Hi Readers! Glennon Doyle’s ‘Untamed’ has been in my TBR ever
since it was published in the March of this year. At first, I thought, it was a
novel, but it turned out to be non-fiction with a lot of wisdom in it. I had
previously heard that it is one of the most uplifting books. I also heard that it
is a must-read for everyone. Naturally, I was intrigued & so I started
reading it. I absolutely loved it. Not only is it very knowledgeable, but the
things mentioned in the book are something that we can actually implement in
order to live the most true & beautiful life for ourselves.
~~INTRODUCTION~~
Untamed is a short book, but the messages it sends are
something that will last a lifetime. It starts with a captivating Prologue
which sets the theme of the book perfectly. The book is divided into three
parts. Part One named ‘CAGED’ talks a lot about the personal life of the author
& she connects these things to bigger things. In this, she creates a solid
foundation for the rest of the book. Part Two named
‘KEYS’ is probably the most
important section in this book. This is the part which I will go back to read
time & again. In this, Glennon Doyle talks about the keys which will set
you free from the cage. (More on this below.) It can be a bit of a snooze fest
because there is just talk in this. There are no personal stories or metaphors.
I think that’s what makes it a kind of a preview for Part Three. Part Three named ‘Free’ is the longest part of the book & this I quite enjoyed
reading. There are a lot of stories + brilliant metaphors + guidance.
“Something’s off about my life. I feel restless and frustrated. I have this hunch that everything was supposed to be more beautiful than this."
All these three parts come together really well, leaving the
reader with insights to last forever. Instead of reviewing this book in my
usual way, I thought of an alternative. Below are all the key take-aways from Untamed that I thought were the most important. I’m sure
these will differ for you when you read it. But, if the below points make you
think about your life, then you definitely need to read the entire book!
~~IMPORTANCE
OF ME~~
There are so many instances where Glennon Doyle has stressed on
how we need to take ourselves first & foremost. In the past couple of
years, I was doing this self-care, but after reading this book I understood how
deep the levels of self-care can be. It states how we are moulded by the world
around us, when in reality we need a fit custom-made for ourselves that has
nothing to do to fit with the world. I also liked how she mentions that if we
have to decide between disappointing anyone else & disappointing ourselves,
every time we should choose disappointing others. That really resonated with
me. There are so many times where we put others above us without even
realising. I think that needs to stop. I come first & the rest comes after me.
"I will not stay, not ever again—in a room or conversation or relationship or institution that requires me to abandon myself."
~~TRUE
& BEAUTIFUL~~
In the novel, the author has stated a LOT OF TIMES how
we need to make a true & beautiful life. When we distinguish things as
right & wrong, black & white, sometimes we forget what our heart really
wants. So, instead of those age-old terms, we need to ask ourselves if that
person or that thing or that job or that environment is the truest & the
most beautiful. That’s what we need to ask ourselves to live a much better life
for our sake & for others’.
“Instead of asking ourselves what’s right or wrong, we must ask ourselves: What is true and beautiful?”
~~FOUR
KEYS~~
As I mentioned above, Part Two consists of Keys, titled FEEL, IMAGINE, KNOW & LET IT BURN. Now, I
can do my best to tell you what’s it about, but I can think it is crucial for
everyone to read this chapter.
FEEL:
We
need to FEEL IT ALL. Usually when we
are sad, we just make ourselves do things to not be sad. Same goes for feelings
of pain, anger, loneliness. We try to get rid of those feelings, when in fact,
we need to do the opposite. We need to feel all the feelings. Because, only
then will we really know ourselves.
IMAGINE: The word ‘imagine’
changed my definition of it completely when I read this book. Whenever we blame
someone because of their flaws, we need to understand & imagine why do
those people have those flaws in the first place. We need imagination to bridge
the gap between my experience and the experience of another.
KNOW:
Throughout
the book, the author talks about her ‘Knowing’ which is what her deepest self tells her. She sits
with herself, goes deeper into her thoughts until she is sinking & that’s
where she finds her ‘Knowing’. It can be a gut feeling for some or a hunch for others.
What it really is, is the deepest & truest thoughts that we can think of.
LET IT BURN:
We
need to feel it all, imagine & get in touch with our knowing & then
finally let it all burn & rise anew. We are fireproof!
"I resurrect myself every day, in every moment that I allow myself to feel and become. It’s my daily reminder to let myself burn to ashes and rise, new."
~~SELAH~~
‘Selah’ is one of author’s favourite words & also it is now
mine. Selah is found at the ending of the verses in the Psalms and has been
interpreted as an instruction calling for a break in the singing of the Psalm
or it may mean "forever." In
the book, the author uses it as a silence just before the big thing. When we
hear something unexpected, we need to take a Selah, that is, some silent time
or a moment to process the information & react in a true & beautiful
way. I thought it was genius. And in the world we live in, where there is
racism, body shaming, sexism so many more issues, we really need the power of
Selah.
~~HELD
& FREE~~
This is another beautiful concept which I absolutely adored. When
you think of it, ‘held’ & ‘free’ are opposites, but the way the author has
put them in one context is simply amazing. She says we need to be held by our
community as we are, but we should also be free to be whoever we want to be. Sometimes
the simplest things mean quite a lot.
"A whole family is one in which each member can bring her full self to the table knowing that she will always be both held and free."
~~CONCLUSION~~
These concepts are the ones that resonated with me the most &
that I will never forget. Other than this, the author has also talked a lot
about parenting. She also puts in
light the problems with racism. She
talks openly about her own addiction problem & how she overcame it. She also talks
about the LGBTQ+ community. Also
about gender & labels. The whole
book, really, is enlightening & so informative.
While keeping a balance with the knowledge & the stories,
she also bridges the gaps with her wonderful
metaphors. I really enjoyed those. There is nothing that can be explained
better than with a metaphor. I think that this book is absolutely brilliant &
a must-read for every person on this Earth! I have rated it at 4/5 on Goodreads. By reading this, I have completed
the ‘A Book Published in 2020’ category from my
Reading Challenge!
"The magic of heartbreak is that each person’s doorbell rings in response to something specific. What rings your bell? Is it racial injustice? Bullying? Animal cruelty? Hunger? War? The environment? Kids with cancer? What is it that affects you so deeply that whenever you encounter it, you feel the need to look away? Look there. Where is the pain in the world that you just cannot stand? Stand there. The thing that breaks your heart is the very thing you were born to help heal. Every world changer’s work begins with a broken heart."
Currently, I am reading Dan Brown’s Origin. I’m about 100 pages
in & totally enjoying it. I have also started with Harry Potter & the
Goblet of Fire. The books next on my list are ‘The Color Purple’ by Alice
Walker & ‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ by Agatha Christie.
Until next time,
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