I fell in love with Untamed from the first few chapters. I immediately related to so many of Glennon’s experiences and belief systems and took so much from the book. I didn’t really realise that lots of other people went through a lot of the same thought processes that I did or have that understanding of needing to rethink my initial reactions to situations to focus on the other person in that situation, not just myself and my conditioned responses, anxieties, or desire for control. 

Glennon is such an inspirational person but also identifies that she isn’t perfect and is still growing and learning. Her wife Abby seemed to be a huge influence in all of this, and I just think that everyone needs someone like Abby in their lives to trigger this learning. 

In terms of the content of the book, some elements really stood out to me. The chapter towards the start where Glennon told of the women who wrote to her was very powerful. I really resonated with the idea that when you are unhappy and thinking of alternatives for your situation, you should try and look inside to what your imagination is telling you. Accept when it is telling you that what you want is “not this” and try to understand what you want instead, then work towards that. Ask yourself “what is the truest, most beautiful family, life, relationship, etc” to work towards that. 

I also thought that she had some interesting thoughts surrounding racial sobriety and waking up to white supremacy (deal with this in private instead of sharing it publicly before you are ready, even if well intentioned, as this can instead just come across as ignorant). Become the right thing instead of just saying the right thing. 

Something I have already been trying to work towards us forgiving yourself for your initial knee jerk reactions to situations, these are just what you were ‘trained’ to think. Try to sit with your thoughts/reaction to figure out what’s going on instead. 

The last element that really resonated for me was the experience of “waiting for things to fall apart” when letting other people lead or act on their own ideas instead of yours, even if you think yours would work best. I very heavily related to Glennon trying to take control over things and just waiting for other people’s methods to fail so that she could try hers instead, which is something I am really trying to work on now myself. 

Overall I absolutely adored Untamed. It’s a book for anyone feeling lost or unsure in themselves, and for those who just need a bit of guidance. I’m already recommending Untamed to everyone in my life who I think would benefit from it (pretty much everyone!), and will absolutely be returning to the book if I just need that extra bit of confidence or reflection.