Category Books , Personal development , Reviews

  Today it's the turn of a book I read during the holidays, as it’s a light read, written in a fluent language but full of important concepts. The author is Jen Sincero: a successful American writer, speaker, and coach (her father, as you might guess from her last name, is Italian).   As the back cover says: "You Are a Badass is a self-help book for people who want to improve their lives with all their might, without guilt and without stressing out."   The author indeed presents many concepts that may seem like obvious truths, but I think it's helpful to see them emphasized in black and white. “You know many of these obvious things I’m talking about, you’ve heard or thought them a million times, but when you finally ‘get them,’ they suddenly become shocking new insights. An epiphany is a deep understanding of something you already know.”   When you finally come face to face with these obvious truths, you can't help but think that, clearly, until that moment, you haven’t truly done everything possible to overcome difficulties and live exactly the kind of life you want. Jen, in this text, tries to provide you with the tools you need to decide exactly what your goals are and not let difficulties bring you down. “If you’re not where you want to be in life, don’t stop.”   She specifically addresses concepts like “The Big Sleep” and “The Universe.” “The Big Sleep” is nothing more than our Ego, the main cause of our problems, as it prevents us from realizing how strong we are or how much abundance there is in the Universe. To awaken from The Big Sleep, it’s necessary to overcome our limiting beliefs, go beyond fear, and not stop in the face of difficulties. “Growing is hard and painful, but not as much as living the way you’ve been living so far. If you want to take control of your life and transform it the way the people I’ve just talked about did, don’t stop at anything. Trust that your new life is already here, and it’s better than the old one. Stay calm if The Big Sleep gets angry. Whatever happens, hold on, because there’s nothing better than watching your reality transform into the perfect expression of you.”   Jen uses the term "Universe" to refer to a Primary Energy that surrounds us and is within each of us, vibrating at a certain frequency. Drawing on concepts like the Law of Attraction, she essentially argues that by focusing on what makes you feel good, you will attract what makes you feel good because every vibration attracts a similar vibration. The only way to overcome the fear that awakens The Big Sleep is to have faith in the strength of the Universe, continue working on yourself, and wait for what you desire to spontaneously manifest. “You’re stepping into a new reality; its job isn’t to know how, but to ask for what you want and wait to discover how to do it, and then act. When unexpected money, a new job, or a big client arrives depends only on the Universe.”   Meditation is one of the best tools for gaining awareness and increasing your frequency. The author briefly talks about it, explaining how difficult it is to sit still and think of nothing, offering some helpful tips on how to approach this practice: “There is no right or wrong way to do it, no set duration, and no rules on how you should sit or where you should be. The only thing that matters is that you do it if you want to improve your life. It’s like drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly, or not speaking ill of others: you’re not obligated to do it, and the temptation to quit is strong, but if it becomes a habit, you’ll start to crave it, and your life will change.”   Personally, I think these are useful insights. I myself am approaching this practice, and I find that her approach—energetic and straightforward—is perfect for those who fear they won’t achieve results with meditation. Other ways to maintain a higher frequency include being grateful (even for what we believe the Universe will give us at the right time) and being generous with others, as those who give and believe they live in an abundant Universe are more predisposed to receive something in return. She also criticizes various mental patterns we often fall victim to: one of them is the idea of never having enough time to take care of everything that, step by step, could lead us to our ideal life. “When we are forced to act, suddenly there’s time. This means that time is always there, but we’ve decided to limit ourselves by believing it isn’t. (…) As soon as you realize that time, like the rest of your reality, is only in your mind, you can make it work for you instead of being a slave to it.” “If you’re constantly late, skipping appointments, or unreliable, you’re not sending the Universe (or others, or yourself) the message that you value this precious time you so eagerly desire.”   I am absolutely convinced that time is, first and foremost, elastic and that if we are truly determined to achieve a result, we can always find time to make progress. The author reiterates several times that any result, no matter how ambitious, can be achieved if we are highly motivated and ready to challenge ourselves every day of our lives. “If there’s something you truly want, I’m not saying you should lie to get it, but you’re probably lying to yourself if you’re not trying to get it.” “If you have a strong desire to be poolside with the President of the United States, think about the things you would do in that situation with the leader of the world. (…) Live, eat, sleep, and breathe in your vision. It will seem crazy, but you won’t be when you’re playing cards with the president.” “It’s not the lack of experience holding you back, but the lack of determination.”   To conclude some chapters, Jen reinforces the importance of self-love with a powerful statement. According to her, ultimately, it's all about recognizing ourselves as badasses, loving ourselves, and stopping the time-wasting mental constructions that hold us back. “You are a badass. You were one when you came screaming onto this Planet, and you are one now. Otherwise, the Universe wouldn’t have bothered with you. You can’t mess up so badly that you stop being a badass. It’s what you are, and always will be. No debate.”   In summary, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to approach the world of personal development in a soft way, as it presents many basic concepts in a simple and immediate manner. It's also recommended for those, like me, who are trying to get their business off the ground and need to create a solid foundation, set goals, and improve their relationship with money. This delicate topic is also extensively covered, with the author encouraging readers to view money not as something dirty, but as energy that is exchanged. She urges readers to be grateful for the wealth they have and the wealth that is yet to come, and to be convinced they deserve success. “For all our lives, we’ve been taught that we have to work to earn, but what they didn’t tell us is that we must align our energy with the wealth we seek. Act as if you’re already where you want to be, don’t hang around people who complain about being broke, erase the words ‘I can’t’ from your vocabulary, visualize what you want, set goals, demand from yourself to become who you need to be to create the life of your dreams.”   You just have to give this book a chance! Below is a little preview of my upcoming reads, and what are you reading?   See you soon!   N.G.