You Are a Badass
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You Are a Badass How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life

Jen Sincero2013
Offers a blunt and irreverent guide to achieving the money, relationships, career, and happiness that one desires through recognizing and doing away with self-sabotaging beliefs and behaviors.
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Reviews

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Robin Collura@robin_collura
3 stars
Feb 1, 2025

This book is your biggest cheerleader. Many good parts, some stories I didn’t care for. Empowering.

+2
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Terry Benzie@terrybenzie
1 star
Jul 26, 2024

I purchased this book on sale for Kindle some months ago but forgot about it until I did the same on Audible recently. It's highly thought of in several Facebook groups I belong to so was looking forward though I've only made it through four chapters thus far and, unless somebody tells me to hang in there as the good stuff ("I'll show you how later in this book" is a common refrain) is in the last few chapters, this is as far as I am going and I will be the second book I have ever returned for a refund. Summary: 1). The author feels immensely dissatisfied with her life which apparently consisted of meaningless jobs, random sexual hookups and drug use. 2). Author decides to go to every self-help seminar under the sun. 3). Author writes book giving fluffy summaries of the most pseudo-science of the self-help genre. Not enough to get notices, she then decides to use "fuck" and "badass" repeatedly. 4). Great success I like to pride myself on finishing books I don't enjoy and trying to get something out of them but am not finding anything here. So far, I have gleamed: - you can't desire what you want, you have to want it as well - you have to find the frequency of success, then you will have success because you can't get laid listening to NPR - the author loves God, who she finds similar to line dancing...or perhaps not God but energy or spirit or Scooby-Doo, all of which she will use interchangeably throughout the book - she discovered the value of the present moment while swearing to herself during yoga class. - Ego is bad...I think...and abbreviated as "BS" because you have to have something catchy to be 'badass'. Does the good stuff come later in the show?

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LC@lower_colon
1 star
Jul 5, 2024

Ugh. If you think your life can be improved by “vibrating” at the right frequency which will then manifest your wildest dreams, this book is for you. DNF because I couldn’t stomach starting chapter 4. In response to another reviewer who asked if she was tricked into reading “The Secret,” yes. You and me both.

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Eric Smith@ericcommando
4 stars
Dec 18, 2023

I really love 90% of this book but 10% gets a little out there. Here’s the thing, if you’re looking for a scientifically backed belief system, this isn’t it. If you’re looking for even strong anecdotal evidence that believing your way into more money works, this isn’t it. Most of the advice given here is fantastic. I only take umbrage with Sincero telling people to put extravagant expenses on credit cards and just believe that they are the type of person who can afford it. Why can’t you believe you’re the type of person who can afford it and find the money BEFORE you make the purchase of a BMW? Definitely inspiring on guiding you to focus only on what truly matters. For that purpose, I highly recommend the book.

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Haley Kirinsky @haleykirinsky
4 stars
Jun 22, 2023

My first personal development book that I’ve read and it has some great tips.

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Zamyha@myhaswisher
4 stars
May 26, 2023

i think this book was good for a person who needs to come to the realization that their life isn’t what they want!

personally, i already knew the info and i loved the quotes !

+1
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Lexy @lexywrites
5 stars
May 25, 2023

I thought that this book was good when I read it

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Kat Rector@krector
3 stars
May 15, 2023

I think this book has great points in it and I was able to tab some of it to change my mentality on some things. But I think this book definitely was overhyped and took me so long to finish. Adding onto this to say that I also didn’t like how the author stated that if we have mental health issues that we should “just get over them” which is something that isn’t possible for a lot of people. Changing your mindset if you are able to absolutely could reduce a small percent of that but definitely not all of it.

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Julia@juliahansen
5 stars
May 9, 2023

I can't describe how much I love this book. I would give it six stars if I could. I want this book with me always.

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Ed Kay@edk
2 stars
Apr 6, 2023

