You Matter.: Learning to Love Who You Really Are

You Matter by Matthew Emerzian is a very mis-marketed book, in my personal opinion.<br /><br />This book was listed as a "Self-Help" book so I was super intrigued by it. The title alone made me feel like I was gonna be pumped up Richard Simmons style by a dude who figured out how to love himself. Yeah... not so much. <br /><br />This book is more about why Matthew Emerzian matters and how he became a "better" person. 95% of this book is just hearing his story and how he did all the amazing things he's done in his life. There are great journal prompts and thought keys, but those are only about 1 page per chapter at most. Those were where this book did, the Matthew Emerzian story didn't make sense for this book. Sure, you can have a whole bunch of testimonies for why things worked, but that should only be the example not the whole story.<br /><br />If Matthew made this book to boast about how awesome he is and why he thinks he's a good person, then this book is perfect! If this was actually designed as a self help book, then it's quite the marketing failure. I can't see how people will get help out of it other than the journal blurbs. But those are only maybe 20 pages of the book... So can this really be labelled as self help?<br /><br />I don't recommend it unless you're looking for a biography bragging about the author with a pinch of self help in it.<br /><br />One out of five stars.<br /><br />I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

If Brent from The Good Place ever wrote a self-help book instead of a Chip Driver mystery, it might turn out something like this one. It's more of a memoir about writing a different self-help book and starting a "movement." Actually, it sounds like the author and another person and also the author's dad came up with a list of ideas based on the author's therapist's advice, and published it as Every Monday Matters. When a reader of that book assists someone contemplating suicide, the author says, "I never dreamed of writing a book, let alone one that would literally save somebody’s life." Way to take allll the credit there, brah.<br /><br />Further off-putting moments occur when he brags about knowing the Kardashians and how many TED events he's done. He writes at length about a young man with autism he met through swimming, who needed frequent reassurance that they were friends; he then says he hasn't talked to him in three years. But apparently feels comfortable using his story for the book without permission?<br /><br />Here's the quote that made me annotate "Oh no he didn't" in my Kindle and start skimming: <br />'The more we judge others, the more we believe others must be doing the same thing to us. So we have created this false sense of always being judged, which only pulls us away from our authentic selves. Sorry, women, you really have this down to an art.'<br /><br />There are frequent promises that the book is going to convince you that you matter, only to resume telling you the author's life story, with some journal prompts tacked on the end of each chapter. Unless you're doing field research on narcissists, there are likely better books out there for you.

Trigger warnings: murderers/ criminals, suicide, <br /><br /><br />This is not a self help book. It’s more like a memoir with journal prompts. Nonetheless I enjoyed it up until chapter 13. He had me up until this point, but I completely disagree with what he’s preaching in this chapter. First, anyone who works in the mental health field will tell you NEVER use the word “commit” when referring to suicide. It’s either “complete” or “considering” or even “died by suicide” It invalidates a persons feelings and makes the individual who is considering suicide feel wrong for their feelings/like a criminal. <br /><br />I’ve ultimately decided I’m so uncomfortable with this part I have removed my review and am just going to lower my rating for this book to a one star. This is just my opinion, and I encourage you to read the book for yourself and come to your own conclusions. <br /><br />Besides this one chapter I enjoyed the beginning of the book. The ending of the book was self pontificating in my opinion. I can’t explain, but after chapter 13 it started to rub me the wrong way. I do think the journals are nice, but this is not a life changing book. Please keep in mind I read an ARC of this book and the content of the book may change.

