Book Review: You're Already Amazing by Holley Gerth

Are you all familiar with the website incourage.me? If not, drop what you're doing and go there right now (really, I promise it's worth it).

If you are familiar with Incourage, you may also be familiar with one of its co-founders, Holley Gerth. Holley is a writer, licensed counselor, speaker, and much more...and she has a new book out right now called You're Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You to Be.

If you're anything like me, you may have looked at that title and thought 'I know. I'm amazing, and I love myself (most days), and yada yada.' But do we really? I'm not so sure.

On page 16, Holley writes, "You're not only amazing. You're enough. You're beautiful. You're wanted. You're chosen. You're called. You've got what it takes...not just to survive but to change the world." Inexplicably, with a toddler under foot, dinner half cooked, and the dishwasher half unloaded, I sat down at the table, and teared up. I don't think of myself as an over-emotional person, but after a day where it felt like the triumph of all triumphs to have even taken a shower (please tell me you have those days too!), those words were balm to a soul that was at that moment feeling a little weary.

You guys, there's so much here. So much. You're Already Amazing isn't just a book, it's also interactive with many 5 or 10 minute exercises that allow us to each delve a little bit deeper (as well as an additional section at the back of the book with more reflective exercises), identifying not only why we may tend to feel less than amazing, but also to begin to identify our own unique spiritual gifts that will allow us to do the work that makes us feel fulfilled in God's purpose. And also about the self care that needs to take place in order for us to do that work.

As women, we often sabotage ourselves with false guilt. We tell ourselves that being married is a privilege, having children is a joy, going to work each day is a blessing--so we just need to suck it up and stop being tired all the time...how you feel is legitimate. What takes away from your emotional energy isn't bad or good. It's neutral. It's just reality. It usually doesn't say anything about what kind of person you are, how much you love the people in your life, or how much faith you have. It's just part of the way you're made. ~Excerpt from You're Already Amazing

I'll be totally honest--Holley is clearly more of an emotional personality while I'm definitely more of a logic-based personality. Sometimes thinking in a more emotional way was a bit of a stretch for me...and while sometimes it toed the line of being a little more puppies and rainbows than I'm used to or prefer...it was worth it. It was worth the step outside my own comfort zone or preferences to work some of these hard issues that I think a lot of us deal with.

As I read, I kept thinking that this would be a perfect book for a Bible Study or book club. And lucky for you (and me!), You're Already Amazing has been selected as the next Bloom Book Club book, beginning March 26th!

Overall? Read it.

Disclosure Statement: I received this book for free from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group in exchange for my review. I was not compensated for the review itself. As always, all opinions expressed are my own--I don't think I could lie about a book even if I wanted to.