Carry on, Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton

Once again I grabbed a book because, based on the title, I thought “Oh, that one’s speaking directly to my soul.” The title? Carry On, Warrior: The Power of Embracing Your Messy, Beautiful Life by Glennon Doyle. I mean, come on—the word messy is right there in the title. Irresistible, right?

I was expecting something inspirational, maybe in the same spirit as Doyle’s later best seller, Untamed but this wasn’t that. Not even close.

And yet, somehow... it still kind of worked. Sort of. Let me explain.

This Isn’t Untamed

First, let’s be clear. If you’re coming to Carry On, Warrior expecting the same fierce, untamed fire of her later work, hit pause. This one is Doyle before she became Glennon Doyle™. It’s early days. It’s raw. It’s a patchwork of essays—more personal blog than polished narrative.

If Untamed is a roaring anthem, Carry On, Warrior is more like a heartfelt voicemail from your slightly overwhelmed besty. It is all over the place. It repeats. It gets heavy on faith and yet, there are moments that grab you by the heart and don’t let go.

Let’s Talk Format (or Lack Thereof)

Here’s where expectations can get you into trouble.

This book isn’t a traditional memoir. It’s not even a cohesive collection of themed essays. It’s more like she opened up her personal blog, printed it out, and organized it by life category. (which actually might be true) There’s “Holy Hole” (yes, really), there’s “Multiplying” (aka parenting), and then there’s...well, you get the idea.

If I had known that going in? We might’ve picked a different book—or at least adjusted our reading strategy.

Once I realized this, everything changed. Instead of reading it straight through, I started skipping around—picking essays that jumped out, like “Pour the First Glass” (more on that gem in a minute). Reading it that way actually made it more enjoyable.

The Good, the Meh, and the Memorable

Let’s start with the meh. I mention in the episode that in my notes (scrawled in bright pink, no less) was the simple summary: “I found it forgettable.” And ironically? I couldn’t even find the book when it came time to record the podcast. So… point proven.

That said, a few essays hit hard. One in particular, “Pour the First Glass,” was a standout.

It’s a story about a moment when Doyle and her husband were on the brink of divorce. Tired, angry, and emotionally tapped, she still prepared his dinner. Set the wine out. Made that small gesture. And the next morning, he returned the favour. It was an “olive branch” moment that shifted everything—even if only temporarily.

That essay was a reminder that sometimes the smallest kindness is the first step toward connection. That stuck.

So did a story about a vacuum. (Yes, a vacuum.) Doyle confesses to faking vacuum lines in the carpet using her daughter’s stroller. For a while, her husband was proud she was finally cleaning the house - only to realize their vacuum wasn’t actually picking anything up, so he bought her a new one. Only for her to convince her very young daughter to vacuumed the house for fun, believing it was a “motorized baby stroller.” Genius or manipulation? Probably both. Either way, it made us laugh—and cringe a little.

A Book to Keep on the Shelf (But Maybe Not Pay For)

Look, I’ll be honest. I might have regretted buying this book, because the essays feel like they could live comfortably on a blog. But will I keep it around? Absolutely.

Because here’s the thing: Carry On, Warrior is the kind of book you don’t read start-to-finish. You reach for it when life feels hard, when you’re tired, when you need a dose of “it’s okay to be a hot mess.”

It’s not always inspiring. It’s not always for everyone. But when it hits? It really hits.

My Final Thought: Permission to Be Messy

I feel like this book gives you something rare: permission to live out loud and imperfectly. Permission to live honestly, real to who you are, even if you are a little bit of a disaster—without shame.

And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.

Joelene

Episode #405: Carry on, Warr... Jun 3 · The Success Through Comm... 26:02   ​