I recently read the memoir Untamed by Glennon Doyle. This was the first book of hers that I had read, and I highly recommend it. She has a direct, descriptive writing style and shares the way she has tackled her life's challenges. Glennon talks openly about her past struggles with addiction and eating disorders in an attempt to numb herself. She also covers parenting, divorce, and relationship issues, all with a message of hope and love.
She poses these questions: How did she lose herself? What put her on that path? How did her spark go out? On reflecting over her life, she realized that she had put herself in a small, constricted space with boundaries placed there by society—how to look, how to act, how to feel, how to be perfect. She then talks about the process of moving forward. She did not have to stay in that small restrictive space; the door was unlocked the whole time. As the reader, you get to go along with her on the journey, ask yourself the same questions, and discover the tools that she uses to balance her life.
A couple of ideas really stood out to me. The first is how people talk to themselves using the words "good," "should," "right," and "wrong," and the weight that such words carry by adding to guilt or shame. (A good mother would do this; I should be happy). She instead recommends using the language of imagination: a visualization of what the best version would be and then using that as a guide to reflect what you want. (I want my children to feel loved; I feel happy taking time for myself). The next idea is to give yourself permission to live how you want and trust in yourself. Lastly, she wrote, “You don’t want to live your life without living your life." This really spoke to me about my own path.
I hope you enjoy the book, and after reading it you will want to be a cheetah too!