Making the Journey from What Will People Think? to I Am Enough

This is a book for anyone who wonders why they have not or choose not to make changes and what gets in their way. Brene Brown backs up her beliefs with hands on research and a good dose of humility and humor. It is a self help book that reminds us we can't do it without support and connection. Great job Brene.

It was a really informative, educational and therapeutic book that addresses the life paralyzing feeling of shame. It really help normalize my experience and help me with learning ways to let go of shame.i I suggest reading if you have issues of shame in your life.

It became very boring, , I had enough of her examples, it was ok about Shame, but only read half the book, she put me to sleep. I have a book club, so that is the book of the month, so I already chose a new book for Feb,

This book gives a vocabulary to talk with our family and friends to create change. It also validates "the incorrect" assumption that we are alone in the feelings we suppress when we sense the complete garbage that is thrown out into society.

This book has so many 'stories' that I figure most anyone can identify with at least one, but I found the book depressing. It's more of a this is why book and has little to help one move on and better oneself. I kept expecting to find the part where it would help me and after reading chapter after chapter, there would be just one or two sentences of try this. It could be shortened for a much easier read and could use less, 'this is why i decided to write this book' in it.

I needed to read this book. It gave me insight into some of the identity issues I'm processing through right now and how shame has had a large influence on how I view myself. The information in this book has helped me better identify my motivations for responding in negative ways in certain situations....it is very much tied to shame. I'm grateful for the way she offers a process for dealing with it and developing shame resilience. I will probably reference this book a lot as I consider my own shaming experiences and think about how I can be more helpful as people are processing through their own.

After getting Daring Greatly in audio format, I had expected Brene Brown's voice again. However, it was another speaker. My bad - I did not read closely enough.

Do be careful to buy the right version - I purchased the CD MP3 version. Works great on the PC, but won't provide track-by-track listening on my aging CD car and boom box players. Will try to download to my phone next to get good audio controls.

Happy Listening!

Brene Brown's books and talks resonate with me. Brilliant, insightful and genuine - very much worth your time. Being a first time mom and feeling like I could never be good enough... It helped me immeasurably to know I'm not alone and I AM ENOUGH! This is my first audiobook, without having much time to sit and read, this format worked perfectly.

This book speaks right to the core of me. While Dr. Brown gives many examples and explanations, some concepts are still challenging for me to apply personally. I think this book can have a profound impact on my shame state and relationships. I just don't know if I have the courage or compassion to connect with others in the ways she suggests.
Dr. Brown is clearly an authority in the area of shame.
This book shows that it isn't just me but everyone, and yet shame is a deeply personal and private issue.

The thing about Brene Brown is that all her books are the same book with the same anecdotes and the same message retold over and over. It's downright thievery. I spent like $40 on the Brene Brown collection just to find myself reading the exact same book four times with minor differences that are barely worth mentioning. It's downright thievery. Bottom line, you only need to read one of her books to get the point, and I Thought It Was Just Me is the strongest and tightest out of all these... drafts.

Although Brene Brown is not going to be winning any awards for honesty or good character with her little publishing scam, this is one of the best self-help books I've ever read. It addresses feelings of shame, lack of confidence, impostor syndrome, and the way they are all connected, all in a manner that is concise and to the point, forcing you to acknowledge toxic shame so you can work on getting rid of it. The research may be entirely anecdotal by its nature but it does ring true. Brene Brown is also much less judgmental of the reader in this book compared to her others, although there are still a few moments where you'll want to swat her with the book for generically insulting people who feel or act in certain ways.

I picked off a star because for some reason the kindle version isn't accessible in the cloud reader and it's a pain to have to read it in the app on my tiny phone screen.

