Does This Insecurity Make Me Look Fat?

Author: Michelle Wilson

Publisher: Deseret Book

Published: December 2013

Paperback: 168 pages

Genre: Religious NonFiction/Inspirational

ISBN# 978-1-60907-807-2

Reviewed by: Shanda

FTC FYI: received a free paperback review copy in exchange for an honest review

Summary (Goodreads)

• Why do clothing stores hang fun-house mirrors in their dressing rooms?

• The laundry doesn’t cry when it’s not folded, so why should I?

• Can I be confident even if an elevator calls me fat?

Michelle Wilson’s humorous yet poignant insights help women examine the limitations we place on ourselves out of insecurity and self-doubt. We have faith in God, but do we know that He has faith in us?

When we see ourselves with God’s eternal perspective, we can feel confident and whole—even in our imperfection. Just think what we might accomplish if we truly believe that we are more important than we know, stronger than we realize, and extraordinary in every way.

Review

It’s been a while since I’ve sailed through a nonfiction book as quickly as I did Does This Insecurity Make Me Look Fat?. Only eight pages into it, I read the words Michelle had told herself during her day-long pity party and heard their familiar echo in my mind. Soon I was asking myself, “Who is this woman? And how does she know me so well??”

Michelle’s voice is genuine. Her writing style is fun and easy to read. The stories that she shares in relation to the principles she discusses are quick, relatable, effective, and often entertaining. I exhausted a pad of Post-Its leaving notes on pages I wanted to reread and highlight. I look forward to going back through the book and revisiting those paragraphs that inspired me.

“We are not required to be all things, but we are asked to do our best. We are to magnify who we are, not necessarily what we do. An immaculate house, perfectly behaved children, and an unbroken record of punctuality will not matter if our character is tainted with pride, anger, selfishness…and guilt.”   –page 46

I laughed out loud several times. I truly enjoy her sense of humor. Michelle knows how to intermingle the funny and the serious without detracting from the spiritual message.

I cried at least half a dozen times but in a hopeful, I-needed-to-hear-that kind of way. I appreciated the sincerity I felt from her. I loved her message of Perspective and how strongly she advocates for women to see themselves as Heavenly Father sees them.

The Nine Expectations she outlines are excellent. They fill me with hope. I plan to print them and hang them where I can see them every day.

One of the analogies Michelle shared that really stood out to me was the story of when her daughter really wanted to help her, but she kept saying no, preferring to accomplish the tasks on her own.

“We so deeply want to be heard and to be helped, but when the help comes, we often turn it away. Sometimes we feel unworthy of His help. Sometimes we are prideful and don’t want to be helped in His way…It is up to us to hear Him and accept His answers. It is up to us to let Him help us.“  –page 68

Some time later, her daughter asked again and she accepted her help. After they were finished, her little daughter thanked her, gave her mom a hug, and told her she really loved her. Through my tears, I read the following:

“I looked down at her and realized that her desire to help me wasn’t just because she liked to help. It was because she loved me. … Heavenly Father sends help to us not because He doubts our abilities but because He loves us…” –pages 69-70

There is so much more. I could go on and on. I highly recommend Does This Insecurity Make Me Look Fat?. It is worth every one of the five stars I’m giving it.

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