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Brene Brown : I Thought It Was Just Me But It Isnt Telling the Truth About Perfectionism, Inadequacy, and Power (unabridged)Taken From AmazonThe quest for perfection is exhausting and unrelenting. We spend  too much precious time and energy managing perception and creating  carefully edited versions of ourselves to show to the world. As hard as  we try, we can’t seem to turn off the tapes that fill our heads with  messages like, Never good enough! and What will people think? Why?  What fuels this unattainable need to look like we always have it all  together? At first glance, we might think its because we admire  perfection, but that’s not the case. We are actually the most attracted  to people we consider to be authentic and down-to-earth. We love people  who are real; we’re drawn to those who both embrace their imperfections  and radiate self-acceptance. There is a constant barrage of  social expectations that teach us that being imperfect is synonymous  with being inadequate. Everywhere we turn, there are messages that tell  us who, what, and how were supposed to be. So, we learn to hide our  struggles and protect ourselves from shame, judgment, criticism, and  blame by seeking safety in pretending and perfection. Based on seven years of ground-breaking research and hundreds of interviews, I Thought It Was Just Me shines a long-overdue light on an important truth: Our imperfections  are what connect us to each other and to our humanity. Our  vulnerabilities are not weaknesses; they are powerful reminders to keep  our hearts and minds open to the reality that we’re all in this  together. As Dr. Brown writes, “We need our lives back. It’s time  to reclaim the gifts of imperfection – the courage to be real, the  compassion we need to love ourselves and others, and the connection that  gives true purpose and meaning to life. These are the gifts that bring  love, laughter, gratitude, empathy and joy into our lives.”2007 BrenBrown; (P)2010 Audible, Inc. LULZShame manifests itself in many ways. Addiction, perfectionism, fear and  blame are just a few of the outward signs that Dr. Brene Brown  discovered in her 6-year study of shame’s effects on women. While shame  is generally thought of as an emotion sequestered in the shadows of our  psyches, “I Thought it Was Just Me” demonstrates the ways in which it is  actually present in the most mundane and visible aspects of our lives –  from our mental and physical health and body image to our relationships  with our partners, our kids, our friends, our money and our work.After  talking to hundreds of women and therapists, Dr. Brown is able to  illuminate the myriad shaming influences that dominate our culture and  explain why we are all vulnerable to shame. We live in a culture that  tells us we must reject our bodies, reject our authentic stories and,  ultimately, reject our true selves in order to fit in and be accepted.  Outlining an empowering new approach that dispels judgment and awakens  us to the genuine acceptance of ourselves and others, “I Thought it Was  Just Me” begins a crucial new dialogue of hope. Through potent  personal narratives and examples from real women, Brown identifies and  explains four key elements that allow women to transform their shame  into courage, compassion and connection. The quest for perfection is exhausting and unrelenting. We spend too much precious time and energy managing perception and creating carefully edited versions of ourselves to show to the world. As hard as we try, we cant seem to turn off the tapes that fill our heads with messages like, Never good enough! and What will people think? Why? What fuels this unattainable need to look like we always have it all together? At first glance we might think its because we admire perfection, but thats not the case. We are actually the most attracted to people we consider to be authentic and down-to-earth. We love people who are real  were drawn to those who both embrace their imperfections and radiate self-acceptance. There is a constant barrage of social expectations that teach us that being imperfect is synonymous with being inadequate. Everywhere we turn, there are messages that tell us who, what and how were supposed to be. So, we learn to hide our struggles and protect ourselves from shame, judgment, criticism and blame by seeking safety in pretending and perfection. Based on seven years of ground-breaking research and hundreds of interviews, I Thought It Was Just Me shines a long-overdue light on an important truth: Our imperfections are what connect us to each other and to our humanity. Our vulnerabilities are not weaknesses; they are powerful reminders to keep our hearts and minds open to the reality that were all in this together. Dr. Brown writes, We need our lives back. Its time to reclaim the gifts of imperfection  the courage to be real, the compassion we need to love ourselves and others, and the connection that gives true purpose and meaning to life. These are the gifts that bring love, laughter, gratitude, empathy and joy into our lives.About the Author…http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bren%C3%A9_Brown