i have been going through major depression on and off for 7 years. i kept trying to just "get rid" of the symptoms. this last bout had me in my bed for months, not eating, not having a will to live. yes, very extreme.
i, all along, have had the strength to at least read and learn. i figured i'd die trying to heal and get to the bottom of this illness. this book came along at the perfect time for me. i had had a sneaking feeling that shame was a huge part of my problems, but didn't know how to deal with this, or what it actually meant, or how it was affecting my life, and my thinking.
Her book is a true gift; a treasure. not only is this book full of wisdom that warmed my heart, it's full of lots of hard work on her part to be as accurate as possible about something (shame) that seems so subtle and elusive. she nailed it! (her writing is style is very conversational, and easy to understand as well)
So much of this information sunk into my soul, and has healed me in many ways. On top of providing other's real and raw accounts of shame, and trying to be perfect.....yet remaining miserable, the author helps to build up our strength by showing us ways to not let shame take us down! that it's a learning process, but we really can change in small yet extremely significant ways. the thing is: if we don't know that it's shame.....we will stay stuck in our misery! this book is a key to unlock freedom to live our unique lives, because she calls it out....she speaks out!
i'm not saying i'm cured from my depression. but i will say that i am quite a few rungs up the ladder from the pit i was in. and this is largely due to the women speaking truth and reality in this book, and the author's candor.
i'm thankful for this author. that she had the desire and passion to study for over a decade about these issues. This, i believe, is going to be a huge movement in which we can learn, and then teach our children as well....
this book ,in my opinion, is like a missing puzzle piece for each person that reads. no one teaches us these things, yet they are the very things unfortunately, that drive us in our living! the information is invaluable. (it looks like she may be writing a book regarding men and shame too....looking forward to it!)

[I read the audiobook version on Audible]

I'm a dude. This book is not for dudes. In fact, I got to chapter three and then stopped. But then I said to myself, "Hey! I've got a wife! I also, like... have daughter. Maybe I can learn something..."

I did and it helped me immensely.

I've been battling job loss, depression, addiction issues. It's been wrapped up in low self confidence and self esteem. I thought it was just me describes a model for thinking about our own self-criticism. It teaches us that the difference between believing that we are a bad person and that we are just a people who, when faced with struggle, make decisions that are sometimes destructive. It teaches us that there is room for us to be human and fallible. We can fail and not be a failure.

As for being a person with a wiener and reading this book, I'll say that there is a big benefit in having to translate the experiences of women into the male context. 1) I had very little appreciation for the messages that get hammered into women. Reading this has made it much easier for me to gain the empathy required to develop richer and more meaningful relationships with women, generally. When I began to understand the consequences of the constant sexualization that we put on to women, it was harder to participate in that part of our culture. 2) Pausing the audio book to think about where the shame triggers are in my life, without having examples that were easy to latch on to, made me think harder about what the book was saying. I can't say for sure if this made the learning experience deeper or not, but feel like it did.

Finally, I'll say that this book changed the dialog in my head. Instead of simply knowing that I can't beat myself up and just stopping the dialog, this book gave me a replacement dialog. The new conversation includes an exploration into why I feel shame in certain situations and it gives me a path towards feeling compassion for myself, instead of self-hatred.

Any book that can do that is worth the read.

This book is a pathway to personal insight. I couldn't put it down. The information presented is rooted in research, but digestible and applicable to any reader. The author's personal stories make this book and the lessons we can all learn so raw and real. This book is already changing my life. Thank you so much, Dr. Brown!

I'm only a portion of the way through this book and already know I'll have to read everything Brene Brown has ever written. She has a way of finding the perfect perspective. I became interested in her work on the recommendation from a friend and also after watching her TED talk. I would definitely recommend.

Brene just knows how to speak to your heart. She tells it like it is and lets us know that we're not alone in this journey we call life. We don't have to be perfect just need to be ourselves and except ourselves for who we are. She's fabulous

I thought it would be more interesting and catching but I have struggled to get past chapter 3. I know shame is a huge part of why we blame ourselves and how important it is to understand it. I may have to keep on reading to see if there is something in the book I did not know.

Easy to read and a clear breakdown of the tangled mess that shame makes in our minds and hearts as women. Dr. Brown even begins to delve into the matter of shame regarding men and our children. This book was great, but as a mother of three boys- one with Asperger Syndrome and two more under age two- and wife to a white horse husband, I want a book on how to do this right with them. A point made in the book is that we help women and girls by raising our men and boys the right way.

I am really enjoying Brene's first book on shame. I actually read her second one first, and enjoyed it as well, but this one seems to be more densely packed with information, research, etc. If you want a lighter read, go for "The Gifts of Imperfection". If you want one with more substance, this is the one for you.

A wonderful book that will really make you think about how you process life's experiences. What you may think is just your interpretation of a situstion is actually a common feeling by others. It helped me feel more normal after reading it

I really didn't understand what shame was before this book. I now see it in my life and can work to change or move through it with grace. I did find the writing complicated at times and this required me to re-read several sentences or paragraphs. This coupled with processing my own emotions and experiences made it a "long" read.

Brene offers a great deal of insight from her research. As we interact with others, it's important to have an understanding of who we are and why we do the things we do. I thought It was Just Me provides some thought provoking material that helps you think about your emotional responses and how you can improve yourself. Definitely recommend this book for anyone in a helping related profession!

