible for what you say and do.  You are not responsible for whether or not people freak out about it.”
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“...before you know it, you’ll be able to ditch your hero and start asking yourself, What would I do?”

What would I do?  Hahahahaha!!!  What would I do?

“I just wanna see what I can get away with.”

“On the other side of your fear is your freedom.”

There were more, lots more, many of which include the F word, and one of which I’m making into a wallpaper for my phone.

There are some interesting things going on here.  Jen Sincero relates an anecdote in which she has an epiphany in pigeon pose.  So did I!  I’ve been in dozens of yoga poses, but I can’t claim that any of the others brought me a specific moment of insight.  (If you’re wondering, my pigeon pose moment was realizing that my visceral fat was an actual, physical obstacle in my life).  There is another brief interlude in which she explains that quitting smoking is easier than smoking, because you no longer have to buy cigarettes, look for an ashtray, etc.  I was never a smoker, but the same dynamic is true of my former vice, drinking soda.  It is easier not to cater to the whims of an addiction every day, and it frees up a lot of money for other things.  I dedicated my soda money to funding a student in Zambia, which made it much easier to continue not indulging.  I can look at her picture and think about how wrong it would be to pick her pocket for my petty vice.  Whatever works.  That’s really what this book is about: telling yourself highly personal stories to get yourself to start or stop doing things.

This book makes me want to talk to someone about it.  It makes me want to buy copies for friends, although I never do that because I’ve learned that book-pushing is a negative habit for me.  Instead, I can review it and hope that some of my excitement is infectious.  Then, I can post this review and rush off to DO THE THING that You are a Badass has inspired me to do.

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