by Kristina Mänd-Lakhiani
Rating: *****
Written by entrepreneur and co-founder of the personal transformation platform, MindValley, Becoming Flawesome offers candid and uncomplicated advice on accepting and embracing who you truly are, rather than constantly striving for an idealistic, unreal version of yourself.
Mänd-Lakhiani has really considered her reading audience in Becoming Flawesome. It’s evident that this is no vanity project but an incredibly well-constructed and contemplated self-help book that is clearly and professionally laid out and, consequently, will have wide application.
The book opens with a nicely engaging introduction that is chatty, informal but full of focused energy and interest. Mänd-Lakhiani is gently encouraging and, as one would expect, incredibly adroit at connecting with her reader, making them feel as though she were present.
She quickly builds up complicity and trust, sharing personal details through anecdotes and accounts. Several of these are amusingly identifiable insights into her daily routine; others are more intimate without becoming syrupy over-shares or feeling disingenuous. Mänd-Lakhiani impresses as genuinely warm and unaffected.
Indeed, although she is undoubtedly a high-achiever, Becoming Flawesome speaks to all readers with adaptable ideas, thought-provoking debate, and straightforward guidance, that is often lost in everyday life.
The book has eight parts, each with sub-chapters, headed by well-chosen, erudite quotes. It’s effortless to navigate, and Mänd-Lakhiani is careful to ensure clarity and accessibility guaranteeing Becoming Flawesome is both convincing and readable.
She is adept at softly yet persistently challenging accepted norms of behavior and the often blinkered, entrenched views that accompany them with clever, whipsmart advice.
The chapters deconstructing exactly what “authentic” means, and more importantly what the concept means for the reader are refreshing, and Mänd-Lakhiani’s enthusiasm is contagious.
Posing questions and scenarios, some rhetorical and others more concise, she draws the reader in and subtly tasks them with re-examining their lives and awareness levels. One of the strengths of Becoming Flawesome is how Mänd-Lakhiani cuts through superfluity to offer practical solutions and instruction without judgment or overt pressure.
Her analysis of the fundamental difference between self-care and self-love was enlightening. Further, the idea of not ‘fixing’ flaws or issues, again, turns well-established behavioral patterns completely volte-face and, although it takes some getting used to, is immensely liberating and, frankly sensible.
Mänd-Lakhiani is also not afraid to address contentious issues. I found her discussion on the psychology of vulnerability, self-delusion, and manipulation supremely interesting and loaded with common sense. There are a number of cerebral light-bulb moments, especially as the book progresses.
At the end of every chapter, Mänd-Lakhiani has designed a series of “Reflection Points”, a combination of meditative and proactive exercises that are simple to implement and yield informative results. Technically, the book is beautifully presented and flawlessly edited, no reverse pun intended!
Becoming Flawesome: The Key to Living an Imperfectly Authentic Life is a clear-sighted, perceptive, and intelligent self-help book written with infectious self-awareness, passion, and positivity. Highly recommended.
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