You’re Already Amazing

A friend of mine recently let me borrow this book: You’re Already Amazing by Holley Gerth and she told me she thought it would be a perfect read for me. I listened to what she had to say about it, and I decided that no matter how long it took to read, I was going to make time to read this book. And I’m so glad I did.

First of all, I give this book a full five stars. Holley Gerth brings you in as a friend with her simple words and her coffee-house-style conversations. I found myself nodding my head to many of the things in the book and also found myself in tears at several parts too. There were so many things that spoke to me in this book it’s hard to focus on just a few to share with you, but I will.

Second, here is Amazon‘s description of the book: “Women feel enormous pressure to be perfect. To have the perfect body, to be a perfect woman, to have the perfect career, and to have the perfect attitude. All the time. Under all that pressure and all those expectations are women carrying burdens they were never meant to carry and suppressing the dreams they were always meant to live.”

How amazing does that sound? I think we as women tend to over think things, we tend to look down on ourselves, and we tend to put ourselves last. This book helps us understand who we are, who God created us to be, and that no matter how hard our life is, God has a plan for us we just have to look for it.

Here are a few of my favorite excerpts of the book. I wish I could include more, but you’ll just have to read the book!

Would You Like to Have Coffee?
“Imagine I ask you to have coffee with me-which is exactly what I do with my dearest friends. There’s just something about sitting across a table from someone you truly care about that really gets a conversation going. (And if you’re not a coffee drinker, then tea or a yummy dessert are perfectly acceptable substitutes.)

I call, text, or email: ‘Can we get together? There’s something I’d really like to tell you.’

We pick your favorite spot. I meet you at the door. We settle into a quiet corner. Order our favorite drinks. Swap small talk over mochas or tea. Sip by sip we go deeper, until we land at the level of the heart…that place where it’s hard to go in the middle of the busy and the broken. I clear my throat lean back, look you in the eyes, and say:

‘It’s time you knew you’re amazing.’

You smile, laugh awkwardly, glance at the ceiling. ‘I know,’ you reply. ‘So kind of you to say.’ I respond looking at you more intently.

‘I mean it’s time you really knew. And there’s more:

• You’re not only amazing.
• You’re enough.
• You’re beautiful.
• You’re wanted.
• You’re chosen.
• You’re called.
• You’ve got what it takes… not just to survive but to change the world.’

By this time your fingers are wrapped around your cup. You stare down at the bottom of it, focused on the emptiness, wondering why these words are so hard to hear.

Finally, you ask, ‘Who told you that?”

And I respond, ‘The only One who really knows-Someone who loves you.'”

– You’re Already Amazing by Holley Gerth

“Hey, you… The one wondering if you’ve got strengths. You do. The one questioning if God really even wants to use you. He does. You’ve got gifts to offer the world. Things that are good and right and true. No one else can make a difference like you can. Like You already are. Dare to believe it. Dare to receive it. Stand tall, be strong, just go out there and be you in your own wonderful way. Today.”

–You’re Already Amazing by Holley Gerth

“I’ve been thinking of you right there in the middle of the ordinary… changing diapers, writing reports, driving, cleaning, fixing, blessing. Ordinary is hard for me. Is it ever hard for you? I like new. The exciting. And yet it seems God has been whispering that I need to look at the ordinary with new eyes. All that seems small can be really BIG. And what we do every day matters more than we know, more than we see. You are making a difference. You deserve to be applauded-for just digging in, doing what you do, keeping at it no matter what. So from the bottom of my heart… THANK YOU for all you do. (I’ve got a feeling it brings joy to God too.)”

–You’re Already Amazing By Holley Gerth

So what do you think? Have I convinced you that this book is a must-read? You can also read my friend’s awesome post about this book and how it changed her life on her blog: Beautiful in His Time. Holley’s book also includes sections that ask questions and areas for you to answer questions and take notes. You can find out more about this book and about Holley on her blog: www.holleygerth.com. Enjoy!