Don't Follow the Herd

I've just finished reading 'The Cows' by Dawn O'Porter and felt like it deserves its own post rather than a Friday round-up mention.

The book follows the stories of three women, who become linked to each other in surprising (and utterly cringe worthy) ways. I won't give any spoilers away but I found the book really thought provoking about modern life, particularly for women, and wanted to share my thoughts.

It really brought home how quick we can be to judge others based on their lifestyles. It's a part of human nature to form groups with like-minded people and an unfortunate basic instinct linked to that can be to fear what is different. I try and fight that instinct as much as possible, but sometimes (almost always online) I find myself throwing a tiny bit of judgement towards someone I've never met, although not for any major reason - never due to religion, sexuality or any majorly defining feature.

I've always carried the life attitude that if someone isn't harming anyone then they should be able to live their life as they choose. I don't know why the internet can somehow change that viewpoint, but I have become really aware of that negative mentality and plan to do something about it. Any time I find myself being critical of a stranger (or a loved one for that matter!) I'm going to try to take a step back and check that little negative voice.

The other important life lesson I've taken from the book is that comparing ourselves against other women can sometimes be incredibly harmful. I so often find myself comparing my life, my achievements, my looks, my style and my beliefs to other women and equally often find myself feeling inadequate. Life is precious and shouldn't be wasted on regrets or feeling negative about ourselves. This is another area I'm going to give myself a little mental check on to try and change those thoughts into something more positive.

I love reading a book that makes me think about how I live life, and this was definitely one of those. I'd definitely recommend it as a fun read with some important messages for women everywhere - let's stop judging, and stop trying to live our lives in the confines set by other women. Don't follow the herd.

Phew...that's the most I've had to say about a book for a long time!

Bye for now

xx