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danileighta's review
4.0
Beautiful thoughts, suggestions, and practices to support growth and a sense of belonging. Selassie has practiced so deeply and with such difficulties (several bouts with cancer, as one example) that I really trust her wisdom and her sense of presence comes through the pages. If you can get the audiobook (Hoopla through you local library!), it's well worth it, as the author reads herself and has a great voice.
heatherms's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
4.75
enthusiasticsamantha's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
atomic_tourist's review
I've been making my way through books written by Miami Book Fair authors, and (while I relish the chance to read books that were not previously on my radar) I admit that I was initially skeptical of Sebene Selassie's self-help novel, YOU BELONG.
Luckily, I took a leap of faith and gave it a try. Selassie weaves Buddhist wisdom with her own life experiences and an astute understanding of these times' political and environmental crises. I expected YOU BELONG to be didactic and dismissive, but instead, it was an invitation to face the world's problems with the compassion and integrity that comes from understanding the truth that all people are connected-- but that does not mean we cannot hold each other accountable, or that we should not be angry with those who've wronged us (on a personal and societal level).
There are a few areas where the book left me wanting more. In particular, Selassie includes a section detailing how she balanced her compassionate ideals of "we all belong" when dealing with anger towards the Bush administration after 2001. Still, I wish she'd shared insights on dealing with those who've genuinely harmed us and those we care about on a personal level. She writes about forgiving an ex (years post-break-up). But what if the ex was genuinely abusive? Or what if you are currently in a painful relationship or friendship?
As a self-described "very angry person", I learned so much from Selassie's ideology, and I'm walking away from this book feeling like a calm and improved version of myself.
Luckily, I took a leap of faith and gave it a try. Selassie weaves Buddhist wisdom with her own life experiences and an astute understanding of these times' political and environmental crises. I expected YOU BELONG to be didactic and dismissive, but instead, it was an invitation to face the world's problems with the compassion and integrity that comes from understanding the truth that all people are connected-- but that does not mean we cannot hold each other accountable, or that we should not be angry with those who've wronged us (on a personal and societal level).
There are a few areas where the book left me wanting more. In particular, Selassie includes a section detailing how she balanced her compassionate ideals of "we all belong" when dealing with anger towards the Bush administration after 2001. Still, I wish she'd shared insights on dealing with those who've genuinely harmed us and those we care about on a personal level. She writes about forgiving an ex (years post-break-up). But what if the ex was genuinely abusive? Or what if you are currently in a painful relationship or friendship?
As a self-described "very angry person", I learned so much from Selassie's ideology, and I'm walking away from this book feeling like a calm and improved version of myself.