Product Description
The quest for perfection is exhausting and unrelenting. We spend too much precious time and energy managing perception and creating carefully edited versions of ourselves to show to the world. As hard as we try, we can?t seem to turn off the tapes that fill our heads with messages like, ?Never good enough!? and ?What will people think??
Why? What fuels this unattainable need to look like we always have it all together? At first glance we might think it?s because we admire perfection, but that?s not the case. We are actually the most attracted to people we consider to be authentic and down-to-earth. We love people who are ?real? ? we?re drawn to those who both embrace their imperfections and radiate self-acceptance.
There is a constant barrage of social expectations that teach us that being imperfect is synonymous with being inadequate. Everywhere we turn, there are messages that tell us who, what and how we?re supposed to be. So, we learn to hide our struggles and protect ourselves from shame, judgment, criticism and blame by seeking safety in pretending and perfection.
Based on seven years of ground-breaking research and hundreds of interviews, I Thought It Was Just Me shines a long-overdue light on an important truth: Our imperfections are what connect us to each other and to our humanity. Our vulnerabilities are not weaknesses; they are powerful reminders to keep our hearts and minds open to the reality that we?re all in this together.
Dr. Brown writes, ?We need our lives back. It?s time to reclaim the gifts of imperfection ? the courage to be real, the compassion we need to love ourselves and others, and the connection that gives true purpose and meaning to life. These are the gifts that bring love, laughter, gratitude, empathy and joy into our lives.?
Why? What fuels this unattainable need to look like we always have it all together? At first glance we might think it?s because we admire perfection, but that?s not the case. We are actually the most attracted to people we consider to be authentic and down-to-earth. We love people who are ?real? ? we?re drawn to those who both embrace their imperfections and radiate self-acceptance.
There is a constant barrage of social expectations that teach us that being imperfect is synonymous with being inadequate. Everywhere we turn, there are messages that tell us who, what and how we?re supposed to be. So, we learn to hide our struggles and protect ourselves from shame, judgment, criticism and blame by seeking safety in pretending and perfection.
Based on seven years of ground-breaking research and hundreds of interviews, I Thought It Was Just Me shines a long-overdue light on an important truth: Our imperfections are what connect us to each other and to our humanity. Our vulnerabilities are not weaknesses; they are powerful reminders to keep our hearts and minds open to the reality that we?re all in this together.
Dr. Brown writes, ?We need our lives back. It?s time to reclaim the gifts of imperfection ? the courage to be real, the compassion we need to love ourselves and others, and the connection that gives true purpose and meaning to life. These are the gifts that bring love, laughter, gratitude, empathy and joy into our lives.?
Synopsis
Shame manifests itself in many ways. Addiction, perfectionism, fear and blame are just a few of the outward signs that Dr. Brene Brown discovered in her 6-year study of shame's effects on women. While shame is generally thought of as an emotion sequestered in the shadows of our psyches, "I Thought it Was Just Me" demonstrates the ways in which it is actually present in the most mundane and visible aspects of our lives - from our mental and physical health and body image to our relationships with our partners, our kids, our friends, our money and our work.After talking to hundreds of women and therapists, Dr. Brown is able to illuminate the myriad shaming influences that dominate our culture and explain why we are all vulnerable to shame. We live in a culture that tells us we must reject our bodies, reject our authentic stories and, ultimately, reject our true selves in order to fit in and be accepted. Outlining an empowering new approach that dispels judgment and awakens us to the genuine acceptance of ourselves and others, "I Thought it Was Just Me" begins a crucial new dialogue of hope.Through potent personal narratives and examples from real women, Brown identifies and explains four key elements that allow women to transform their shame into courage, compassion and connection.
