Kristina M Holle’s THE AUTHENTIC YOU, as befits its straightforward and open approach to leadership, declares its purpose in the title – to identify, accept, and strengthen the reader’s authentic self, so that they can understand their experiences and choices and use them to work towards a better future for themselves and those they work and live with. Holle stresses the need for self-acceptance, the ability to examine one’s own strengths and weaknesses with complete honesty, so as to build on the former and deal with the latter in a productive fashion without guilt, shame, or the fear of private or public judgment getting in the way. She sets a good example by being open about her own experiences, in particular the death of her teenage brother in a motorcycle accident and the effect it had on her life, and by talking about times and places when she had difficulty being true to herself, as well as outlining her successes.
Holle’s writing style is clear and energetically upbeat, cheering the reader on with encouraging words and supportive language. There are journaling exercises at the end of each chapter that encourage the reader to take the message of the chapter more deeply to heart and explore its relevance in their own lives. She offers specific thought exercises designed to help the reader with tasks like exploring triggers related to past events and responding to them more effectively and deliberately, identifying how the people around us uplift us and feed our energy or else drain it and limit our growth, and figuring out how our need for conformity and the good opinion of those around us keeps us from taking chances and exploring our real dreams. Holle’s advice is generally both healthy and kind, encouraging compassion both for oneself and for others, urging the reader to use past mistakes – their own and others’ – as a learning tool rather than a source of guilt and shame, and dealing with the anxiety that limits healthy risk-taking by recognizing one’s own resilience and ability to bounce back from potential failure. THE AUTHENTIC YOU is a helpful and supportive guide for anyone looking to face themselves honestly and openly, and to interact with others as their own authentic self, without the need for disguise or duplicity.
An upbeat and encouraging book designed to help the reader discover, accept, and build on the strengths and experiences of their true selves, THE AUTHENTIC YOU promotes a leadership style set firmly in honesty, kindness, and courage.
~Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader