Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are So You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be

Right from the beginning of the introduction it grabbed me! “You, and only you, are ultimately responsible for who you become and how happy you are.” Guys how powerful is that?!? So the basic premise of the book is Rachel addressing 20 lies that have been instrumental in her life. At the end of each chapter, she discusses three specific, tangible ways she addressed that lie. The overall goal is to teach you self-awareness to identify the lies you tell yourself and to target those head on. Although I did not identify with each and every lie during this season of my life, I got a little something out of every chapter. I can totally see myself re-reading this book once or twice a year and gaining something new every time. At first I was afraid that because I don’t have children I wouldn’t get anything from the book, but that is totally not true! Yes, Rachel talks about her children and being a mother but that’s not what the book is about. This book came along at the perfect time in my life to slap me in the face and light a fire under my butt. Seriously, I needed motivation some kind of bad and this book was life changing for me. I also loved that Rachel dropped in little religious tidbits. It wasn’t necessarily a “Christian book” but had just enough in there to let me know Jesus sent this book my way. Rachel is real and raw and in your face but at this season in my life that’s what I needed. Don’t pick it up if you’re passive about making some changes. Or maybe do pick it up and it’ll slap you around like it did me. Either way every woman needs this book whether you’re 18 or 80 there truly is something for everyone. Top three things I learned from this book: 1. Stop making and keeping promises to everyone else and start keeping promises to your own dang self! 2. No one decides how big your dreams can be but YOU. Also write down your goals and speak them aloud 3. Gods has perfect timing. 4. Ok one more because I can’t narrow it down to three – EMBRACE THE CHAOS AND LOVE THE LIFE YOU ARE LIVING, RIGHT NOW, TODAY! I could sit here and quote this whole book because it’s that good but because I want you to go out and buy it for yourself, I’m going to leave you with some of my favorite quotes/advice/ “You must choose to be happy, grateful and fulfilled. If you make that choice every single day, regardless of where you are or what’s happening, you will be happy.” “You are in charge of your own life, and there’s not one thing in it that you’re not allowing to be there.” “Nobody – not a voice of authority, not your mama, not the foremost expert in your arena – gets to tell you how big your dreams can be. They can talk all they want…but you get to decide if you’re willing to listen to them” “Your dream is worth fighting for, and while you’re not in control of what life throws at you, you are in control of the fight.” “Nothing that lasts is accomplished quickly. Nobody’s entire legacy is based on a single moment, but rather the collection of one’s experiences. If you’re lucky, your legacy will be a lifetime in the making.” “Pretty good is way better than trying to fake perfection any day of the week.” “God has perfect timing. Maybe that goal wasn’t ever meant to be yours. Maybe you have to walk through this space that you’re in to be ready for that. Nothing is wasted. Every single moment is preparing you for the next.” “Someone else’s opinion of you is none of your business.” “Don’t hide your light under a bushel because you’re too afraid someone won’t like the glare.” Okay I’m going to stop now because seriously there’s just too much good stuff in this book! Go pick it up for yourself! Borrow it from the library if you have to. Several chapters from the audiobook are listed on Rachel’s podcast, Rise, which is also awesome all by itself. Instagram @mrsrachelhollis Website: thechicsite.com Podcast: Rise by Rachel Hollis

I’m not sure why or how I haven’t written a formal review of this AMAZING AND INSPIRING book despite me singing its praises for the last few months; despite watching Rachel speak live at Book Bonanza 2018. Perhaps it’s because I felt like I’ve already communicated and shouted from the rooftops and referred and sung to the world that this is a MUST READ BOOK. Correction: this is a MUST-LISTEN to book. But I can’t stop there. So, here’s me formally giving this work of awesome prose 5+++++ STARS. Rachel Hollis gives a stellar audio performance as she reads her own words. Words of encouragement and courage and empowerment. I can tell she genuinely believes in them from her tone and the sheer conviction in her voice. I can also feel the emotion as she shares some very painful, sad, and sometimes embarrassing moments from her own life. She uses them as examples to build an empathetic base; she knows the heartache, the hurt, the anger. It makes you relate. It made me relate. Yet what resonated with me was not only her advice of how she got through the hard times, but the self-assurances she tells herself and the way she addresses you: the listener or reader. Her words give no excuses. Rather, they lead you to forgive yourself, and accept past actions. To always move forward, even if it’s an inch. And if you fall down, she lends a hand/advice/mindset on how to get back up again. What I’ve learned in the last few months after listening, is that reinforcement is key. You can listen/read this book once and get on the high to do more, be more. But that quickly fades as life and other media settle back in. So what did I do? I listen. Again and again. I turn on a chapter as I’m driving, doing chores, or relaxing on the couch. Don’t have the Audio book? Follow Rachel on Instagram. She has a channel and daily posts that remind you of those positive messages to get your day and your headspace started on the right foot. All this being said, I realize a lot of the advice she gives are concepts I’ve heard before. What makes Rachel different is her. How she presents everything just speaks to me. She has a demeanor that I respect. Maybe it’s because I’ve been following her for several years now, watching her practice what she now preaches. Whatever the reason, it appears I’m not alone in such thinking. And I’m so very thankful as the world needs more spokespersons like her on the stage to constantly be our cheerleader amidst the overwhelming negativity. PS: Rachel if on the off-chance that you’re reading this, in the words of Colleen Hoover: “Push your boundaries, that's what they’re there for”. Thanks for that constant reminder ❤️

Sometimes as women we need that emotional cheerleader in our life that takes whatever we are going through to take us by the hand and give us that much needed talk to stop feeling sorry for whatever you're going through and get moving forward. Yet all too often we fall for the lies our own self is telling us. Lies that we aren't a good enough mom, while others around us seem to breeze through motherhood without a care in the world. Lies that all of our dreams will remain just that, dreams of a life we never got around to living. Lies that we are not good enough, when God cared enough to make us the fine women we are today. Don't you need someone to give you that honest talk to shake you out of your pity party of one and get moving on with your life with a better outlook for tomorrow. Enter Rachel Hollis, who I think resembles Anna Kendrick quite a bit and who always seems to have it together and never seems to have a bad day, a bad month or even a bad year. Yet as women that is how we constantly compare ourselves to others around us instead of comparing our yesterday person to our today person. Why do we do that? In her book, Girl, Wash Your Face, Rachel gets brutally honest, like your best friend would and holds nothing back to get you through the lies she faced and quite honestly like most of the lies all women believe. It is a cry along with her book as she faces adoption struggles, laugh with her when she shares the most incredible stories of her own life and gives you a transparent look at how she can appear to have it all together on the outside and is barely holding it all together on the inside. She is the one friend I think all of dream of having. She is the person who would come cry with you while your enduring one of life's most challenging struggles, like losing her brother to suicide and then helping you back on your feet to show you that you don't have to stay in that place, and you can use what you're going through to make you stronger. She is such a wonder to listen to and trust me, all of us women NEED this book. I found so many great take away's that I believe I'm going to have to buy another one so I can have a pristine copy, while this one is my reference source to run to when I need a quick pick me up. For me, this book is a much needed book for all women both young and old and why I feel it is beyond worthy of 5 out of 5 stars.

Before I review the book itself I would like to address a few things in reviews that made me hesitant to read the book. The first is that this is NOT a self help book! It is a motivational/inspirational book. It is ment to inspire you to do better and be okay with the person you really are. You are not getting information from a psychologist to FIX your problems, but rather 20 different points (chapters) that can be helpful with where you are at in your life. Secondly Rachel Hollis is a Christian and brings up things from being raised as such. She brings up that her belief in God has helped her realize some things about herself and wants you to realize them too. She says that belief in God or a higher power might help you. However, she doesn't force or say that you have to believe what she believes. And though there are a couple of scriptures quoted I wouldnt say that this is a religious book. When you say that most people expect that it holds a lot of scripture and unbending beliefs of the particular persons religion. Its inspiring and accepting! Which may be recognized as religious traits but really should be how people are about themselves and others. This is why I believe this book has recieved criticism for having too much or too little religion. Dont let the fact that God is mentioned dissuade you from reading the book because you dont need to be hyper religious or atheist to be able to relate to the concept of loving your neighbor and other good human characteristics. Lastly this may not be so greatly written piece of literature but I dont think it would be as moving if it were. This is about being honest about the good the bad and the ugly of Rachel Hollis and our selves. She uses personal examples and writes as though she is a friend sitting right there with you. It's not ment to distance you from her but for her to come off as a friend that accepts you for who you are and confided some of her life struggles to you. Not all the chapters in this book may apply to you but there are bound to be a few where you can relate and appreciate her honestly about all of it. Whether you are the good the bad or the ugly of each chapter, you have the chance to learn from her and yourself. This book is HONEST! We are all in different walks of life but there are things that we can all have in common at some point. That is what this book is about. Things that we can have in common but may not talk about because of embarrassment, the constant shaming that people are doing, or the fact that it just might be considered inappropriate to discuss at the dinner table. We all have things about ourselves that we believe but should we believe all of them? Are we self aware enough that we can tell we need help or should make changes with something? Nowadays there is so much scrutiny about everything but that scrutiny doesn't help it actually can hurt us so take a minute read something honest, sometimes funny, sad and moving.