I picked this up in a store and glanced at a couple of pages which looked interesting and useful, so bought this for my Kindle. Unfortunately, within the first couple of pages the author made clear that this was a 'spiritual' (aka woo-woo) book, and that I'd have to get on board with connecting to the Source Energy (i.e. God) in order to fully appreciate the advice and direction she was about to impart. There was some sneering about how she used to be such a hateful atheist and how changing her life has given her belief in the all powerful - at which point I felt my hackles rise, and I read the rest of the book with rolling eyes. Although you'd have to be pretty far gone to read a lot of Sincero's assertions without scepticism. For example: When you learn to consciously master the energetic realm, believe in the not yet seen, and stay in your highest frequency, you harness your innate power to create the reality you desire. I think this just means "positive thoughts bring positive outcomes" - of which I think there is some scientific basis, for example, in sports science athletes are encouraged to visualise winning a race. Similarly sensible ideas are wrapped in a mystical blanket, for example, the following paragraph which takes the positive benefits of being grateful and describes it with a lot of hippy nonsense and faux-scientific respectability: Conversely, when you show up disappointed or angry or guilty or oblivious instead of being grateful, you’re at a lower frequency and thereby less connected to Source Energy and in a less powerful state to manifest good feeling things and experiences into your life. So that’s all fabulous and great, but here’s where the whole gratitude thing gets really cool. There are lots of ways to feel good and raise your frequency and get closer to Source Energy, but with gratitude, you’re actually expending positive energy by sending out thanks, which makes positive energy reflect back to you—every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This makes the manifesting process even more powerful. I'm pretty sure Newton hadn't considered 'gratitude' as part of the energy he was describing in his Third Law. Not that gratitude is the only thing that can be 'manifested' by tuning your frequency - apparently money can come your way just by positive thinking: Money is currency and currency is energy. As we’ve discussed, we live in a Universe that is vibrating with energy. Our Universe is abundant, and everything you desire is here, in this moment, waiting for you to shift your perception and your energy and receive it. Money included... Money is energy like anything else, and when you’re operating at a high frequency with no resistance to it, and take right action, you can manifest the money you desire. It seems like there's nothing that Sincero won't take at face value, without any critical evaluation: As British philosophical writer and self-help pioneer, James Allen, states in the quote that opens this chapter, “Mind is the master power that moulds and makes, -and Man is Mind. . . .”—we are the very thinking substance that was used to create us. Hello?! How major is that?! Here she just restates a poetic description as scientific truth and backs it up with a moronic exclamation, as if it was self-evident. Hello!! How stupid is that?!! This faux-chatty, painfully 'cool' slang is drizzled throughout the book, making such incomprehensible gibberish even more annoying: Meanwhile, even though arrogance and conceit (which are different from self-love and confidence, BTW) are part of the Ego, they’re not, as I later learned, the whole dealio. This display of astonishing brilliance didn’t just splat down into being-ness by random, dumb luck, it was thought up. And whoever you are, puhleeze, stop saying how pathetic you are at making decisions. Even sensible advice or thoughtful commentary is ruined with this yoof speak. This excellent quote from Eleanor Roosevelt, is undermined by the silly descriptor Sincero tags onto the end of the attribution: 'No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.' -- Eleanor Roosevelt; activist, feminist, superhero, longest-serving First Lady of the United States evah There are also some rather loose descriptions and definitions, here, that irritated me. For example, Meditation, otherwise known as sitting still and thinking about nothing... Meditation isn't really about "thinking about nothing" - this is a fallacy that makes normal people feel bad about their inability to meditate 'properly', and it's strange that someone who meditates so regularly, and wants to encourage others to take it up, would wish to repeat this falsehood. In fact, meditation seemed to bring together all of the worst examples of these complaints into one chapter. Some selected lowlights: ...when we meditate, we practice getting into The Vortex and connecting to Source Energy [meditation] raises our frequency [and] ... opens us up to receive unlimited information and ideas Meditating is about receiving information from The Universe The book does contain some good advice regarding self-love and compassion, giving up on resentments, challenging yourself, determination and self-belief etc, but it seems that it's all just a rehash of the books and ideas Sincero has picked up through her own self-help journey. She includes a helpful reference section at the back listing her top recommended books that cover each of these ideas in greater depth and - one would hope - with a far less grating and unnecessary tone.

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Haylie@its_hay
2 stars
Dec 28, 2022

Likes: - Sincero gives great advice on how to deal with procrastinating, fear on all levels (social, economic, etc.), and with relationships. - Part of the reason why I decided that I liked this book was based on Chapter 21 alone. I haven't read any self-help books before but there's a sense of accomplishment when you've already done something a life coach says to do before they even say it. *Small pat on the back*. - Her voice was different than most self-help (?) authors and I felt she was a more excitable chatty friend than a holier than thou life coach. Dislikes: - Source Energy. Every time she said it (which was a lot) it felt clunky and distracting. Essentially this is a filler for God/faith, and instead of being like hey, find some God in your life, she tried to make it applicable and masquerade it which felt confusing when reading the text. Ex) She mentioned that Source Energy could be your gut or intuition, which when I tried to keep in mind when she talked at length about, but it just didn't fit the context that she was implying. - Jen Sincero has no idea what depression is nor does she understand class/race discrimination. Sure, you can TRY to get your mind into the "Just Do It" mentality, but you're really alienating a part of your audience that cannot help the outside factors influencing their mental health or their cash flow. Final Thoughts: Look, I thought her advice on trying to think of things in a different perspective and how it affects the way you interact with others was alright, and there were definitely things in this book I would refer to if I felt in a slump. However, I do feel like in certain portions of the book she had her head in the clouds and what worked out for her might not be applicable to her audience. I still have two more of these to read, but cheers to finishing the first book of 2019!

