Synopsis
Gary Bishop’s “Un#@%! Yourself” is in the genre of Self-Help. It is a straight-talk, tough-love approach to dealing with your “issues.” His most prominent assertion throughout his book is that you control your life. Even when it appears that others do, the truth is, they only influence your life. He argued that we should assert ourselves, in our minds, to take action. You are not your thoughts. You are your actions. You are what you do.
Bishop provides examples of how we (people in general) sabotage our advancement and our future. He argued we spend countless hours in our mind planning, agonizing, or just muddling through ideas and thoughts, but we never take action. Bishop argued that we need to be straight with ourselves and stop self-criticism and self-loathing in those moments.
Just My Thoughts
I’m sure you are wondering why I chose a self-help book rather than another book on leadership. Honestly, partially because I had fun reading it. I found the book hilarious. We all can apply Bishop’s harsh words and straight-talk, honestly. Not just in the self-help arena but really in our leadership roles as well.
Think about a time you wanted to take action but failed to as a leader. Think about times you agonized over a decision or something you said to someone. Really, the point of this book is to get moving, get going, and take action. Bishop does not give us anything new to think about, nor is he trying to be a philosopher or theorist. He is just saying what he has to say.
There is a warning on the back of the book. If you are easily offended, stop reading now. I have to agree with it. However, if you want a “light” read or listen, I encourage you to pick this one. It may even break up your day-to-day activities for just a few moments and let you focus on something else.