I first heard this as an audio tape... Read by the author. But let's back up... A friend of mine on Facebook had asked if anyone was reading this, apparently it was new and she bought it and LOVED it, she wanted to see if anyone else was reading it and if someone wanted to discuss it with her as they went. I don't have the time for mini book clubs, but I figured that I do enjoy a good book, so I commented that if she recommended it so highly, I was going to look at it- everyone on that thread commented back to me that I "needed it," and how "wonderful" and "relatable" it was. Some time passed and I didn't have much time to sit down, but I ran across the free audiobook somewhere and was pleasantly surprised that Rachel Hollis reads it HERSELF. Not only did that make the book far more relatable because you could hear raw emotions, but it also made it to where I felt compelled to reference certain parts in the book. After I completed the audiobook the first time, I ordered the book, read it, and then listened to the audiobook again. This book is VERY well put together, and although I typically do not like 'fad reading material,' I found this book to be VERY compelling. There's something about the text that makes it relatable, even for someone who has not gone through a situation... For those of us who HAVE gone through situations, this book discusses; relationships (failing and successful as well as growing), suicide, adoption, children, marriage, and so much more. A friend of mine talked to me about changes he saw in a family member, he told me his concerns and I told him that I felt this book would be helpful. I sent him a review I had seen on it, and he told me he was checking the local book store- I am certain that he forgot to get it for the family member, but I think this book would be very helpful for the young lady still. Honestly, for anyone who feels like they are in a low place, or even a medium place, this book is a great idea. I know there is a second book coming soon, I am undecided if I want to read that one at this point, but this book really lifted my spirits. I would recommend buying this, in fact, I may order it for another person I know who needs to be reminded that they are worth everything, on all days.

Friendly, yet blunt reminder that life goes on.

One of the newest highly touted personal development books from the MLM group I was in and I was really excited to read it. It’s a book of the ‘Lies’ that women hear or infer about life which the author explains and then comments her life experiences about. I actually found each lie and chapter quite relevant until Chapter 19 when the whole White Privilege, Unconscious Bias crap came out. I did not realize until then that the author was a Southwrn Cal elite until this point. As she describes how she was gently schooled by her Fill-In-The-Blank-American friend all about how bad it was she was raised in a homogenous colored town and her unconscious biases and her white privilege—even though the author was raised poor. I just can’t. I skimmed the last chapter because I just can’t stand this new attitude that being white is bad. Especially when it comes from LA left coast libs. She says she and her husband looked around one day at their Bel Air church and it was too white, so they found a Multi-Everything church to really raise their kids right. Fine. But this implies that white is bad, so where are these Multi-Everything people entering these white rich Bel Air churches to expose their kids to the ‘other side ‘. The bias is just gross. Basically, my new take on this book is that this girl is maybe 30, is a #girlboss who’s had 2 kids, adopted and fostered all while building her girl tribe and multi million empire and this book is to show that women CAN have it all—-money, family, business success etc and with her witty little life experiences she’ll show you how. Sigh. And yet another innocuous sounding book that once again pressures women into thinking that simply staying at home and raising the kids truly isn’t enough, so don’t feel guilty for getting out theee and hustling.