I liked this book very very much. I recommend it for women. It talks about shame and some other hard experiences we get through as women. I think every women should read it, whatever you're going through, you're not alone and this book shows you that. Really empowering because it shows you that we are all getting through some hard experiences at one moment and we don't need to be ashamed of it.

Brene chose to focus this book on women. I found her research to be extensive, grass roots, real and profoundly applicable to me. She touches on men in the concluding chapter but covers both genders in a more balanced manner in The gifts of imperfection. Her writing style in both books is warm, intimate and real. She has the courage to be honest, vulnerable, successful and personally connected to her exploration of shame.

I loved that it struck a chord within me to my worst shame of "appearance" I have body image problems. And I am beautiful, I get told all the time..I just couldn't get my mind to change. The worst was what I was telling myself when I looked in the mirror and how it was affecting the way I communicated everything to everyone. Not realizing I was trying to be a wife, work out, be a professional, care for my pets, care for my 17 yr old sister, cook the dinner, clean the house, do the grocery shopping, and help my husband with his college work, without a resentful attitude and a smile on my face. That that was "SHAME" And I made myself feel I was a bad wife, sister,home maker, professional when I got something wrong. NOT LOVING MYSELF AT ALL. It's a lot easier and kinder to admit that life is complicated and lessons are to be learned and people make mistakes all the time. And to bite my tongue (the hardest mission) LISTEN speak with compassion not my own filter on someone else situation. She just highlighted everything I needed to practice. And practice for my future children now so I don't shame them (as best I can) I love to help other women, I share this book with almost everyone woman I know who hints on a section. I desire more about the men's perspective but it seems simple enough and is very true. So me getting to be patient knowing my husband is processing his own shame and sneaking these lessons in so he doesn't think I'm analyzing him. Knowing were growing and changing all because I've at least begun righting my side of the ship. And he'll start doing the same and won't even know it. If I don't act the same he can't react the same. Life in progress. And this is One tool to help along the way.

I really didn't understand what shame was before this book. I now see it in my life and can work to change or move through it with grace. I did find the writing complicated at times and this required me to re-read several sentences or paragraphs. This coupled with processing my own emotions and experiences made it a "long" read.

Brene offers a great deal of insight from her research. As we interact with others, it's important to have an understanding of who we are and why we do the things we do. I thought It was Just Me provides some thought provoking material that helps you think about your emotional responses and how you can improve yourself. Definitely recommend this book for anyone in a helping related profession!

I liked this book very very much. I recommend it for women. It talks about shame and some other hard experiences we get through as women. I think every women should read it, whatever you're going through, you're not alone and this book shows you that. Really empowering because it shows you that we are all getting through some hard experiences at one moment and we don't need to be ashamed of it.

Brene chose to focus this book on women. I found her research to be extensive, grass roots, real and profoundly applicable to me. She touches on men in the concluding chapter but covers both genders in a more balanced manner in The gifts of imperfection. Her writing style in both books is warm, intimate and real. She has the courage to be honest, vulnerable, successful and personally connected to her exploration of shame.

I loved that it struck a chord within me to my worst shame of "appearance" I have body image problems. And I am beautiful, I get told all the time..I just couldn't get my mind to change. The worst was what I was telling myself when I looked in the mirror and how it was affecting the way I communicated everything to everyone. Not realizing I was trying to be a wife, work out, be a professional, care for my pets, care for my 17 yr old sister, cook the dinner, clean the house, do the grocery shopping, and help my husband with his college work, without a resentful attitude and a smile on my face. That that was "SHAME" And I made myself feel I was a bad wife, sister,home maker, professional when I got something wrong. NOT LOVING MYSELF AT ALL. It's a lot easier and kinder to admit that life is complicated and lessons are to be learned and people make mistakes all the time. And to bite my tongue (the hardest mission) LISTEN speak with compassion not my own filter on someone else situation. She just highlighted everything I needed to practice. And practice for my future children now so I don't shame them (as best I can) I love to help other women, I share this book with almost everyone woman I know who hints on a section. I desire more about the men's perspective but it seems simple enough and is very true. So me getting to be patient knowing my husband is processing his own shame and sneaking these lessons in so he doesn't think I'm analyzing him. Knowing were growing and changing all because I've at least begun righting my side of the ship. And he'll start doing the same and won't even know it. If I don't act the same he can't react the same. Life in progress. And this is One tool to help along the way.

