You Gotta Be You

How to Embrace This Messy Life and Step into Who You Really Are

By: Brandon Kyle Goodman

Narrated by: Brandon Kyle Goodman

Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins

Publisher's summary

You are enough exactly as you are. ​

From the time we’re born, a litany of do’s and don’ts are placed on us by our families, our communities, and society. We're required to fit into boxes based on our race, gender, sexuality, and other parts of our identities, being told by others how we should behave, who we should date, or what we should be interested in. For so many of us, those boxes begin to feel like shackles when we realize they don’t fit our unique shape, yet we keep trying because we crave acceptance and validation. But is “fitting in” worth the time, energy, and suffering? Actor, writer, and activist Brandon Kyle Goodman says, Hell no it ain’t!

As a Black nonbinary, queer person in a dark-skinned 6’1”, 180-pound male body born into a religious immigrant household, Brandon knows the pain of having to hide one’s true self, the work of learning to love that true self, and the freedom of finally being your true self.

In You Gotta Be You, Brandon affectionately challenges you to consider, “Who would I be if society never got its hands on me?” This question set Brandon on a mission to dropkick societal shackles by unlearning all the things he was told he should be in order to step into who he really is. It required him to reexamine messy but ultimately defining moments in his life—his first time being followed in a store, navigating his mother’s born-again Christian faith, and regretfully using soap as lube (yes, you heard that right!)—to find the lessons that would guide him to his most authentic self.

Compassionate and soulful, funny and revealing, You Gotta Be You is an unapologetic call to self-freedom. It’s about turning rejection (from others and yourself) into a roadmap to self-love. It’s a guide to setting boundaries and fostering self-growth. And most importantly, it’s an affirmation that we are enough exactly as we are.

©2022 Brandon Kyle Goodman (P)2022 Legacy Lit

Amazing, inspiring!!

So inspiring. Everyone goes through difficult times and he tells his story in such a beautiful way, it is so inspiring. I loved it!

Beautiful story

Thank you for this message of self love and self appreciation! I gotta be me at all times and in all places !

Everything and MORE!!

This book is a labor of love and the hug we all deserve. I feel restored and worthy of claiming this life as my own, exactly as I am. Man, I needed this. Thank you, BKG ❤️

Read this book.

Language to help a light skinned black woman who never quite knew which category she falls in, reminders that no one defines you expect you yourself and inspiration to remember we all suffer trauma, failure and uncertainty, but that’s not the whole story or end of the story.
Thank you.

loved it!

Brandon's candor and unique point of view are refreshing, touching, and inspirational. We need more queer stories like this. 💙🏳️‍🌈

Wonderfully Messy

BKGs authenticity, transparency, and entertaining storytelling are just a few things that make this book excellent. BKG shares his truth while inviting us into his world of intersectionality, therapy, growth and self discovery. Not to mention his beautiful voice that carried us along for the ride as we laughed and cried. Absolutely wonderful audio book!

Excellent

I highly recommend this book, especially for family members of anyone struggling with their gender or sexual identity. Thank you Brandon!

Incredible way to start year and rest of my life

So needed to read this as I kicked off 2023. Thanks for courageously sharing your story and helping me on my journey of self love

Wonderful Journey of Loving Oneself

This book was wonderful from beginning to end. The authors journey to love himself reminded me so much of my own. This is a coming of age story for anyone that loves love and for those that need a reminder that it's ok to be you, love you, unapologetically stand in your truth all while learning to be a decent human being living in a society with known and unknown expectations.

What you need

I heard Ailsa Chang’s brief interview with Brandon Kyle Goodman on NPR a few days ago where they talked about this book and after the interview I immediately came here to check if it was available as an audiobook. I am so glad it was.
Talk about what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it! What a gorgeous, inspiring and life affirming experience this listen was.
I am sure that reading this book would be meaningful too but why deny yourself the experience of hearing Brandon Kyle Goodman tell you his story. His narration was perfection!