Wholeness Healing Center

A Book Review: You Are A Badass

A client recently recommended the Jen Sincero book, You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life. I read the book and have to say that it was a very good read, with some “gems” that are worth mentioning. The book is broken down in five parts: Part I: How you got this way; Part 2: How to embrace your inner badass; Part 3: How to tap into the motherlode; Part 4: How to get over your BS already; and Part 5: How to kick some ass. Yes, the language is somewhat crude at times, but the writing is simple and direct, and it is a gentle guide into making some changes in one’s life.

The first shift recommended is, “You need to go from wanting to change your life to deciding to change your life” (Sincero, p. 12) which is the beginning of wanting to accept the challenge. One of the major difficulties, according to Sincero, is our subconscious. “Our conscious mind thinks it’s in control, but it isn’t. Our subconscious mind doesn’t think about anything, but is in control”. (Sincero, P. 23) Sincero continues to explain how the conscious mind, continuing our patterns, keeps us locked in to self-doubt, limiting beliefs, and blocking ourselves from the life we’d “love to live”.

The book guides one into paying attention to his/her language, the energy put out into the Universe, along with gratitude and shifting into appreciation. The book touches on self-love, letting go of comparisons, staying in one’s integrity, as well as how to strengthen the trust in your intuition. The book discusses the impact of meditation, chanting, setting positive forward intentions, making vision boards, and surrounding yourself with positive people. The book suggests practicing to stay in the present, getting out of our heads, and of course, breathing.

The book discusses the practice of giving, as well as forgiving, and how that impacts movement forward. “Forgiveness is all about taking care of you, not the person
you need to forgive.” (Sincero, p. 122) Forgiveness lets the one holding the negative feelings move into freedom, taking personal power and letting the anger and resentment go. Forgiveness also applies to self-forgiveness, accepting that we are perfect the way we are.

The back cover blurb calls this a “self help book for people who desperately want to improve their lives but don’t want to get busted doing it” and that is a good summarization of the book. It is a pretty quick read, with resources listed and quite a few quotations from philosophers and sages, further reinforcing the strength of the suggestions. Most of what she writes has been said before, but the direct way she presents it may reach a newer audience, or may be said in such a way as to be heard in clearer receptions.

A good read. As recommended to me, I pass that recommendation along.

Works Cited:
Sincenro, Jen. (2013) You are a badass: how to stop doubting your greatness and start living an awesome life. Running Press, Phildelphia, PA.