A Review: You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
It may sound cliché, but the self-help genre is one that you have to dip your toes into, instead of diving headfirst. Committing to reading a self-help book is not easy – especially when you think it’s all BS. The self-help literary journey is a marathon, not a sprint. I know, I know, sorry for all the metaphors – but it’s true!
Jen Sincero’s You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life could be considered the perfect starting point. This New York Bestseller is not your average self-help book in that you’ll be learning extremely valuable life lessons in between chuckles and some amazing chapter titles. (I mean, Chapter 12: Lead with your Crotch?! Come on!)
Sincero strategically divides the book into five “how’s” starting with how you got this way, followed by how to embrace your inner badass, how to tap into the motherlode, how to get over your BS already, and finishing off with our personal favorite, how to kick some ass! These are all very different realms, of course, ranging from self-love and spirituality to relationships and finances. Amazingly, Jen Sincero brings us full circle in every single chapter by telling us to love ourselves, fully and authentically.
One of our favorite chapters is about procrastination and perfection, or essentially what is stopping you from reaching your full potential? Is it self-doubt, the fear of failing, or both? Jen’s response is, “In order to kick ass you must first lift up your foot.” In other words, you have to start somewhere, so why not here and now?
One of the most common things that prevents us from reaching our full potential is…dun, dun, dun…money. This is a topic that self-help books tend to gloss over, even though financial stability is a huge part to living a lovable life. Jen conveniently breaks it down for us like this: Money is currency and currency is energy. We have to start by believing that we can have what we desire. Sincero advises, “In order to bring money joyfully into our lives, we have to understand that we’re having a relationship with it…we need to pay attention to it, want it, nurture it, respect it, cherish it, etc.”
Jen lays it all out on the table for you, with concise bulleted lists and numbered steps, all with one goal in mind: encouraging you, NO, convincing you to create a life that you love, NOW. The chapters are short, sweet, and bite-sized, which makes it an easy and entertaining read.
Through Sincero’s inspiring storytelling (with the occasional, perfectly-placed swear word), you will learn how to embrace your authentic self, accept the things you cannot change, and become, without a doubt, a serious badass.
If you’re more of a podcast person, we have one called Bibliotherapy, where we read self-help books and give you the therapist’s take! We’d love for you to give us a listen on Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen!