Self-Inflicted Wounds by Aisha Tyler
I was already in love with the gorgeous, statuesque-ness that is Aisha Tyler from her time on Talk Soup, one-third of a love triangle with Joey and Ross, and Jennifer Love Hewitt's bestie in Ghost Whisperer. I knew vaguely of her nerd life... and respected her even more for it. But I was not prepared to develop this strong of a girlcrush from listening to her book.
One of my friends on Twitter had responded to a call from me for audiobook suggestions with this recommendation. And it couldn't have been better. I'm not sure if it came during a time in my life when I most needed some kick-ass inspiration delivered with wry, swear-laden humor... but I know that it was exactly what I needed to read.
The main impact Self-Inflicted Wounds had on me was that, as soon as I finished it, I was ready to go out into the world and FUCK.SHIT.UP! I wanted to jump from a plane, piss into the wind and tell Kanye West that he "ain't all that". I started to embrace all of my scars... both physical and emotional... as proof that I took charge and made changes in my life. I've made some mistakes, sure. But those mistakes have led me to right here, this very moment. A moment where I love my life. Where I have an awesome 2 year old who chants "Lorelai's hardcore!" to herself when trying to psyche herself up to do something scary. Where I'll be on a flight in 2 days to attend the Gilmore girls reunion at the ATX Festival in Austin, TX all by myself (and so excited to do so). There is a little Aisha Tyler living in all of us. Now just to figure out how to get the outsides to match my Aisha-fied insides. Because... bitch be SMOKIN'!
Synopsis:
self-inflicted wound (n): a spectacularly humiliating, and often hilarious, incident entirely of one's own making. see also you did it to yourself.
Have you ever made a decision you instantly regretted? Humiliated yourself in a room of your peers, or shamed yourself in front of your massive crush? Ever blown a job interview, frozen during a presentation, acted like a total idiot on a date? Ever said the wrong thing at the wrong time, unable to keep your tongue from flapping out the stupidest words you've ever said in your life, ever? If you are a human being, the answer, of course, is yes. Take heart. You're not alone. This is known as the Self-Inflicted Wound, and every one of us bears a scar. Or several.
Here, Aisha Tyler, comedian, actress, cohost of CBS's The Talk, star of Archer, and creator of the top-ranked podcast Girl on Guy, serves up a spectacular collection of her own self-inflicted wounds. From almost setting herself on fire, to vomiting on a boy she liked, to getting drunk and sleeping through the SATs, to going into crushing debt to pay for college and then throwing away her degree to become a comedian, Aisha's life has been a series of spectacularly epic fails. And she's got the scars to prove it. Literally.
Through it all, Aisha's triumphs haven't come in spite of the failures, but because of them. Because with every failure comes a lesson learned, a strength revealed, a fear overcome, or an adventure braved. Self-Inflicted Wounds isn't just about surviving failure. It's about embracing failure--pursuing it, even--on the winding path to success. And after you've failed a time or three, hopefully you'll have learned something. Or at the very least have a really killer story. Because to err is human, but to fail epically is hilarious.