I nabbed a copy of Perfectly Yourself at a local parish, who gave them away during Lent. I put off reading it for a little while, mostly because I was already reading so much during that time. But I also wasn’t completely ready to delve into the “best person I could be.”
The guidelines in this book are fairly basic. It offers step-by-step instructions on self-improvement, including celebrating small victories, simplifying your life, and discovering what you love. These aren’t bad things, but this wasn’t the life-changing advice I anticipated. Perfectly Yourself reads more like a motivational speech rather than delving into Catholic principles.
That in itself isn’t bad, but it’s not what I need at this point in my life. I’ve already tossed away everyone’s expectations of me to join to the Church. I’m not the target audience here. But it’s a good introduction to someone who needs those basics, or needs a good review of them.
But I’m not saying I’m better than anyone else. I do need those reminders myself sometimes. After all, I still don’t know what to do now. There will always be more growing to do. But I wish this book was more God-centric. Much of it focuses on figuring out what we want. What our path is. There’s a section about helping others as well (as He commands us!), but a lot of it is what we can do for ourselves.
Perhaps the moral of the story is, “Listen to God.” Throw away those societal/familial/whatever expectations, and rely on God to discover your own purpose. That’s something we all need, at all times, regardless of your life’s experiences or longevity or expectations.