Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis

I had not heard of Rachel Hollis before this book was published, and I began to see other women reading it and connecting to Rachel's message. I decided to buy it, and I'm glad I did because I underlined and starred passages that particularly resonated with me. 

Rachel talks about the many lies we tell ourselves, and how they can damage our self-worth. We spend so much time comparing ourselves to other women, and think everyone has it all together in a perfect life. Rachel is here to tell us what we already know: it's just not so. We know this, she knows we know this, but sometimes we have to be reminded over and over again until it sticks. Rachel is pretty brave in telling her story; from a young girl who finds her brother after he commits suicide, to a woman struggling through her early relationship with her now husband; to her missteps and feelings of being a walking disaster. She frames each chapter with her own experience, and every "aha" moment that lead her farther down the path of self-acceptance and ultimate badass. 

Rachel believes we all need to be our own heroes. We have lived through difficult times, and yes, some really great times. All of those create who we are, but how we use those building blocks matters. Don't let anyone else determine your journey: you determine your journey, and your story. You determine how to rise above the setbacks, the tragedies. You write your own story--you are your own hero. No, this isn't easy, and yes, it can take months or sometimes years--but start now. Set goals, create a vision board that you see every day to remind yourself of your dreams. Keep that focus. Learn from mistakes. Believe deep in your soul that you are strong enough, smart enough, capable enough. And dammit, if you don't feel that, take the steps to get to it. Have your moments of crying into your coffee cup, but then get your ass in motion and make the changes. 

I usually don't read many books that would be labeled as self-improvement. Rachel's book is more of a confessional and a "this is what I've learned" approach. It wouldn't have felt as genuine if she hadn't revealed some pretty private parts of herself and her experiences. In making herself vulnerable, she turned what could have been an ordinary "you can do it!" book into something that spoke to me. Parts of it, of course, don't apply to me: I'm not a mom, and I'm not a wife, so I don't have those joys and struggles. But I do have the struggle of being a single woman, building a career, and feeling at times that I am not smart enough, not strong enough, and not knowing what I want-or knowing and struggling to find my way to it. But I will continue to savor every small victory I achieve, knowing I did that-I dreamed it, I worked hard, and I achieved it. Whatever it may be, big or small, it matters. 

I think every woman, no matter what age, should read this. You may recognize yourself in some of Rachel's chapters, and realize you've been rocking your best life for years. Or you may realize the heaviness on your shoulders isn't necessary, and you have the power to change it. Instead of looking at what keeps you down, look at how to get up and dump that crap. 

Rating:  5/6 for an empowering read that will have you reflecting on choices you've made, goals and dreams, and how you feel about yourself. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio.