I read this book by Rachel Hollis in August and it was exactly what I needed to hear. I had heard of this book and had seen a lot of people reading her previous book, Girl, Wash Your Face. I had even started her previous book on audible but didn’t make it that far. However, I saw Girl, Stop Apologizing at the library felt drawn to it. I quickly snatched it up and read the whole thing in about 24 hours.
I loved it! It resonated with me in so many ways. I think that every women should read it but especially women that have busy husbands.
She talks a lot about having goals and dreams and how to go for them. I had always thought that Bryan’s dream was to be a doctor and my dream was to have a lot of babies but reading her book was a wake up call for me. I realized that having lots of babies was our dream, as in Bryan’s and my shared dream. Since then I have been thinking a lot about my dreams. I’m still trying to figure it out but this blog is a part of it.
For awhile I convinced myself that residency wasn’t a good time to focus on myself. Bryan’s dream was too big to allow for that, especially with our dream of having a big family. However, I realized that my individual growth was suffering while I stood on the sidelines cheering for Bryan and the kids as they went after things that they were excited about. I was so committed to them and their growth, that I forgot about mine. The problem with that is if you aren’t going forward, you are going backward. Reading this book caused me to take a personal analysis and I decided that is exactly what was happening to me.
So I got out my pen and paper and followed Rachel Hollis’s advice to come up with 10 dreams that you want to come true in 10 years. It took me a couple of days and some soul searching (and a few of them may change in the near future) but I came up with my 10 dreams and I’m excited about them. Next Rachel suggests writing your 10 dreams down every day so that you don’t forget them and you don’t lose focus. I haven’t been perfect at this but the days that I do this, I am more committed and energized
Now let me be clear. My dreams look different than they would if I were single with no kids or not married to a resident. Reading this book made me realize I could do anything I put my mind to but I also don’t want to lose focus on what is most important to me. I LOVE being a SAHM. So my dreams fall into a parameter that works with that. Having dreams gives you a focus and helps you set goals to help you get there. Instead of just making it through the day, I have a purpose for my days. And it has made a big difference for me!
I don’t want to sound cheesy but reading Girl, Stop Apologizing was life-changing for me. I felt like I had been in a funk for awhile and it was the wake up call I needed to dig deep and “find myself” again. It’s so easy to lose yourself in motherhood and resident wife life and this book reminded me of who I want to be.
If you haven’t read this book, do it! I seriously have been telling all of my friends about it and trying to get them to read it. If I could buy every woman I know a copy, I would. It’s THAT good.