I am going through lots of changes marriage spit up, selling of house and business, I have no home, no job and no partner so no anchors. Most of the time this is exciting but sometimes it is so scary it overwhelms me and when that happens I go back to reading this book or any of the others written by Brene and that it helps me to cope and feel positive again, thanks so much ?

Brene Brown is fab but you only need to buy the book she, herself, delivers (Daring Greatly, I think it's called). All others seem to copy that one almost word for word, with less dynamic narrators too.

This book and Dr. Brown's other book, the Gifts of Imperfection, have been tremendously helpful to me and I have shared them with all the other women in my life. She is the opposite of clinical and condescending, talks openly about her own life and struggles and triumphs, and makes her research and findings accessible and easy to incorporate into your life. Perfect for overachieving 20 somethings trying to adjust to the real world and middle aged moms trying to find balance alike. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't benefit from this not too heavy, not too long read. So many "ah-ha" moments throughout.

This book reveals how shame has been historically used in our education - both family and school - and that the price our generations pay might jeopardize the best of us. Author Brené Brown does a good job and you can do your own reflections on shame culture just by thinking about your own life.

Wow, I thought she was writing about me it made me see how easy it is to adopt the words of other people true or not, now I know who I am and am still working on the little things with the help of this book.

This is quite an eye opener. I actually bought this book because I'm a certified life coach and I like to know good books to recommend for different issues that may hold people back from their goals and give them a new perspective. Let me tell you, this book gave me a new perspective on my own life and I saw a lot of correlations. I realized that a lot of my experiences have had to do with shame and what shame truly is since I don't think I really understood what it was and how it affects a person. Now I truly do. Just don't be surprised if during the reading of this book you have strong emotions come up surrounding past events from your life. Recognize it for what it is....a time for healing.

Material is very useful and informative, however, the info in this book seems to be repetitive of her previous books. My desire for purchasing this book was to receive fresh, new info. As an author and speaker she is wonderful!

Excellent book for my clients to read regarding shame and how it affects their lives. Often individuals need a new vocabulary to express the challenges and the unconscious emotions that confront them. This book does just that.

I appreciated the author's personal stories and overall did not enjoy the book. The content pointed out shame and did not have any "take away" action steps. It felt like the book had a great topic and missed the delivery. Brene Brown is an amazing speaker and I've enjoyed her TED talks.

So thankful that my brother introduced me to Brene Brown's work. Anyone attempting to understand how we get where we are emotionally and socially and seeking to live a wholehearted life needs to read her books!

I appreciated the author's personal stories and overall did not enjoy the book. The content pointed out shame and did not have any "take away" action steps. It felt like the book had a great topic and missed the delivery. Brene Brown is an amazing speaker and I've enjoyed her TED talks.

So thankful that my brother introduced me to Brene Brown's work. Anyone attempting to understand how we get where we are emotionally and socially and seeking to live a wholehearted life needs to read her books!

Just starting this one. At first I did not care for it's outline, but after reading more- it clears the clouds and smoke. It's one of the life lessens we all need to understand and learn to cope with and get through life.
It is an important read for all!

I did think it was just me...
I knew that shame ruled many aspects of my life and shut off parts of me that caused the shame. I think that shame and regret are the most damaging things that can happen to a person other than death. Learning to accept that part of you that you find shameful and actually make them your strengths is one of the most freeing experiences of my life.

I had great expectations of this book based on recommendations However, I thought it read like a first draft that had not yet been edited. Some interesting ideas but not well presented. I did not finish it which is so unlike me once I start a book. I would hesitate to buy another from this author. And I so wanted to like it since we are both social workers.

I was disappointed in the way this book's language and manner of presentation was so "Mass-Market" and rather simplistic, even though I understand why it may need to be so. I think one gets just as much from watching Brown's TED talk, unless a reader wants lots of personal narratives.

I have enjoyed listening to Brene Brown speak online. That having been said, I have had a really difficult time with this book. I love to read. However, I am only on page 130 and I don't know if I will make it to the end. I keep wondering when the introduction/review will end and the book will begin. I mean no disrespect, truly. This feels like a personal look at the making of and a collection of quotes from people's reviews of a different book about shame. I expected a focused look at how the reader's shame can be discovered, addressed and dealt with. This is predominantly a review focused on the process she and others went through to arrive at their outcome. I would have been much, much happier with a more direct writing approach as opposed to tidbits of wisdom which seem to appear as an afterthought to their journeys. Perhaps I haven't read enough to give a fair assessment. But over 100 pages feels like a loooong intro.

