Awkwardly Strong: From Insecure to Inspirational

by Paula Jean Ferri, Anna Allen (Editor), Megan Sawyer (Designer)

Hey you! What are you hiding? Why? Is it that embarrassing? How awkward and creepy is it, really? Are you a secret people watcher? Maybe you are graceful enough to fall up stairs and trip on your own feet. Do you scream in the middle of a quiet church service? That’s not awkward, or creepy. At least, it doesn’t have to be. We all have something we are hiding. I mean, everyone else thinks they are normal, right?You are different. And you were meant to be different. There are over 7 billion people in the world. What makes it beautiful is that there are no two people exactly alike. The things that make each person special and unique are the things that give purpose and drive towards the most fulfilling and satisfying life possible! Self-esteem comes from fully loving one’s self; the things that are considered strengths as well as what are considered flaws. This book shows you your own secret weapon. It’s that thing you keep hiding from everyone. Paula uses her Tourette Syndrome to illustrate how potentially embarrassing situations have become cherished memories and golden opportunities. The freedom that comes from embracing and using your differences is both liberating and validating. Let the discovery of your true self take you to new places.

104 pages, Paperback

Published October 18, 2016

Reviews

[Charles Bush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I don't have TS, or any other diagnosed neurological "disorder." I guess thats not true since I was born with pretty severe ADHD.. but my parents never let me use it as an excuse and treated me like any other child. This book was very well written as not only an informative book for TS and giving coping skills, but insight into the mind of others that may be "different." We don't have to understand the minds of others to take a step back and understand that everyone mind works differently. As the book states, we write our own stories, and part of that story is how we interact with others and how we chose to perceive them. Are we going to give them the benefit of the doubt, same as we would hope that others would give to us?

[Anne Rainbow · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew nothing of Tourette Syndrome before reading this book. I am now better informed, but not just about this condition. Paula opens up quite a can of worms when she suggests we are all different and that each of us has something within us which might make it awkward for others around us to feel comfortable in our presence - and vice versa.
Having spent many years feeling very much an outsider, Paula's book has inspired me to embrace what makes me different, rather than trying to fit in to a world which doesn't actually suit me, doesn't match where I have come from and has little in common with where I am going. I have been a square peg trying to fit into a round hole for too long!
Her title sums up how I am planning to move forward: awkwardly strong. And her subtitle also says it all: from insecure to inspirational.