Author, speaker and activist. Glennon’s candour and vulnerability just nails it!
I could not put down Glennon Doyle’s book: “Untamed” – there was something in that book that really spoke to me so I decided to put together a collection of some of her quotes that really hit home in the hope that some of her incredible wisdom may encourage you.
I devoured the pages of Glennon’s books. Her style of writing, insight and vulnerability left me astounded. Maybe it’s because I have been a people pleaser in my life time, who has finally learnt to break those shackles. Maybe it’s because, like Glennon, I feel a lot. I care a lot. I think a lot and spend a lot of time in my head. Other people’s pain and suffering really hits me in the right spot and all I want to do is help. I am that person that is happy to help without expecting anything in return. My reward for helping is the joy that it brings me when I help. If that makes me selfish, so be it, but I help because it feels good!
I am also that person that is inspired when other people do well. I am so aware that God has given us all different gifts and I love seeing people shine in their area of gifting. But I am also aware that so many people are desperate for encouragement. The imposter syndrome is alive and well. So many of us are craving a pat on the back to remind us to keep going, to be true to ourselves and to finish the race.
I was blown away with Glennon’s authenticity. I don’t recall many authors using words that contained the same degree of brutal truth and transparency as she does. But in doing so, I found encouragement.
No sooner had I gulped down “Untamed”, I immediately bought her prior book “Love Warrior” which kept me equally captivated.
Here are a handful of some of my favourite Glennon quotes below from her books:
My favourite chapter from Glennon’s books is her Cheetah story in the prologue to Untamed. She writes about a Cheetah born in captivity and who lives and performs to crowds who visit the zoo.
Indulge me as I relate an excerpt from it as the message is powerful for those living safe, comfortable lives, yet are yearning for more:
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The zookeeper picked up her megaphone again and asked for questions. A young girl, maybe nine years old, raised her hand and asked, “Isn’t Tabitha sad? Doesn’t she miss the wild?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you,” the zookeeper said. “Can you ask that again?”
“The child’s mother said, louder, “She wants to know if Tabitha misses the wild.”
The zookeeper smiled and said, “No. Tabitha was born here. She doesn’t know any different. She’s never seen the wild. This is a good life for Tabitha. She’s much safer here than she would be out in the wild.”
While the zookeeper began sharing facts about cheetah’s born into captivity, my older daughter, Tish, nudged me and pointed to Tabitha. There, in that field, away from Minnie and the zookeepers, Tabitha’s posture had changed. Her head was high, and she was stalking the periphery, tracing the boundaries the fence created. Back and forth, back and forth, stopping to stare somewhere beyond the fence. It was like she was remembering something. She looked regal. And a little scary.
Tish whispered to me, “Mommy. She turned wild again.”
I nodded at Tish and kept my eyes on Tabitha as she stalked. I wish I could ask her, “What’s happening inside you right now?”
I knew what she would tell me. She’d say, “Something’s off about my life. I feel restless and frustrated. I have this hunch that everything was supposed to be more beautiful than this. I imagine fenceless, wide-open savannas. I want to run and hunt and kill. I want to sleep under an ink-black, silent sky filled with stars. It’s all so real I can taste it.”
Then she’d look back at the cage, the only home she’s ever known. She’d look at the smiling zookeepers, the bored spectators, and her panting, bouncing, begging best friend, the Lab. She’d sigh and say, “I should be grateful. I have a good enough life here. It’s crazy to long for what doesn’t even exist.”
I’d say:
Tabitha. You are not crazy.
You are a goddam cheetah.
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If you haven’t read her books, do yourself a favour and spoil yourself.
Feature Image: Photo Credit Oprah.com
