Yeah, No. Not Happening
n Yeah, No. Not Happening, Karen Karbo has had enough. She’s taking a stand against the cultural and societal pressures, marketing, and media influences that push us to spend endless time, energy and money trying to “fix” ourselves—a race that has no finish line and only further increases our sense of self-dissatisfaction and loathing. “Yeah, no, not happening,” is her battle cry.
I’m all for self-improvement, but only if it’s what you truly want. I work out because I like how it makes me feel and the friends I get to see while at the gym. I don’t have these ideas that fitting into a smaller size of pants will make my life better, although I have had those thoughts and still actively fight them today. Reading this book was a great opportunity for me to question why I do the things I do. Is it actually because I want to, or have I been influenced by ads/society/the patriarchy that it’s what I should do?
While Karbo spends a lot of time in this book stripping back the layers of how the self-improvement industry works to our determent, she’s by no means saying we can’t do things to make ourselves feel better. She wants us to become our True Self, not our “best self.” Our True Self is messy and complicated, but ultimately our imperfect True Self will lead us to being happier, healthier people. We won’t fall for the snake oil ads on TV trying to sell us on a new miracle cure for a problem that isn’t even a problem. We’ll know the BS when we see it.
One of the important things Karbo discussed in this book is how we don’t have to “do it all.” This belief that because we can crush it at work, at home, in the bedroom, at PTA and at Pilates means we should. Because we can be all those things means we should be and if we’re not, we’re failing. Then companies try to sell us on products that can “help” us do all these things, when really what they’re saying is we can’t possibly know what’s good for us, what we want, or who we should be. We need to be guided like a horse to water. That is, of course, BS.
We know what fills us up, and if it means not going to the gym five days a week and scheduling back-to-back meetings like a madwoman, then so be it. If taking a bike ride with the kids and enjoying a backyard barbecue leaves you feeling like your authentic, True Self, then embrace it!
Yeah, No. Not Happening is an excellent book to help women reclaim their sanity and self-worth. We need it now more than ever.
Yeah, No. Not Happening Rating: ★★★★
I’m all for self-improvement, but only if it’s what you truly want. I work out because I like how it makes me feel and the friends I get to see while at the gym. I don’t have these ideas that fitting into a smaller size of pants will make my life better, although I have had those thoughts and still actively fight them today. Reading this book was a great opportunity for me to question why I do the things I do. Is it actually because I want to, or have I been influenced by ads/society/the patriarchy that it’s what I should do?
While Karbo spends a lot of time in this book stripping back the layers of how the self-improvement industry works to our determent, she’s by no means saying we can’t do things to make ourselves feel better. She wants us to become our True Self, not our “best self.” Our True Self is messy and complicated, but ultimately our imperfect True Self will lead us to being happier, healthier people. We won’t fall for the snake oil ads on TV trying to sell us on a new miracle cure for a problem that isn’t even a problem. We’ll know the BS when we see it.
One of the important things Karbo discussed in this book is how we don’t have to “do it all.” This belief that because we can crush it at work, at home, in the bedroom, at PTA and at Pilates means we should. Because we can be all those things means we should be and if we’re not, we’re failing. Then companies try to sell us on products that can “help” us do all these things, when really what they’re saying is we can’t possibly know what’s good for us, what we want, or who we should be. We need to be guided like a horse to water. That is, of course, BS.
We know what fills us up, and if it means not going to the gym five days a week and scheduling back-to-back meetings like a madwoman, then so be it. If taking a bike ride with the kids and enjoying a backyard barbecue leaves you feeling like your authentic, True Self, then embrace it!
Yeah, No. Not Happening is an excellent book to help women reclaim their sanity and self-worth. We need it now more than ever.
Yeah, No. Not Happening Rating: ★★★★