July’s Book Review

Jen Hatmaker’s Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire does not disappoint!

I’ll be real, I kept hearing about how wonderful this Jen Hatmaker person is. I was a bit skeptical in selecting her book for the month of July, but with so much hype, why not read it and form my own opinion.

This book is about being brave and honestly yourself and claiming your own gifts, quirks, and emotions. In this book, Jen breaks it down into five self-reflective categories–who I am, what I need, what I want, what I believe, and how I connect.

Self-reflection is good, but also can be confusing and laughable. For example, while reading the first chapter where Jen discusses extravert and introvert, I took a quiz. Yes, because I genuinely didn’t know which one I was. Results came in saying that I am an ambivert. I didn’t even know that was an option, hello wierdo, you are a mix of both…. what? ok.

I took the Enneagram and was told that I should select whether I am a 2 -helper or a 3- achiever…. Um… can we just put them together and make up a number! Regardless, it was a fun chapter that caused me to do some exploration and come to grips with how unique each of us truly is.

Some things that I took away from this book that I plan to incorporate in my life are: Stop apologizing, Speak the Truth, and Say Yes to what fires you up and a clear no to what doesn’t.

I enjoyed her answer to the question “What do you believe?” and I wanted to have an answer to that question for myself, written down.

So I did just that. Here is What I believe:

1. I am a helper and achiever, who values kindness and contribution/impact but also loves the approval of others.
2. I take up a small amount of space if you don’t know know me, but once we’ve been acquainted you can get ready to be entertained.
3. I am still growing to accept and love my body and I eat like a 15 year old boy because food gives me so much Joy!
4. I deserve goodness, kindness, and respect.
5. I struggle to ask others for help, but am learning that it takes a village, especially with kids.
6. I am connected and love my friends and family deeply as they are a source of motivation for me.
7. My dream is bringing pure delight into the lives of others around me.
8. I am striving to give a full yes to what fires me up and say no clearly when I need to. I will stop apologizing for being me.
9. I believe in God the creator and Jesus as my source of salvation and I believe that we are to love one another always.
10. I am a provider and a connector. I take care of my children, my friends, my associates, and I seek to connect pieces of a puzzle for greater good.
11. I am too indirect with people who I really care what they think.
12. When I overachieve at one aspect, work, family, personal, I get out of balance and I am left feeling incredibly guilty.

That is truth, and I am hope that you all speak yours.

Pros of this book: An amazing book of self discovery that I recommend to anyone. A pleasure to read and a help for anyone wanting to be genuine and honest with themselves

Cons of the book: Honestly, I don’t have any cons. Awesome book, well written, worth the investment, and great takeaways.

I am excited to hear your takeaways. Put your rating on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the most amazing book ever) and any key takeaways you had in the comments! Here in the link to purchase for anyone who wants to read it!

Ashley’s Overall Rating: 10 out of 10