top of page
Search

Boekrecensie: Wees eens lief voor jezelf


The book immediately stands out.Among a crowded table filled with titles on personal development, mental health, and self-help, it’s colorful and cheerful — and I like that.

I appreciate when something stands out, as long as it’s not overdone or too loud.I pick it up to read the back cover.“Mmm…,” I think. “Not a ready-made solution… but insights, growing stronger… oh, feeling emotions.”Yes, we are allowed to feel. I turn the book over again to look at the cover, holding it in my hands for a moment.


The words I silently repeated to myself in the bookstore still echo in my mind.The core, the truth — it comes back just as powerfully each time.“Yes, Lisa…” I muttered thoughtfully to myself, sighing: “please, be kind to yourself.”

I held the book close to my arm — like I often do.First, I gather the books that catch my interest, and then I select only a few from the pile to take home.Because, well… I can’t take everything that sparks my curiosity.

After my little selection process, this one made it to the register.I was curious — what did the author have to tell me?


The title grabbed me instantly.The subtitle raised questions:“How resilient am I?”“Do I really act from self-compassion?” Questions I, too, would love to find answers to.But most of all:Will this book help me be kinder to myself?


It’s written in a way that kept my attention. By blending narrative examples with short informative sections, the author makes it easy to connect emotionally and intellectually.She shares scientifically backed insights in a concise, accessible way — no dry facts here, but knowledge that lands with clarity and warmth.


From beautiful reflections, she shows that a balanced life naturally includes both highs and lows.We make life unnecessarily hard for ourselves.We set the bar impossibly high — and punish ourselves when we can’t live up to it.We use the wrong metrics.Social media paints a perfect picture of happiness, while we forget that real life includes less perfect moments too.

She offers solid, hands-on tools:how emotions are actually helpful,why we need them,when to acknowledge them, and how to regulate them. To me, that’s an essential step in personal growth.


With extra questions sprinkled throughout the book, you’re invited to reflect on your own behavior. You can answer them as you read or return to them later — but they’re not required to understand the book.

Most of all, it’s a reminder not to forget yourself — your life, your journey, and what you’re doing right now.Because life isn’t against you. It’s for you. And Maaret Kallio beautifully highlights this truth throughout the book.

Did it answer my questions?

I’m not sure if I’ve become immediately kinder to myself. But it offers clear, useful guidance, the kind that sticks. What you do with it, and how you interpret it in your daily life, that’s up to you. I see every new perspective as a gift.


Maaret Kallio gives you the insight to become kinder to yourself.And that’s something we could all do a little more of.Stop setting the bar so high. Live your life and don’t forget to enjoy it.


For me, being kind to myself means: embracing imperfection. What does being kind to yourself mean to you?


Did you read the book?

  • 0%Yes!

  • 0%I have this on my TBR list

  • 0%No, not yet



 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page