Thoughts on a Book: “If You Have to Cry, Go Outside”

I have just finished reading (and by just, I mean 30 minutes ago) Kelly Cutrone’s book “If You Have to Cry, Go Outside and Other Things Your Mother Never Told You”.  It is part self-help book, part memoir of all the hard lessons Ms. Cutrone (she’s that awesome, she deserves the Ms.) has learned in her 40-some years.  Not just about working in the fashion world, but really about figuring out who YOU are at your core.  Finding the divine within your soul and nurturing it.  I didn’t expect this book to enlighten me so much when I bought it, I though I was buying a book about how to brand myself (which she talks about, just not the way I thought).  In the after glow of reading this book I’ve promised myself three things: 1) I will never cry at work again as it will get me nowhere and only make myself dwell on things that are incredibly miniscule.  2) I’ll live my life by my rules.  Ms. Cutrone would call this “creating your own religion” or “or finding my inner goddess”.  I prefer the latter.  In a later post I’ll try to describe who I feel my inner goddess is at THIS moment (I’m sure I’ll change as I move into new stages of life).  My last promise to myself (3) is to do whatever I have to do to get into the profession I am passionate about while still keeping my dignity and integrity.  My current job has taught me a lot, but it doesn’t fit well into my long-term goals.  I may have to do a little back-stepping as far as pay goes, but I’ll have to learn to be creative (who hoo!  Good thing I’m good at that) and frugal (good thing I’m good at that too!) to make it work because it is something I have to do.  I’m not fully aware of what all it will take, but I’m motivated and inspired and now have some guidance and I’ll be working on it (stay tuned my three loyal readers!).

My review of this book is simple and really more a message to the author: Thank you, Kelly Cutrone, for putting yourself completely our there in this book. I think I knew most of the things you talked about in your book deeply in my soul, but sometimes you need a mirror to show you what already exists.  Your book was that mirror for me. I’ll be sharing this book with my friends because I know you will affect them as much as you have affected me.  Keep writing.  You may just be another incarnation of “The Mother” for professional women on my generation.