Untamed: Stop pleasing, start living by Glennon Doyle

The New York Times bestselling book, Untamed: Stop Pleasing, Start Living by Glennon Doyle is a book about embracing life and learning how to stay true to who you are. Within its pages, readers are challenged to break free from the expectations of society and to start living life with courage and on their own terms.

The book begins with Doyle’s story about her own wild journey of transformation. She opens up about the myriad moments in her life where her lifelong pattern of putting others before herself—of pleasing—was shattered and a new way of living began to take shape. She speaks of separating from her husband and falling in love with a woman, learning how to be a parent to her young daughter, and coming out into her new life as a single mom in a same sex relationship.

In the chapters that follow, Doyle offers glimpses into her own experiences, along with stories of others who have made their own leaps and strides towards freedom. Through these stories, readers are guided along the path of self-discovery and encouraged to become the people they’re meant to be.

Doyle challenges us to recognize the web of lies we’ve been told—that we need to be attractive to be happy, that beauty is dependent on age and size, and that money is required to be successful. She dismantles these lies one by one and shows readers how to live with power and grace. She advocates for a life that is self-directed and boldly lived.

The book’s key messages are divided into four major themes: Courage, Connecting, Faith, and Freedom. Doyle encourages readers to find their courage—to speak truth, take a stand and challenge society’s expectations. She addresses connection—approaching others with kindness, empathy and love; learning how to offer and receive help. Doyle offers tools for building faith and trust—in ourselves and in God—and discusses how to determine our own spiritual path.

Lastly, Doyle encourages readers to embrace freedom—from fear, from shame, and from other people’s expectations. Through her own experiences, she navigates readers through the process of connecting to their own power and creating lives filled with possibility and passion.

At the end of the book, Doyle encourages readers to jump into their own lives fiercely. Through her words, readers learn to trust themselves and overcome the fears that hold them back from living a full and creative life. She offers tangible action plans to help readers take the leap and encourages them to never stop believing in their dreams.

Overall, Untamed is a thought-provoking, inspiring read. It is written with honesty, vulnerability and humor, and readers can’t help but be encouraged by Doyle’s journey. Readers find themselves feeling inspired, motivated, and ready to take the plunge and rewrite the rules that have held them back.