You Need This Book – Love Warrior

“No woman on earth doesn’t give a fuck—no woman is that cool—she’s just hidden her fire. Likely, it’s burning her up.” – Glennon Doyle, Love Warrior

Ok. Ok. So when I first mentioned my few weeks of life changing events I said it was a combination of things.  One was Jury Duty but the other was a book.  Somehow, the stars aligned in a way that helped me read Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton during my week of Jury Duty.  fyi – There is plenty of opportunity to read while on Jury Duty, it feels like you’re constantly sitting in the small Jury Room waiting for the courtroom to be ready.  I was easily able to finish reading Love Warrior… and wow.

I first heard of Glennon Doyle on Chelsea! about a year ago. Since then, I’ve been wanting to read her book, but procrastinated.  I picked it up, and even read a page or 2 several different times, but always ended up putting it down.  At first glance, the book seemed too emotional & strong (if that makes sense) which scared me away from it.  Emotionally deep books (and movies) gets my anxiety on it’s tip toes so I tend to avoid them.  However, Love Warrior was the only book I packed in my purse for Jury Duty, leaving me no choice but to get through it.

Lucky for me, because this book changed me in a similar way Jury Duty did.

Let me explain.  I recently had a truce with my anxiety, where I looked it in the eye with a smile & shifted my mind to start using it as a tool.  (Also on Chelsea!), a woman being interviewed asked Chelsea to name 3 qualities she likes about herself, and they couldn’t be physical.   I listened, laughed and fell asleep.  In the morning, I was driving to work & thought about that same question.  3 qualities I like about myself, and they can’t be physical.  One of the answers that kept creeping in my mind was – anxiety.  Wtf.  I thought anxiety was something I hated.  But, I started feeling like Batman’s bestie.  Powerful, relieved, and excited.  I told myself, anxiety is a superpower.  A freaking superpower!  Because of anxiety, I’m uber aware of feelings & emotions.  They’re loud, and they’re always there for me to hear. And if I can control them a little, they can be a badass superpower.  And that’s exactly what I’m going to make them.

I can’t tell you how good I felt to finally choose to have anxiety on my side, rather than against me.  I went around saying that to people.  Like, I was excited.  I can get WAY more into my journey with anxiety in probably a 11,298 series post, but this moment was a mountainous achievement.  I wanted to cure myself for so long & get ride of that asshole anxiety, but finally accepted it.  As a superpower.

I’m telling you this because…  the story of how Glennon Doyle came up with Warrior was almost the same way I came up with anxiety as a superpower.  I was nodding my head, flipping the pages as fast as I could the entire way through Love Warrior, in total shock someone else had a mind so similar to mine.  When I got towards the end & heard her story about being a warrior – I nearly died.  Yes!  She felt lost for so long, up and down, back and fourth and finally accepted her thoughts, emotions, and feelings and found herself being a “Warrior”. Hense her book – Love Warrior.

My mouth literally dropped at the end.  Yes!

Love Warrior is a book full of compassion, and believing what you’re feeling.  And figuring things out. And not being perfect!  I have to go back & tab off tons of pages full of awesome reminder quotes.

I do not do this book any justice in a small blog post so do yourself a wonderful favor & read the book! Nothing has connected with me more & could better describe what’s always happening in my head.  The entire time I was reading I understood. I was nodding.  Wanting to cry.  Feeling together with her. Like someone else is out there, like me.

This book changed me, in an awesome way.  And I hope it connects with you too!

Have a happy Monday & be thoughtful

Xx