An interesting and very well written mix of memoir and self help book. This book came in the right time in my life that I am suffering from anxiety and it was exactly what I need to read. This book motivate the reader to change their life and see themselves in a different way. I highly recommend it

I really believe the first review is very unfair. Triggers? Really? Where does it ever mention rape? The previous reviewer is going for pure shock value and this book has none of that. It's a warm and uplifting book filled with inspiring stories. The murder aspect is when the author visits convicted inmates in a high security prison and meets a man convicted of murder. It is actually a heartwarming story if you open your mind. In regards to suicide. The author is not a therapist and does not claim to be, but he himself suffered from suicidal thoughts and severe depression. He meets a girl later in his journey after she attends one of his talks, she too was suffering desperately and was having suicidal thoughts. Afer seeing his talk she asked to speak with him after and he actually took the time to engage with her. Because of his kindness and message she decides her life is worth living. Thats a amazing story if you ask me? He then becomes a friend and mentor to the girl. Who does that? Who has the right to say what the right words to describe suicide are? Everyone has a different experience. This book is a very sweet inspirational book and the stories will inspire you to dig in deep with the people in your life. If everyone took the authors advice to live a kinder more engaging life the world would be a much better place. Read this book you won't be sorry. You may just end up being a better version of yourself.

You Matter is a manifesto of self-esteem &amp; call to action for people to find their meaning and live fully and to change the world while doing so. The book is set up into three sections - "I Matter", "You Matter" and "We Matter", with journal prompts, exercises and conversation starters to help you dive deeper. <br /><br />The message of this book is clear - You Matter and you need to hear it and hear it often. This book was very helpful for me as a person with anxiety. I related to it. The author's stories are really great for explaining his thought process behind the book. It's definitely a memoir and a self-help book in one. It's well written and an all around great book. I'll be buying a hard copy of it on release day!<br /><br />Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was very fortunate to win an advance copy of this book! The universal ideas in this book are genuine, thought-provoking, and inspirational. I am moving forward and know that I matter to myself, my family, my students, my friends, and my community. I was so inspired that I wrote a grant for books for Kindergarten-3rd grade students for $800 and it was fully funded in one day! So many kids will benefit from having books in their home libraries. They will acquire skills that will enable them to read all kinds of books! I am donating this book to our local Friends of Goodall Library in Ogallala, Nebraska for others ro read and live their lives to the fullest! Thanks again to Matthew Emerzian and St. Martins Press.

You Matter is a memoir, self pat on the back, by a man who says he wants to help others learn how to pat themselves on the back as well (thus its inclusion in the self-help genre).<br /><br />Matthew Emerzian may in fact have genuinely turned his life around, and if so, I'm very happy for him. I also understand his excitement and zeal in wanting to help others. But in reading this book, I felt it had a strong tone of self-aggrandizing, and that grew to be really irritating. For me, this definitely skewed the balance of the book, making it more about Emerzian's story than about helping others. Not what I was looking for.<br /><br />My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Opinions stated here are my own.<br /><br />

I loved this book! I spent the entire time reading it doing a deep dive into who I am and the decisions I make on a daily basis and want to strive now to live my daily life a little more like Matt. He has such an awareness of the world and the people around him and the stories he told all either warmed my heart and or gave me a giggle. I really love how the book is broken down into the different chapters of "I Matter, You Matter, and We Matter" and how we are given tips for our own daily lives. I think if we can all incorporate these ideas and really the concept of WE MATTER, we would live in a much better world.

You Matter is about learning about how to love yourself, but also about loving others. I enjoy reading self-help books like these, not because I necessarily need a self-help book, but because I like learning new ways to better myself and how to better treat others. I say ‘these type of self-help books’ because they are not just about bettering yourself, you also get to learn about how the author figured out all the things they are trying to teach you. You get to learn about them and why they want to share what they have learned. <br /><br />Each chapter of this book has one or two stories from the author, a way to take action, a journal prompt, and a conversation starter. The stories he tells about himself and the things he’s been through help you better understand what each chapter is about. The author gives you ways to help you take action and help others take action toward taking steps towards bettering yourself. Each journal prompt makes you think and dig deep into yourself. The conversation starters help you to include others in your journey.<br /><br />I enjoyed learning about Matthew Emerzian very much. He talks about all the people that have changed his life and the lives that he has changed. He talks a lot about his wife and their marriage. The main thing he talks about the most is how it’s not about us, it’s about loving ourselves through loving others and I think that’s beautiful.<br /><br />I highly recommend this book, whether you think you need it or not.<br /><br />Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Essentials for an Advanced Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.