The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown: A 30-minute Instaread Summary / Instaread Summaries

With Instaread Summaries, you can get the summary of a book in 30 minutes or less. We read every chapter, summarize and analyze it for your convenience. This is an Instaread Summary of The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brene Brown. Below is a preview of the earlier sections of the summary.

Chapter 1 - It is necessary to practice courage, compassion, and connection on a daily basis in order to develop worthiness. It is a mistake to try and win someone over, because it means trading in the sense of self in search of approval from another. By doing this, people stop believing in their own worth. The first step toward living wholeheartedly is for people to have the courage to reach out to others and to share their own stories of shame. When in need of compassion, people should reach out to the right person, someone who supports them whether they are feeling strong or whether they are struggling. When people are willing to reveal that they are imperfect and real, their relationships are strengthened. They make a connection. This is why courage, compassion, and connection are the gifts of imperfection.

Courage is displayed when people are willing to speak honestly and openly about who they are, what they are feeling, and their experiences both good and bad. Courage is about being vulnerable. It takes courage for someone to ask for what he or she needs and to risk disappointment. When one person has courage, it can create a ripple effect, making others around that person a little braver. Compassion is a relationship between two equals. It occurs when people recognize they share humanity with others. The heart of compassion is acceptance by people of themselves and of others. In order for compassion to occur, people need to set boundaries and hold others accountable for their behavior. The key to compassion is being able to separate people from their behaviors.