Book Club | The me, without by Jacqueline Raposo
- Carly Morton
- Dec 12, 2020
- 3 min read
I had read "The Year of Less" by Cait Flanders a couple of years back and really liked it. So when "The me, without" came up on my Amazon recommendations, I was curious. Part memoir, part informative, this book follows the journey of Jacqueline Raposo a blogger, creative and radio host as she navigates relationships, finances and health woes.
Like Flanders, she sets herself a challenge and asks, "What would my life be like if I gave up social media for 30 days?". But she doesn't stop there, setting time parameters and not trying to give up or change too many aspects of her life at once, Jacqueline Raposo continues to add spending, alcohol, seasonal gifts and sugar to the list of things she's removed from her life.
The thing I find unique about this book is that she includes research, expert opinions and conversations with those around her to help unpack not only what she is experiencing, but the science behind her thoughts and actions also.
The first chapter on giving up social media really struck a chord with me. For ages, I have felt trapped by social media and conflicted as to whether the inspiration and creativity it provides me is worth the feelings of inadequacy and wasted time it also generates. I have wanted to do a social media detox for a long time, but for some reason, it creates fear and anxiety. I don't know why? but I think this is a pretty good sign that I should indeed give it the flick.
I have never been a big drinker, or even really a little drinker. So The alcohol chapter didn't really apply to me, but was insightful to see the challenges and clarity it provided her. When it came to spending and holiday gifts, that was something that appealed to me. I unsuccessfully attempted a no-buy last year. I challenged myself to not unnecessarily spend for six months and managed to get through five of these, but then caved in and bought things during Black Friday. While I didn't fully complete the challenge, it did alter my perspective around stuff, altering me to how much value I put in material items. From this, I have become more conscious of the things I buy, aiming for quality over quantity and really questioning my motives for wanting to buy whatever it is.
Giving up sugar is another intriguing part of the book. Whether we realise it or not, many of us are addicted to sugar. It creeps into things that we are told are 'healthy' and wreaks havoc upon our skin, energy and so many other aspects of life, including weight. A couple of years ago, I read the book "I quit sugar" which is a great read if you are contemplating doing a similar challenge. It's a 12 week program that I've only tried once, but can attest, it is challenging, simply for the fact that it prompts you to be more creative with your cooking and weaning sugar out of your diet is bloody hard!
Basically, what I'm trying to say, is this was a good book. One I'll definitely read again. I resonated with a lot of the things Raposo gave up and certainly want to make 2021 the year of being more mindful about my mindset, spending and my impact on the Earth. I've learnt a lot about these things over the past few years and have changed my life in many ways as I've learnt and grown. But there are always ways that we can do better and be better versions of ourselves.
I would encourage everyone to read this book. But don't stop there. Let it inspire you and ponder if there is any aspects of your life that are not adding to your overall wellbeing, positivity or effectiveness. Maybe you could go 'without' also.
Carly xx
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