Be Full of Yourself!: The Journey from Self-Criticism to Self-Celebration

Another excellent work by Patricia Lynn Reilly! As a child who often heard these very words... "Don't be so full of yourself"... I was drawn to the title, but even more drawn in by the refreshing spirituality and soul of this book! There's a suggested format for a study group if the reader is interested in sharing with other women these marvelous ideas. I especially appreciated the practical suggestions for "exorcising" the very harsh religious teachings from my childhood -- about the God who was nothing at all like the God I know today. In my opinion, this book is all about finding my own personal form of spirituality with a very comfortable, comforting, nurturing Creator.

This process of accepting myself as a women, fighting off all the constant cultural messages that "criticize" me for weight, wrinkles, being to bold, to thin skinned to much...were quieted by reading this book and gave me the chance to practice accepting myself as a whole women...great book, well written....confronting and challenging but worth it.

In her second book Reilly effectively dismantles the question, "what's wrong with me." My twenty two year old daughter and I read through the book together. Reilly's words were as relevant for her as they were for me. She tells me that twenty-something women are as obsessed with self-criticism as are their mothers and grandmothers. Read the book with your friends, colleagues, and children. Encourage your husbands and male friends to read it. I'm sure many of them, like my husband, are puzzled by the tenacity of women's self-criticism. My husband was "enlightened" (he finally "GOT IT") by reading Reilly's exploration of the historical, theological, and personal origins of women's self-critical attitudes. Her "Language of Self-Celebration" chapter is a must!