I have been following Glennon Doyle for over a decade. She was one of the OG bloggers, that happened to be a mom, back in the early days of the trade.
<Side note, please stop calling any of us Mommy Bloggers eye roll emoji>
Her writing style immediately captivated me. But, listening to how she connects the dots and brings an idea to life with her words, enthralled me. How can I be like her when I grow up?
She’s written a slew of bestsellers including:
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Untamed is a life guide on how to live a braver life. This book is a lot more than inspiring. It’s life changing. Untamed is what helped me find my own chutzpah to get this blog launched!
What has always inspired me about Glennon’s approach is her authenticity.
This woman let’s it all hang out. The good, the bad, the ugly – the RAW. She’s open about her struggles with addiction and mental health. Her divorce. Her romance with her now wife. Her spiritual shift.
And, I crave it.
I crave the depth.
The big ideas.
The inspiration to think differently and embrace life more fully.
I was stopped in my tracks by this quote:
We do not need more selfless women. What we need right now is more women who have detoxed themselves to completely from the world’s expectations that are full of nothing but themselves.
What we need are women who are full of themselves. A woman who is full of herself knows and trusts herself enough to say and do what must be done. She lets the rest burn.
It’s bold.
It’s audacious.
Women SHOULD choose themselves first? WHAT?
This was a fundamental shift for me. I have easily fell into the role of the “easy-going” friend. The “up for anything” gal. The one you can push, and push, and push before she breaks (in public eye). My identity had been wrapped around these attributes. I was proud of this.
And then, this book shook that.
I shouldn’t be proud of being so exceptionally accommodating so that at times, its at odds with what I want/need.
The fact that was a badge of honor for me, is honestly humiliating now that I get a chance to see it in the mirror.
I know I deserve more than that. I deserve to say what I want/need.
My role isn’t the glue (though old friends have claimed this over me over and over).
My role is what I want it to be.
And in friendships, I want to be loved generously. I want to be seen and most of all I want to be heard.
You aren’t a close friend of mine if you never ask how I am. And stop and actively listen. Ask questions. And invest.
And, the truth? That’s what I want to give right back to you. An active listener. The friend that invests heavily in learning what makes you tick so that I can support the shit out of you. I love being my friend’s biggest cheerleader & advocate.
That’s what friendship means to me.
So, Untamed taught me a lot. Mostly about myself. And what more beauty is there than learning how to be YOU. All of you. Always.
Thank you, Glennon. Forever indebted.
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