Book recommendation/opinion: "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brené Brown

For me, Brené Brown's The Gifts of Imperfection was an introduction to the concept of 'wholehearted living'. It highlights the importance of, and the liberation that comes with, operating from a place of worthiness in order to fully engage in our lives.

One of the first words that comes to mind when thinking about the book is 'relatable'. Brown addresses a significant obstacle created by societal expectations. The obstacle being the, sometimes subconscious, connection we make between our productivity levels and our self-worth. How many of you feel an underlying, sudden, twinge of guilty when resting or engaging in activities that would be regarded as 'play' as opposed to 'work'?

Brown also explores various definitions, such as the definition of love, belonging, spirituality, happiness, joy and perfectionism. Often, these moments in the book will begin to deconstruct any preconceived notions you may have had relating to these words.

The importance of this information lies beyond having an 'awareness' of it, we must practice it in order to implement the changes while also having patience and recognising that real change is not necessarily immediate.

While Brown does not fully accept the label of 'self-help book' on behalf of The Gifts of Imperfection, she offers each reader an invitation to begin to delve deeper into themselves and the empowering practices mentioned in the book. Courage, compassion and connection are essentially stated as the gifts of embracing your imperfections.

She also mentions various works written by others who have helped inform the research and findings that she presents to readers.