I had the most miserable ride into work today.

No, it was not the traffic or the weather or the fact that my car still smelled like puppy after our weekend road trip.

I had to pee.

I know that this is a strange way to begin a blog entry, but I speak the truth. And I blame my discomfort on Rachel Hollis.

My husband bought me a Kindle for Christmas and adoption was slow: I was very reluctant to give up on paperbacks and hardcovers, my most treasured possessions. I adored the smells, the weight of stacked pages in my hands, the feeling of accomplishment associated with chapters shifting to the left side of my grip. But an impromptu afternoon at the auto shop made me eager for an “instant gratification” easy read; I grabbed the Kindle in my tote, turned on my hotspot and downloaded my first electronic novel. The newly released “Girl, Stop Apologizing” account by Rachel Hollis was my pick, and I am so glad I got to test drive my new tech tool with her. Kindle allows the reader to highlight key passages at will and I must say that there is a lot of yellow in my book.

I read “Girl, Wash Your Face” last September and became an immediate member of Rachel’s tribe. She was so open in her book, so transparent and relatable, that her insights really helped me uncover a lot of truths about myself. I was so excited, then, to purchase “Girl, Stop Apologizing” and undergo another complimentary, hearty dose of therapy.

This book primarily focused on unlocking true potential, chasing after dreams, and up front, Rachel was honest with her intentions, saying that, “I am not an expert. What I am is your friend Rachel, and I want to tell you what worked for me.” –“Girl, Stop Apologizing,” Page 22

She introduced each chapter with excuses that we hold on to, that dissuade us from “showing up” for greatness. There were so many inspiring paragraphs- yes, paragraphs- that I couldn’t help but highlight.

“You are a being with your own hopes and desires and goals and dreams. Some are little tiny ones (“I want to write poetry”) and some are massive (“I want to create a million dollar company”), but all of them are yours and they are valuable simply because you are valuable. You are allowed to want more for yourself for no other reason than because it makes your heart happy. You don’t need permission, and you shouldn’t have to rely on anyone’s support as the catalyst to get you there.” –“Girl, Stop Apologizing,” Page 19

“If I could tell you anything, if I could convince you to believe it, it’s that you were made for more. You were made to have the dreams you’re afraid of having. You were made to do the things you don’t think you’re qualified for. You were made to be a leader. You were made to contribute. You were made to make changes for good, both in your community and the world at large. You were made to be more than you are today and- this is the important part- your version of more might not look like my more, or hers.” -Girl, Stop Apologizing,” Page 20

What a pep talk! What a mantra!

After having honest conversations about the excuses we make- not having the time (guilty), being terrified of failure, not being goal-oriented, etc. Rachel talked about the habits she adopted to set herself up for success and how she acquired the skills necessary to make her dreams a reality. They were surprisingly transferable and easy to implement.

So easy, that I immediately started to adopt Rachel’s “Five To Thrive” elements to success which included the sub-action, “Get Healthy” with the assignment of drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water each day.

I didn’t take my traffic- filled two-hour commute into consideration when jumping on the bandwagon, and even though her advice led to a painful, near catastrophic day one, I am still a huge “Girl, Stop Apologizing” fan and highly encourage you to dive into this read. It is, without a doubt, my favorite book so far this year.

FINAL SCORE: 4.3 I liked this book even better than Rachel’s last, as it better catered to the season that I am currently in. She will be a mainstay on my bookshelf though- or in this case, on my Kindle- aside from her thoughtful insights, she is a very talented writer and a really stellar mix of both head and heart. New goal: To one day do coffee with Rachel Hollis.

BEST FOR: Women. You know what? I won’t even generalize. This book is good for anyone who has a dream, has ever asked the question, “What If…” This book lights a fire under the rear, and expertly so.

NOT GOOD FOR: Unwavering Pessimists.

IF THIS BOOK/ AUTHOR WAS A HIGH SCHOOL STEREOTYPE: The Valedictorian, Empowering & Sharing Wisdom With Utmost Confidence.

**Want to see what I’m reading next? Find me on GoodReads and join the 2019 challenge with me! https://www.goodreads.com/addingpunctuation**