Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance

by Rosie Molinary

In "Beautiful You" author Rosie Molinary forcefully encourages women ? whatever their size, shape, or color ? to work toward feeling wonderful about themselves despite todayOCOs media-saturated culture. Drawing on self-awareness, creativity, and mind-body connections, Molinary incorporates practical techniques into a 365-day action plan that empowers women to regain a healthy self-image, shore up self-confidence, reframe and break undermining habits of self-criticism, and champion their own emotional and physical well-being. Through accessible, doable daily actions, women and girls learn to manifest a healthy outlook on life ? teaching them to live large, and starting them on the path to learning to love themselves and others. Molinary steers clear of the florid affirmations and daily meditations often utilized by books geared toward personal growth, instead delivering a hip, modern guide of inspirational thought that keeps pace with the times. A practical, candid, and accessible handbook, "Beautiful You" strikes a chord with every woman who has ever faltered in her self-confidence or lost her personal brilliance ? and it makes sure she never lets it happen again."

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Feminism, Health, Personal Growth, Personal Development

436 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 5, 2010

About the author

Author, speaker, and teacher, Rosie Molinary, MFA, had earlier careers as a high school teacher, coach, and college administrator. Her poetry and non-fiction have been published in various literary magazines and books, and she has contributed to various magazines and websites.

Rosie’s second book, Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self Acceptance, will be published in October 2010 by Seal Press. Hijas Americanas, her book on Latina body image in America, was published by Seal Press in June 2007. In addition to writing, she teaches at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and speaks on body image, diversity, self-awareness, social justice and writing around the country.

In her free time, Rosie paints, enjoys the outdoors, obsesses over NFL football, and works on social justice issues in her community. She helped found HAMMERS, a non-profit initiative to provide emergency home repair for low income families in her community, and Circle de Luz, a non-profit that radically empowers young Latinas by supporting and inspiring them in the pursuit of their possibilities through extensive mentoring, programming and scholarship funds for further education. Rosie lives in North Carolina.

Reviews

[Raquel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. I worked my way through a few months' worth of exercises in this book, but frankly found quite a few of them to be shallow and vapid. I need help with serious body image issues, not platitudes about remembering that I'm special, that all bodies are beautiful, and that I am more than just my body. Yes, okay, fine, all that is well and good, but when you seriously hate your body--are plagued with terrible thoughts and have self-worth issues that go back to your childhood--a book telling you to "Read the United Nations list of human rights" and "Paint a plate that says 'You're Special'" isn't going to help. Maybe it's a nice complement to serious work on these issues, but this book alone won't help someone who has spent a lifetime struggling and hating and judging herself.

I gave up on this one. Am turning to a book by a professional on dealing with body image called "The Body Image Workbook" instead. I have already made more leeway with that book after one chapter than I did after months working with this book. The author's heart is in the right place and I admire the work that she's doing, but this wouldn't be the first book I'd recommend to someone who needs help with body image and self-worth issues.

[Nicole Westen · Rating 2 out of 5]

The two star rating is mostly because this book was not helpful for me, personally. If you have typical problems related to image and self esteem, I would say give this book a shot, but if you have problems related to PTSD, serious depression, or self esteem issues related to non-image related matters (ex. due to disability), then you would probably be better served by looking else where. Out of the 365 exercises listed in the book, I found two useful. Which in terms of return for time investment is pretty poor. Much of the book tackles accepting yourself as you are, in terms of image. Like accepting your weigh, over all appearance, including parts of your body that you think are 'bad', and how you don't need expensive make up, a time intensive hair style, or up to date fashionable clothes to feel good about yourself. My issues with self esteem stem from bullying by both my peer group and teachers over my Asperger's Syndrome. I never presented as 'normal'. I was never made fun of for my looks (at least no one said anything to my face), but I was constantly told that I was weird, there was something wrong with me, that I wasn't 'normal'. And that the bullying would continue until I learned 'to behave myself'. For those of you unfamiliar with Autism Spectrum Disorders, it is incredibly difficult if not impossible for someone on the Spectrum to discern social etiquette simply from interacting with others. We need to be told what behavior was inappropriate or unacceptable, and then we need to be told the appropriate or acceptable behavior. This book did nothing to tackle the issues of being 'mentally' different. Although kudos to the author for saying up front if you have severe anxiety or depression you should definitely seek professional help. So if you have 'typical' problems, give it a shot. If you have alphabet soup problems, try something else (including professional help!)

[Katerina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5

I unfortunately made the mistake of getting a library loan not thinking that this would be a 365 daily guide XD - gosh I'm start. While I wasn't able to do any of the daily tasks, I did read through each of the days and their context and loved it!

This book is a perfect daily guide to daily self-acceptance. Yes there are strange pieces of "homework" that is given to you and sometimes the questions and scenarios can be redundant but that is what most daily guides/journals are like. I like that there is space given below almost every prompt. The author was well thought out on that, especially since most people don't like going out and buying separate blank journals. Well, unless there are like me and like to collect journals :D.

If you want a daily journal that focuses on physical self-love and letting go of societal stipulations - this book is definitely for you. PLEASE DO NOT get this from a library. Ya know, like I did. This daily guide truly is a pen to paper type journal and unless you can rent it for 365 days and want to get a separate journal, it won't be much help.

Wow...this was a simple and short review - so strange for me to do ones like this. XD


Bookstagram

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance" is exactly what this book is. You get 365 life-prompts. Sometimes they are for your journal, sometimes things to do or things to not do (stop apologizing!). I didn't read every page as I think part of the fun of a book like this should be to discover your next step. I plan to start using this book later this year when I have time to commit to it.

Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher.

[Georgiana · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. Just like the Dove ads - plays right into the notion that we have to be beautiful to have any worth, even if that definition of beautiful is supposedly more enlightened. It's not.

[HoneyBakedAmbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me more than a year to read this book, which comprises daily reflections on body image and culture and other things intended to boost self-esteem. It’s possible this book would be very useful for many women (and men!), but either my body image issues are too deep-seated, or the book was too surface-level, or it was written before social justice and pandemic issues shifted our reality (not the book’s fault, but you can tell it was written for a more innocent time!) … or both/all/and.

It’s a good jumping-off point for someone who has never considered the connections between racism and misogyny and ableism and needs a different framework through which to see their body, but if you’ve done any introductory feminist or social justice reading or work, skip straight to “The Body Is Not An Apology.”

[Emma Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't do one page a day or keep a journal but I did take many ideas from the book to try. I found the book very thought provoking and even though I am quite far into my body positivity journey I still discovered new ideas to share with my teenage daughters. Great book, that I will keep and refer to often. Thanks :)

[Daleen]

I've used a multiple of books centered around either self-acceptance or just a general prompt-a-day format and this is by far my favorite. The prompts are actually substantial and aren't just fluff like others I have used, and I feel like I actually got something out of it. I will definitely be using year after year.

[Tami DuBow`` · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skimmed it. It’s not what I want right now, but could be good for others. I got a few ideas I want to share with my daughters.

[Amber M Hedrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should do this workbook

[Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking back three years later (2020), I remember really connecting w this book, and I want to read it again!

[Amalauna Brock · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book was fine. I’m just further on my journey.

[Laura Lou Who · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great guided journal!!

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really admire Molinary for putting this book together because I heartily agree with her main point: women are much too hard on themselves when it comes to physical appearance. As women, we are never satisfied with our bodies, and sadly, we seem to equate our self-worth with those same imperfect physical shapes. And it seems that the self-hatred starts earlier and earlier, with girls as young as 5 and 6 going on "diets" because they believe they're "too fat".

I won't go into great detail about the what's in the book; it's pretty much what you would expect from the description on the back of the book. What I can tell you is that I would actually purchase this if I was going to really use it. The format is done very much as a workbook, with one challenge/lesson for each day of the 365-day calendar year. The author is very big on journaling, so most of the lessons involve writing down your feelings, beliefs, etc, in your "beautiful you" journal. And no, you don't have to go out and buy a special journal; that was the first thing I checked when I saw the phrase "beautiful you journal". The author states it can be any old journal, including a cyber-one on your computer/laptop.

Some of the lessons were very creative, some were obvious, and some.... well, I can't honestly see me doing some of them ("join a team sport". Uh, no. I'm a complete idiot when it comes to anything resembling sports, and trust me, no team would have me). I think taking a year to work through these lessons would do a world of good for a lot of women, and men, truth be told. Thanks to the unrealistic images fed to us by Hollywood, most Americans have no idea what a "real" body looks like.

In closing, I'll challenge everyone to one of the lessons provided by Molinary. The next time one of your friends starts to talk about what she/he hates about her/his body, rather than chime in with your own flaws, pick one thing about your friend that you admire and tell her/him about it. The only way to change our self-destructive ways is to start focusing on what we love about ourselves. Don't be part of the problem - be part of the solution!

[Arielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are days when I fall into an inconsolable pit of self-loathing. On these days, I often feel like a fat, miserly, uninteresting, socially inept, unattractive, psychotic, waste of life force. It was on one of those days that I purchased this book. I admit that I can't give it a fair review because I only did the first three exercises, and they seemed like they'd help someone who really needed them. The problem is, that usually, those days for me are sparked by something specific and I have an innate knack for pulling myself out of that pit. Mostly, because even if I am a fat, miserly, uninteresting, socially inept, unattractive, psychotic, waste of life force I'm still fu**ing fabulous. So...*le shrug*. I get dressed and go do something about whatever put me in that state and forget about whatever novel self-help thing I bought.

[Kathryn White · Rating 4 out of 5]

The start of the year is always a nice time to begin a journal or a daily guide. Even better—how about combining the two for even more powerful self-exploration!

Rosie Molinary in Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance shares 365 days of practical and doable suggestions to make changes in your self-perception and learn to appreciate the beautiful, talented, and wonderful person you are.

Each day starts off with...

To read more of this review, please visit: http://www.kathrynvwhite.com/1/post/2...

[Sonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this through over the course of a week instead of taking it day-by-day as its intended. Didn't keep a journal, either, but no matter how you use this book, the message is clear: there are more fulfilling/satisfying/enlightening things in life than how you look. Thought-provoking in a very important way.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great way to increase your confidence, joie de vivre, and celebration of yourself and others as whole people, not just bodies. It's much more than a body-image book. Rosie Molinary is an awesome, thoughtful, exciting writer and person. I would recommend this to most anyone.

[Chantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was a one-exercise-per-day book...

...but it is SO worth the time, effort, and energy! This is an amazing book that every woman should work through. Thanks, Rosie! <3

[Hope]

I am not counting this in my total for the year, since I only skimmed it. A daily workbook of a sort, with activities and meditations to help you come to a greater sense of body acceptance and love.

[Betty Howls · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just started this book, and I talked about it on the air on the Betty howls show 06 23 2012

[Ashleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a good jumping off point into the world of body positivity. I really like its no-nonsense outlook. Keeping a journal really does help

[Liz De Coster · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little repetitive and simplistic, but also contains some practical and thoughtful advice. Recommended for young women especially.

[Jennifer B · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good book with some great devoitonals, specifically targeted at women's body issues. I was hoping it would have had a more wholistic approach to embracing self-beauty. Good stuff, though.

[Jenny Angelo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Some good parts but overall I'm not getting much from this. I've never been much for daily devotionals anyway.