For anyone who's ever felt inadequate in some aspect of their life - this book is undoubtedly a great help. I could rave on and on about it, but to be fair, the best thing you can do is purchase it yourself and read it. It's an eye-opener in so many ways words can't do this book justice at all.

The personal anecdotes, apparently designed to illustrate some why's we do things we are ashamed of, do not appear to be realistic actions. Even as illustrations of how we can shame ourselves. Unrealistic. Then, the writing is not clear, and it is redundant. And I'm a reader of these kinds of books, this is among the poorest. I rarely write any reviews but perhaps my opinions will encourage people to check it out of the library before purchasing it.

I was really looking forward to reading this book; however, I found it to be quite a disappointment. I enjoy listening to Dr. Brown in her youtube videos and her message is great. But her writing doesn't thrill me.

I was disappointed because even though I read previews of the book it was not the subject matter I was looking for. I put it on my shelf and thought maybe I would need it at a later date or someone else I knew would.

Although I have not yet had time to read this book, the shipping was very quick and it came even sooner than they has originally said. It was in good condition and I look forward to starting this book.

What I don't like is the digital voice narrator. I paid extra for the ability to listen and it sucks because it's not a real person and if it is, they have messed with the voice digitally and it's not pleasant to listen to for more than a few minutes at a time.

This is a wonderful book that would have saved me a lot of anxiety when I was 20, 30, 40. Now that I am in my 70's it is still not too late to learn. The humor and honesty of Ms Brown makes the book fun to read.
Ms Brown appeared on a PBS station and that nudged my curiosity. She is as interesting to watch as she is to read.

This is written from a very beaten down and negative perspective. As in know your limits and do what you can to keep going. I wanted something more uplifting, positive and inspiring. It was none of those.

Like slogging through mud. It seems to be more a memoir of the author's former books (which I have not read) than a book about how to deal with the problem. The diagrams looked juvenile. I have heard good things about the author. I will try one more book before I decide if the problem is the book and not the author.

I thought it was just for women but shame is universal. I've been exploring shame for just over a year triggered by a depression. Depression itself is a bummer but also a time for growth if you get guidance and help. Anyway, I talked one day at my church about shame and a young woman asked if I had read Brene Brown and answered no. The outline given to move through shame is very usable and helpful. If you don't have networks it might be a little harder, which to me is where men primarily differ from women. I would also add that showing compassion to yourself is also helpful. For me it is a really mean judgemental voice in my head that believes the worst and belittles me but when I think what would compassionate me say, it says that judgemental voice has not changed in years and is a lot more caring. My shame is from childhood from many instances and sometimes even today it can be debilitating and separating but connecting (which is against what we really think is needed) is important. Thanks Brene for a wonderful contribution to this important topic.

To be perfectly upfront, I would like to acknowledge that I am a friend and colleague of the author, Brené Brown. But also to be perfectly upfront, I would really appreciate her book even if I was not.

This book is powerful in its scope and impact as it lays out what shame is, how women respond to shame, and how women can respond differently to shame in order to become shame resilient.

Brené helps women identify what their shame triggers are, how to develop a critical awareness about how shame is impacted by larger forces in our lives, such as media images of extremely thin and beautiful women, how women can reach out to others, and how to learn to "speak shame."

As Brené was writing the book and I was reading early drafts, I was already learning to apply her concepts to my life. For instance, previously when I experienced a shameful moment I would curl up in a little ball of pain, constantly replay the shamming incident in my head, castigate myself over and over, and then wait for the passage of time to relieve some of my symptoms, although even years later I could get flashbacks of the event and the accompanying pain. Today, due to Brené and her book, I react very differently. I call multiple friends and share my painful story and seek out comfort, caring, and empathy. I begin to "contexualize" the shameful event, that is, I see how political, economic, and social forces have shaped my personal experiences. For instance, that expectation that women must be "superwoman" juggling kids, work, partners" perfectly, which is an unreasonable expectation that no woman can live up to. That helps put my experience into context and allow me to see the broader picture.

This book is a gift to women from a committed scholar and researcher. Although the hype on many books is that "it will change your life," this book has that potential. And it doesn't hurt that it is written in an accessible, friendly tone with many stories to illustrate her ideas that will make you both laugh and cry.

I highly recommend the book. I predict it will be one of those books you read and then go out and buy for your mother and sisters and best friend. I know I did.

She acts like she is the world's authority on shame, and I'm not so sure I buy it. She says "Everyone has shame. If you say you don't experience shame, then you are in denial." That doesn't leave any room for any other point of view!