This Is Me: Loving the Person You are Today

This book is a must read for all performers, and honestly, just about anybody who cares about wanting to be more confident. It's in the Self-Help section for a reason, so anyone who critiques it for giving advice is missing the point. This woman is simply sharing her true life stories and then what she learned from them. And some of the stories will make you raise an eyebrow and then look inward and your own "stuff". I have read (usually listened to because I hate reading) dozens of Self-Help books and clearly, by far, this was the best for a number of reasons. Here are my top 5: 1. It is written in a way that makes it easy to relate to and easy to read! She uses every day English in a clever/hip way. 2. It's humorous but also has depth and wisdom in every page 3. It is heartwarming and inspiring to read about a woman who is sharing stories that everyone can relate to and learn from, but most people don't have the courage to write about 4. I do not like reading, but I did not want to put this book down. It is engaging. 5. It gave me many useful tips about life, relationships, and the industry to name a few. I wasn't sure what to expect before I read this book and honestly, IMHO all the people who have critiqued it with less than a 4 probably read it for the wrong reasons. If you want a good laugh and a good cry and some good eye-opening stories to make you re-think how you think and experience the world, then read this book. I'm pretty convinced if everyone read this book, the world would certainly be a better place.

"I am a firm believer that what you do and what you spend your time doing is a message to the universe. And the universe doesn’t know good or bad; it just knows what you are focusing on." Chrissy Metz, probably better known as Katie Pearson in the TV show This Is Us , introduces herself to us through her reflective autobiography This Is Me. Just like her character on the TV show, she is honest and strong as she discusses some of the most challenging moments in her life, from personal family and interpersonal conflicts to her journey to the big screen. Using her past, she motivates readers to overcome challenges regardless of how difficult they seem in the moment. Chrissy encountered a multitude of challenges thus far: a disappearing father, an unsatisfied stepfather, challenges with her own body images among many more. However, just as Chrissy said in her book: "We all have a purpose...Some people are the tall oak trees, and some people are the beautiful bushes. But everyone has a purpose. There is nobody here on earth who doesn’t have a path or a purpose. An innate destiny. Every human being who comes, comes called." Nonetheless, she has persevered and uses these challenges in her daily life to inspire others through her writing and acting. I found this book as easy to read as it is to bingewatch a whole season of This Is Us on Hulu. I always found Chrissy's character on the TV show to be inspiring, but now, knowing more of her personal story, she also inspires me as an individual. She stands strong for what she believes in, as should all of us. I loved the tidbits of advice she mentioned throughout her book and found that they could be relatable to truly anyone today. "So many people, including myself, talk at each other but don't listen. To ourselves or to other people. Believe in actively listening to yourself. Take time to have a conversation with yourself every now and again. ... So often we're on autopilot and we slip into addictive behaviors to avoid listening to ourselves. We eat, or drink, or, yes, check our phones — anything to avoid hearing what we truly need to say." I heard what Chrissy Metz had to say in this book and encourage others who love a inspiring, self-help memoir to check this book out as well.

This book was well written and enjoyable to read. I love Chrissy's character on This is Us, and enjoyed seeing the similarities in her life to the character she plays. I think it was incredibly brave to write about her life so candidly. Chrissy is an amazingly loving and thoughtful person. I do not know how she evolved thru abuse to have the uplifting attitude she portrays. I also enjoyed the insight and portrayal of the cast of This is Us. I love the show and enjoyed reading about them too. The self help parts of the book did not always resonate with me but probably because I personally would need a different way to overcome abuse. I hope it is helpful to other people and I still gained value in some things like gratitude and forgiveness, and being authentic. This book was not at all what I expected, but I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in Chrissy and the This is Us cast. If you have a history of abuse in your past just be aware that it might be difficult to read without revisiting some ghosts. It is wonderful to see someone overcome those issues and attain the success they deserve. I wish every victim of abuse could experience success and value themselves.

It may not appear so, but Chrissy Metz, who play’s Kate Pearson on the hit show This is Us, and I have a lot in common: we’re our parents’ third child, we had abusive stepfathers, we grew up poor, we grew up with body image issues, we’re actresses, we’re authors, and we’ve both worked on the same set as Sterling Brown who plays Randall on This is Us. Granted, Chrissy’s success as an actress far exceeds mine and unlike me, she’s a New York Times bestseller and the time spent on set with Sterling Brown was as his sister unlike me who spent time with him on the set of Insecure when I was an extra and he was a guest star. Albeit, I’ve opted to focus on the similarities. And it’s these similarities that drew me to her new memoir This is Me. In her memoir, Chrissy gives the reader a birds-eye view of her life starting with a lunch invite she received from none other than the iconic Oprah Winfrey. She had me glued to the pages and laughing out loud as she talked about receiving a call from Oprah’s assistant—a call she just knew was a prank. But when Lady O reached out to her personally, Chrissy quickly accepted the invite. Her writing is so descriptive that she made me feel as if I were there at Oprah’s breathtaking estate in Montecito, California, taking part in their conversation. She goes on from there back to her childhood in Gainesville, Florida where she lived with her mother, father, and two older siblings. Chrissy talks about feeling like an outsider in her own home because of the age difference between her and her siblings coupled with her father’s indifference to her. Her father, who she called Mark, was a philanderer and her parents eventually divorced. Chrissy, her mother, and siblings moved back to Florida where her mother struggled financially. Soon thereafter her mother met a man named Trigger—the man that would become Chrissy’s tormentor. Chrissy took comfort in food and school. She eventually got into the choir and flourished in music and from there made a foray into entertainment as a young aspiring actress and then an agent. She eventually got a break and got a recurring role in American Horror Story that eventually led to her landing her role on This is Us. Throughout the book Chrissy gives pointers on how she’s navigated through her amazing life that’s been filled with pain, anguish, joy, judgement, doubt, surprises, miracles, and hope. She’s learned some hard lessons when it comes to romance, and she’s learned to stand up for herself and to say no when it counts. I found her story to be inspirational and encouraging. If an abused girl who grew up dirt poor living in a trailer park in Gainesville can realize her dreams, anyone can. I should know. I was an abused girl who grew up dirt poor in the projects in San Francisco and I too am living my dream.

