Building Confidence & A Reading Habit: Start with These Powerful Lessons from You Are a Badass

You are a badass! This was my first book after a long break from reading, and the catchy title instantly drew me in and made me feel like I was about to learn how to stand up to anyone being mean to me. But actually, it is a self-help book that focuses on various tiny elements that an individual would not have thought of when entering the self-love and self-help zone. The author has handled the concept of self-love and growth very well. 

She has started by laying the groundwork for why someone would think about self-love and development. Then she gradually leads the readers to the path of how to embrace the inner badass. The leading parts of the book talk on how to tap into the motherlode for creating a better version of yourself, to stop procrastinating, and finally finish off with the notes on how to kick badasses. The term “badass” is metaphorically used to define the inner demons and insecurities that are to be battled to become a better person and develop consciousness about the opportunities of life. 

The book consists of twenty-seven chapters compiled in five main parts. I've broken down key insights and major takeaways chapter by chapter, so you can get the essence of the book without actually having to read it. [If you are struggling to build the habit of reading - Good luck on the best start!🥳]

Part One

The first part of the book lays the ground for developing the concept of how to find if one person requires self-help or is on the path of finding self-love. This part primarily says that a human’s subconscious mind is the most powerful tool. It is important to consider how one trains and understands the subconscious mind’s role in worldly life.

The author states that our conscious mind thinks that it has control over everything, but it is our subconscious mind that rules. The importance of manifestation and living in the present moment by building great self-perception is very well handled by the author to aid the reader in believing that anything believed in is possibly executable by oneself.

Main takeaways:

• Understand and interpret the power of your subconscious mind.
• Manifestation is the key to motivation.
• Growth takes power, consistency, and higher levels of determination.

Part Two

The second part of the book focuses solely on how one person can initiate the process of embracing the inner self. Developing self-love is the fundamental point discussed in this part. The author states key methods to start with developing self-love within oneself. She says to start forgiving yourself, stop comparing, let go of self-depreciating humor, and generate positive affirmations and repeat them frequently. She also points out that the process of self-love requires the elimination of what others think and perceive one to be. The time spent on analyzing what others think of us should be diverted into finding the real self and the requirements of one’s soul. There is a clear interpretation by the author with a note to build clarity on what an individual's unique purpose is in this world.

The author shares a great story of one of her experiences while she was backpacking in the desert wilderness in the areas of Southeast Utah. She says she saw a loincloth man who was the total opposite of what she would imagine a person living in the wild. As she has spoken to the loincloth man, she gets to know that this person is in his late thirties and has found the modern world and its guiding principles as an utter waste of time, and it does not serve the purpose of a human’s life on earth. This had changed the perspective of the writer and led to the realization to emphasize more on self-love, what the inner self wants, and to lead your life in your unique way. She effectively states that this is the only way in which one can get the most out of life, and not by building assets and monetary investments that serve the imaginary and uncertain future.

Main takeaways:

• Develop the concept of self-love.
• Stop wasting time wanting to know what others think of you.
• Start building clarity to find your unique purpose in life.

Part Three

The third part focuses mainly on the means and ways of connecting to the inner self and motherlode. Motherlode is referring to the nature and universe that are collectively guiding us to live a fruitful life. The first method is to start meditating. The author states that meditating is the way of connecting to our soul and activating the subconscious mind.

The main tool that humans have is the brain. Training the brain is like training a pet. If you feed in positive thoughts and courage, it operates and produces effective and favorable results but if you feed in negative thoughts and fears, it deteriorates the power of an individual to perform with maximum efficiency on a day-to-day basis. After the brain is trained to think positively and take up challenges efficiently, it is important to build a constant practice of learning and exploring the world. Once you build a better routine to train your mind to handle the obstacles in a better manner, it is time for you to give to others.

Giving is not a term that is limited to the sharing of physical goods. It also applies to giving in people mental strength and aiding them with building self-courage to face the rapidly changing world by spreading positive thoughts and energy. Gratitude is the main source of acknowledging all that you have. For manifesting better thoughts, gratitude is the first step. The author describes her trip to India as an example of how to get out of your routine, be thankful for all that you have, and finally start exploring your soul.

Main takeaways:

• Meditate and find your inner peace.
• Train your brain to see the good in everything.
• Gratitude is the greatest practice for being content.

Part Four

The fourth part is the most interesting in the book. It describes how you can stop your big snooze and start living your life. The big snooze here is the procrastination that all of us tend to do if we feel down or overloaded with work. This applies to self-love and the search for the soul, too. If you keep on procrastinating, the thought of wanting to become a better person will never happen. It takes time, effort, and most importantly, consistency.

The next step after overcoming the demon of procrastination is to overcome the demon of fear. The author emphasizes trying new things and stopping being scared of the consequences because if time passes, it is never retrievable. The last part is to surround yourself with better people. The people around us are the mirrors that show the best in us and influence us to improve constantly. If the people around you are toxic and always complaining, there is no time to focus on oneself or build self-love.

Main takeaways:

• Stop procrastination.
• Surround yourself with better people.
• Be grateful for this life.

Part Five

The final part of the book focuses on how to wake up stronger every time you fail yourself. As failing is the first step for success. nothing in this world can be achieved without effort and determination. The author says to always hold on to the belief system and keep failing. Because failing is always better than quitting.

Main takeaways:

• Never quit, even if you fail infinite times.
• Stick to your belief system.

Conclusion

The major learning received from the book is never to give up, even when the situations are tough. It is important to cope with problems to learn better, and comfort zones do not give you the lessons and experience of life. One needs to surround oneself with people who contain positive vibes. The people around you matter the most as they define who you are by acting as mirrors. And it also shows the intensity of how you prioritize yourself and develop the concept of self-love. 

Another key learning is to understand that self-love is far more important than any earthly possession in this world. It indeed takes courage, determination, and strength to stand out as unique. But once you do it that’s is the best gift you can ever give to yourself. To make this possible, it is important to hold on to the belief system and connect oneself to nature and the universe to attract greater positive vibes. 

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