'Girl, Wash Your Face' is the book you need to be reading. I'll say it again, NEED to be READING. If you are a woman or know a woman, if you are a working mom or stay at home mom, if you are a dreamer or feel stuck in life, or if you are a human being with thoughts and feelings then this book is for you! Rachel Hollis shares incredibly personal experiences from her life with humor and grace and honesty to demonstrate the power of how we perceive and create our own reality. She's shares with you some of the most raw, painful experiences she's has gone through and demonstrates the power of taking charge of her life to control her narrative. There are so many jewels in this book, so many pearls of wisdom that it would take 240 pages to share them all with you. Through humor and tears, funny stories and heartbreaking stories, through countless roadblocks and personal struggles, Rachel shares how she has defeated the lies she used to believe about herself and her life. 'Girl, Wash Your Face' is a book of empowerment. It is a story that will make you feel like anything is possible. Even if you're in a place in your life that all you can do is get out bed, it will make you feel like you can get out of bed. If you are in a place where you want to build a rocket ship and fly to the moon, it will make you feel like you are capable of building that rocket ship. You just need the supplies and a plan. The power in this book comes through the honesty. By shredding through the lies and finding truth, you find who you are and what you can become. The concepts Rachel shares in this book about her experiences are not groundbreaking, but they can be earth shattering. Do yourself a favor and READ this book and then READ it AGAIN. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and then you will feel like you are capable of becoming the best version of yourself.

Good and morivating book if you are keen to read book

Girl, Wash Your Face has changed my life, yes I realise how dramatic that sounds. But it's true! I'm 37 and feel like I've just learnt the skills I need to make my life the best it can possibly be, thanks to this book. I have an illness that leaves me stuck in bed, in pain, almost every day. I find audiobooks relax me and help me sleep. I came across Girl, Wash Your Face and thought well here goes, another self help book, trying to make me feel better about myself. How wrong could I be... I immediately felt Rachel's warm, kindhearted words were written for ME. It was if she had come over for a girly chat. Rachel has a way of making you feel like you've been friends forever. Although she is so sweet she equally won't take any excuses. And isn't that honestly what we all need, someone who is there with great advice but won't take any of your bs. No excuses about feeling lazy, you have to go out and chase your dreams. I believe that the true genius of this book is that the author wrote it because she truly wants to help other women. Rachel Hollis honestly cares about me and you. She wants us to live our lives to its full potential. And she is so passionate about empowering women. This passion cannot help but motivate you to make the changes in your life to be who you want to be. The book made me realise that although the path I'm on is not the one I originally wanted, I can still be happy! I have been just existing for a long time and now I'm starting to live life again. It's as if Rachel came into my house and pulled me out of bed. I feel as if she's one of my closest friends and said "come on, stop feeling sorry for yourself, get up and start being the best version of you that you can be!" I have been through a lot in life but it doesn't mean I should just give up. I can still have hopes and dreams, I just need to adjust them a little. And as Rachel says "no-one cares about your dreams as much as you do." I now have the paper back of Girl, Wash Your Face now too and I've read it 3 times, I feel like I learn something new every time. Rachel teaches you life skills to help you achieve whatever it is that you dream of. The book is not only informative but my god is it funny. Rachel is so witty and will have you laughing at her funny stories. I have recommended this book to my friends who have also fallen in love with it. I bought a copy yesterday for my cousins birthday and I can't wait to talk to her about it. It's one of those reads that you just want to share with everyone. It's the holy grail for all women, in all walks of life. Because the underlying message is the same for all of us, you deserve to be happy!!! So I'll say it again... Girl, Wash Your Face has changed my life. Rachel Hollis, I just want to say Thank You! ❤️ xxx

Thank you so much , this book is a game changer really I can’t wait for the book in French that way all my girlfriends here could read it

I was skeptical that this "perfect" looking and religious woman could have anything to say that would pertain to my life. I was so wrong, because EVERYTHING she says pertains to me. Rachel manages to be hilarious and heart-warming even when talking about horrible tragedies. I love knowing that someone who seems to have such a perfect life actually is just like everyone else out there, with her own struggles. I didn't find her religious view annoying at all (having very different religious views from her). I love how she shows how much she understands the things we struggle with, but doesn't stand for it, instead showing us strategies for getting past them and becoming the best person that we were meant to be. I couldn't put it down, and now that I've read through it once, I'm starting it over immediately. Can't recommend it enough!

Between the writer and the character of this book, I plump for the writer. It is one one of most interesting books than I have ever read. The protagonist break the rules in the good site so that many women can manage with real life. Needless to say that we never settle for less than we deserve. Hence, this book showed me with love and good advice.