I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting Chrissy in person during a meet and greet. This book is written in the manner that she speaks to you in, warm, inviting, and as if you’re a valued friend. As someone who has battled with their weight, self-esteem, confidence and the results of growing up in poverty with extremely young stressed out parents who made some questionable parenting decisions…. WOW. Some things Chrissy talks about are so relatable it feels as if we’re living parts of the same life, in others I wonder how she’s so kind and loving, the kind of person I’d like to be. Whether meeting her in person or reading this book, you feel like you’ve met a friend. I could not put this book down.

This book really gave me an insight to what shaped Chrissy into the woman she is today. The first time I saw her on "This is Us", I was stunned by her beauty. But after reading her book, I see that her beauty is also on the inside! I was so inspired by her humility. Even though she is talented, gorgeous and famous, she is SO down to earth! So much of her childhood was painful, but she made the choice to turn that pain into learning experiences and she made forgiveness her goal. I am so amazed by her in our current culture where people are always seeking to be validated and want their egos stroked, but no one can seem to handle criticism. She uses anything negative as a way to grow. She is an example of someone who takes whatever people throw at her (good or bad) and figures out how to use it for her benefit. She's so upbeat, charming and amazing!

I love a good memoir and I thought this book by "This is Us" star Chrissy Metz would fit the bill. She had made waves in Hollwood as the 'it' plus sized actress. I actually listened to this on Audible so that I could listen to the author narrate her book. I was intrigued and somewhat horrified by the story of how she grew up. Her father abandoned the family. Her step-dad Trigger was emotionally and mentally abusive. He purposefully excluded her and tortured her over her weight. He made her do regular weigh ins. As a heavier person myself, this was terrifying. As far as her career, she got into the business by almost being in the right place at the right time. Since than she has worked her toosh off to get where she is. I think she spent something like nine years as a agent for other talent. I appreciated the honesty she shared regarding her relationships including an early years marriage and subsequent divorce. She also tells some crazy stories of her dating experiences post divorce and girl with in her own words "thirsty". Those tales are funny and very relateable. But there were some things I didn't care for. The self help portions of this memoir seemed odd and out of place. In parts I felt like they were overly preachy. I also can't understand why she forgave Trigger and her mother for their mistreatment of her all those years. This stuck with me negatively because it is never explained. Still it was worth the read but not one of the most engrossing memoirs I've read.

I initally started reading this book and was put off by the first chaper which I mistakenly thought exsuded low-self esteem to the point it was making me uncomfortable. Come back to it a few months later and I am eating my thoughts. I am in awe of how this woman pulled empowerment out of herself with no help from authority figures. I am inspired by her self-awareness and confidence. Despite having similar childhood experiances I didn't have her strength or intelligence to be resiliant to people who bullied and disrespected me. I love that she has written this book with such kindness and forgiveness but is still saying what she needs to say. I admire that she spend 15 years fighting for the career she wanted and finally getting her big break. This is truely a pleasant and inspiring read.

I am a huge fan of the series “This is us”. When I stumbled over an ad for Chrissy Metz’ book “This is me” it was clear I have to read it. Chrissy writes about her life: a childhood without the father but with a stepfather who was treating her pretty strangely, her joy of singing, her continuous struggle with her weight, her dream to become an actress and finally her move to Los Angeles where she worked as an agent for actors for many years instead of acting herself. Much of her life sounds like Kate’s story which makes her play that role so authentic. Between the stories about her life Chrissy adds some advice how to accept yourself though you might not be the person people around you want you to be. All those are suggestions only learnt from own experience. You may follow them or not. If you’re a fan of “This is us” as well - read the book! If you are interested in well written biographies - read the book!

Maravilhoso, ainda estou lendo mas é perfeito o livro e chegou super rápido!

Wow Chrissy is one strong and inspirational woman!! Even though she had a pretty tough childhood, she followed her dreams and she made it!! She’s a very kind person and this really stands out in this book. Highly recommend

I was so impressed with the therapy and wisdom that this young woman possesses.. She had such a great take on life and how to achieve your best self and overcome our perceived inadequacies. I truly enjoyed reading about her life , challenges and conquests and successes.. a very enjoyable read..plus I adore her character portrayal on the tv series THIS IS US.

An amazing life story with so many valuable lessons and advice definitely a must read and this one is surely a keepsake !