Fierce Self Compassion Book Club: Week 8

🎵 [To the theme music of Final Countdown]... It’s the final chapters! 🎶

We are at the end! Final chapter + epilogue! 

Massive respect for sticking with this important (and often dry) academic read. Seriously, well done. 🙏

Thanks for going on this journey with me :) And if you feel “behind” — no worries. You’re exactly where you need to be. Keep going at your own pace.

💌 Chapter 11: What We Do For Love

Opening with another fantastic quote:

“There can be no love without justice.” — bell hooks

Yes, yes, yes.

This chapter outlines how self-compassion helps us be courageous:

• Sticking up for our own needs

• Communicating our capacity (hello, boundaries)

• Setting limits with partners, which often leads to more secure, trusting relationships

It’s almost like… expressing our needs openly with people we care about builds trust, even if it feels uncomfortable at first 👀

🌱 Epilogue: Becoming a Compassionate Mess

The epilogue ties it all together, reminding us that:

• Compassion isn’t about perfection

• It’s about learning to hold ourselves with care, even when life is messy or hard

• Growth happens in fits and starts, and that’s okay

Some Final Thoughts...

• This book is about living compassionately, not flawlessly.

• Boundaries, honesty, courage, and care are all intertwined, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy.

• You might not “get it right” every time — and that’s part of the point. Compassion is a practice, and we get better by continuing, especially in our messy, human moments.

⚡ TL;DR:

• Final chapter + epilogue ✅

• Chapter 11 = self-compassion helps us express needs, set boundaries, and strengthen relationships

• Epilogue = embrace your “compassionate mess”

• Overall = courage + care + imperfection = messy, human, and real

And as for what's next, well, I am hoping everyone who started this journey with me manages to complete this book between now and the end of the year. AND, for January, if there is enough interest, I am happy to pick a new (hopefully less academic) nonfiction book to support collective reflection, learning, healing, and community. I have some ideas for potential next reads, but I'd love to hear if you have any books you'd love to read with some community/book club support. Send your ideas my way (or comment below) by Friday Nov21.

Current January contenders are:

1. Anti-Diet by Chrissy Harrison

2. The Wellness Trap by Chrissy Harrison

3. Needy by Mara Glatzel **one of my fave non fiction reads of 2024

4. The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

5. What We Don't Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon

In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying some cozy fun fiction reads, crafting, puzzling, or any and all cozy activities you enjoy in this cooler, darker, wetter season we find ourselves in!