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Fadi@homs_dream
1 star
Aug 22, 2022

مندهش من إصرار الكتّاب على إعادة تدوير كل هذا الهراء وطبعه 😭😭😭 كفاية أبوس إيديكم

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Pamela M. Minkovska @pam
5 stars
Aug 16, 2022

Jen Sincero shows us the colours of our inner world. Those, we tend to forget. In this book she's teaching us self-love. Escaping the BS(explained in the book), starting to trust our gut and letting ourselves LIVE, we change out while life. Not only that we'll feel happier by using the knowledge gained from this book, but we'll also start achieving our goals, crossing out dreams from the bukket list. What are dreams for? To be fulfilled and turned into reality. This book is for everyone that wants to start living now.

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Sofia Collodel@sophiie91
2.5 stars
Jun 2, 2022

I don't really like self-help books, especially not this whole idea of 'you can do whatever and be whatever if you think hard enough about it' NO , what about the conditions that you are born in? The opportunities you have in life? Does a poor person have the same opportunities as a rich one? NO . BUT apart from that, I really liked some of the things she talked about specially related to how others make us feel, how to let go of anger that only hurts ourselves , or let it go when we are irritated by someone's personality. I get wind up very easily so there was some good advice for my anger problems in there. All in all its an ok book

This review contains a spoiler
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Kendra Leigh @kendraleigh
3 stars
Apr 5, 2022

I feel like I really would have loved this when I was like 20, but now you can definitely tell that it was written in 2013. Not bad, just nothing revolutionary now!

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Sarah Ryan@sarahryan
4 stars
Mar 17, 2022

A great read. The author, Jen Sincero, shares how we all have enormous potential but many of us fail to realise this potential as we stand in our own way. She shares how she directed all her energy towards what she wanted to achieve and what she then achieved. She shares common thought processes and behaviours that keep people from living their best life. She advises how we can identify them, replace them, and move forward to live our best life.

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Casey W. @zombiewilhelm
2 stars
Mar 17, 2022

Meh. I've never read a self hep book, but it was pretty ho-hum. I don't know, it felt really gimmicky and had a lot of woo.

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Chasity Mayo@mayonnaiseeee
4 stars
Mar 13, 2022

Not only is this book hilarious, but it’s also authentic and riveting. Jen Sincero has a wonderful way of utilizing the tools she has to assist others along their journeys. This book covers everything from false limiting beliefs to subconcious programming to money manifestation to developing your talents. Each chapter is filled with multiple tools to help with these leaps, and through every chapter I felt like I had my own personal supporter. If you are feeling stagnant or uninspired, I would definitely recommend this book. Not only did it remind me of my limitless potential, but it inspired me to critically analyze areas of my life I need to change & deepened my self-love. I am a badass!!!

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Robin M Cabana@rmcabana
5 stars
Mar 2, 2022

This book has kicked my ass. It's helped me realize what I need to do to make my life more awesome. I've never gone in for self-help books before, but I was hooked from the first page. I took my time reading this. Re-read parts. Took pictures of pages so I could refer to them when I was out and about. Jen Sincero made me laugh and cry and has really helped me focus. I can't thank her enough for writing this book. I'm really excited about living a badass life.

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marie-ange@bluueroom
2 stars
Feb 18, 2022

dnf: this is my second time attempting to read this in it’s entirety. some things were cool and were, the aave was weird (thought it was a fluke until it happened more than 5 times) . a book filled with of fleeting moments so i don’t remember much. think i’m going to stay away from self help books with these kinds of titles :$

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Kerrie Webb@kwebb
5 stars
Jan 14, 2022

Yes! You are a badass :-) I think this will be a good book to keep to top up on the reminder that what ypu think shapes who you are.

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Emily Ruth Carter@emyru
1 star
Jan 10, 2022

ugggggghhhhhhhh. While there are a few solid points in this, mostly this is incredibly unhealthy. I spent an entire chapter shouting "GO TO THERAPY THAT IS THE ANSWER." Also as I listened (not knowing anything about the author herself) all I could think was that this author must be a cis, straight, white woman who is child free.

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Laura Yaneth Martinez@lauris
3 stars
Jan 4, 2022

Incredible listen. Really enjoyed the bluntness and inspiration in this book!

