Book Review: You Are a Bad Ass

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am not sure whether Stephen R. Covey would have appreciated the title of this book, but I am confident he would have approved the content. Covey, like most of my favorite authors, writes philosophy in a way that is modern but still fairly conservative and didactic. This book is what happens when a member of the Millennial Generation runs up on the rocks of life, seeks internally and externally for answers, does a bunch of reading, runs it all through a sieve, and writes up what comes out the other end. The content isn't new, but the take is fresh, the presentation is enjoyable, and the result is just as helpful. It's like a good cover of a classic, the Ataris meet Don Henley. The original is good, but if you are open to it, the remix is, too.

The basics are these:
--For good or ill, our brains are hardwired by both birth and experience in such a way that we may not even remember why it is that we believe what we believe. As grownups, it is our responsibility to have a look at the subconscious beliefs that do not serve us and root them out of there. Be gone with the "you aren't good enough" messages of our youth.
--A higher power exists. All things are possible when we tap in vibrationally.
--Loving ourselves unconditionally is not optional. It's the fuel for all things good.
--Brain health matters. Meditate. Eat right. Jettison the negative thoughts. Get enough sleep.
--Spend time developing a vision for your life and keep it top of mind.
--Live in gratitude. Forgive those who trespass against you. Lighten up. Get over yourself.
--When you truly believe in something, you can make it happen. Need money? Determine how much and by when. Once you are clear, the manifesting can begin. But you have to believe.
--If you want to get unstuck, decide to get unstuck. Make a plan, take action, give up on the idea of perfection, move forward. Revise, repeat. It'll happen.

I'd love to facilitate a meeting with Covey, Sincero, Wayne Dyer, Don Miguel Ruiz, Sheryl Sandberg, and Daniel Amen, just to see how long it would take them to realize they agree with each other despite their different approaches to the same fundamentals. Sincero's program for building IQ, PQ, EQ and SQ would make Covey proud. Her prescriptions for manifesting a great life are the stuff of a Wayne Dyer PBS special. Any young woman who rejects what others tell her about herself (a la Ruiz, or for that matter, Jane Eyre) can join Sandberg in the C-Suite whenever she wants. Nothing here is going to change my life, but I would highly recommend the book to anyone who struggles to get through a whole volume of the traditional stuff. You'll laugh, think, question yourself, grow a little, and laugh again. Nothing better.

It took four pages to summarize this one, but there's an important lesson in each chapter. Download it free here.






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