I read Glennon Doyle’s ‘Untamed’ a while back (how long ago does the start of lockdown seem when ‘Tiger King’ was the big show?) and am re – reading it now. This book gives me energy and motivation!
As a person who’s always been one of her own worst critics and, having dealt with the unspoken torture of feeling ‘contained’ in the world, I really relate. Had been on the Glennon train since I watched her Ted Talk years ago anyway...
Untamed’s stories or vignettes are representative of something greater, I love a metaphor and, for anyone not on board, she’s a frickin’ force of nature!
Have had a long day today, with a very chatty electrician doing some work and turning the power on and off, but mostly off. I have also already interrupted myself to look up the history of the word 'fricking', and it’s variations, so I will make this brief.
Awesome one liners like ‘5 kinds of cream cheese makes a kid an ass-hole’ make me giggle, but the concept of the book, as well as it being funny, is more profound!
It’s about not making yourself small to fit a societal ‘norm’ (constructed in the hope of shushing us down) and being your true, whole self. The idea of ‘this is how I’m supposed to be’. Your wants versus other people’s perceived expectations – but they are people too!
For me, it resonated because, for years, I covered up, denied, then ignored my pain – I ‘muddled along’ to keep everyone happy.. except me. Sometimes the internal ‘arrrgghhh, I’m not happy’ came out, to then be suppressed again. And I’m a talker – it’s hard to suppress me.
I know the urge or feeling she talks about. Glennon says ‘Like how I never feel safe on a balcony (not literal) because: what if I jump?’ You are on the cusp of something (not balcony – related) but shut it down.
I am trying to move forward and ‘Untamed’ is a good, extra push towards doing that.
Image credit: Canva
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