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Karla @gowithkar
3 stars
Jan 2, 2022

Hoy les comparto la reseña de You are a Badass de Jen Sincero. Con los 10 consejos que más me llamaron la atención, cambios para alcanzar metas, alejarnos de personas tóxicas, etc. Espero que les guste mucho :D https://youtu.be/5lsb_iufkJ4

Highlights

Photo of Ivory Flores
Ivory Flores@ivoryf25

“You are responsible for what you say or do. You are not responsible for whether or not people freak out about it.”

Now, I only read this book out of pity because my aunt bought it for me. But, this quote stuck with me because it’s very true and something my own therapist told me.

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Amelia Pokorny@amelia_poko

Rejoice in the cosmic ridiculousness.

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Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

We only get to be in our bodies for a limited time, why not celebrate the journey instead of merely riding it out until it's over?

Page 103
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Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

It is better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not. -André Gide; French author, Nobel Prize winner, fearless self-explorer

Page 81
Photo of Isabella Martinez
Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

What other people think about you has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.

Page 67
Photo of Isabella Martinez
Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

You are more than enough. Avoid comparison like the plagu

Page 61
Photo of Isabella Martinez
Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

Here are some affirmations specific to self-love. Pick that work for you and pummel yourself with them: bve. Pick one or two •| deserve and receive massive amounts of love every momek of every day. •l am one with The Universe. The Universe is awesome and so am I. • My heart is open. Love pours in and out. •| receive all the good that life has to offer me. •l am brilliant, bright, and beautiful. • | love how tall I am and | love the size of my ass.

Page 56
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Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

When we're happy and all in love with ourselves, we can't be bothered with the bullshit (our own or other people's).

Page 54
Photo of Isabella Martinez
Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

you are the only you there is and ever will be. Do not deny the world its one and only chance to bask in your brillian ce. We are all perfect in our own, magnificent, fucked-up ways. Laugh at yourself. Love yourself and others. Rejoice in the cosmic ridicu- lousness.

Page 50
Photo of Isabella Martinez
Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

The Big Snooze will do everything it can to stop you from changing and growing, especially since you're attempting to obliterate the very identity that you and everyone else has come to know as you."

Page 46
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Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

When taking great leaps forward, life often turns to shit before it turns to Shinola.

Page 45
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Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are. -Kurt Cobain; you know who this one is, right?

Page 41
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Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

The more time you spend in the moment, the richer your life will be. Being present gets you out of your head and connects you to Source Energy, which raises your frequency, which attracts things of

Page 39
Photo of Isabella Martinez
Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

It's not that the things and opportunities that we want in life don't exist yet. It's that we're not yet aware of their existence (or the fact that we can really have them).

Page 38
Photo of Isabella Martinez
Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

had to understand how to manifest it into our reality. Prese abou lear It's not that the things and opportunities that we want in life don't exist yet. fore fut sp It's that we're not yet aware of their existence (or the fact that we can really have them). 1

Page 38
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Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present. -Lao Tzu; ancient Chinese philosopher, founder of Taoism, could have been one guy or a mythical compilation of many, nobody really knows for sure

Page 35
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Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

The Universe will match whatever vibration you put out. And you can't fool The Universe.

Page 32
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Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

All of us are connected to this limitless power and most of us aren't using but a fraction of it.

Page 30
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Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

No matter what you say you want, if you've got an underlying subconscious belief that it's going to cause you pain or isn't available to you, you either A) Won't let yourself have it, or B) You will let your- self have it, but you'll be rill fucked up about it. And then you'll go off and lose it anyway.

Page 25
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Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

Our conscious mind thinks it's in control, but it isn't. Our subconscious mind doesn't think about any- thing, but is in control.

Page 23
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Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

Most people are living in an illusion based on someone else's beliefs.

Page 21
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Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

You are a victim of the rules you live by. Jenny Holzer; artist, thinker, blurter of brilliance

Page 18
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Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

at In an attempt to help you get to where you want to go too, I'm going to ask you to roll with some pretty out-there things throughout this book, and I want to encourage you to have an open mind. No, on second thought, I want to yell in your face about it: STAY OPEN OR ELSE YOU ARE SCREWED, I mean it. This is really important. You've gotten to where you are right now by doing whatever it is you're doing, so if you're less than impressed with your current situa- tion, you clearly need to change things up. If you want to live a life you've never lived, you have to do things you've never done.

Page 15
Photo of Isabella Martinez
Isabella Martinez @bellamtz5

The good news is that in order to do this, all you need to do make one simple shift: You need to go from wanting to change your life to deciding to change your life.

Page 12