How to Live Authentically - by Judd Shaw (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

USA Today Bestseller

Real connection starts the moment you stop hiding who you actually are.

Judd Shaw built a successful law firm, put his face on billboards across New Jersey, and collected every marker of a life that was working. None of it kept him from an addiction that nearly killed him, a jail cell, or a moment on his garage floor when he considered ending his life.

This book is what he learned after he stopped pretending.

How to Live Authentically traces Judd's path from isolation and shame to a hard-won understanding of what it actually means to live as yourself. At its center is the Connection CURE, a framework built from lived experience and grounded in research:

C -- Connection: Recognize when you've lost contact with who you actually are
U -- Understand: Identify the patterns keeping you stuck
R -- Renew: Come back to yourself through compassion and healthy boundaries
E -- Expand: Carry that shift into every relationship you have

Judd doesn't write from a distance. He writes from inside the work. Still in it, still learning. He wrote this book the way he shows up in person. Not as someone who figured it out, but as someone willing to walk beside you while you do.

You don't have to be fixed to be free. You just have to be real.

Review Quotes

"Judd Shaw's book is a gift: a gift to yourself and a gift to everyone who will benefit as you become your true, authentic self. Judd's pain led to wisdom. Here he shares that wisdom with you, so that you too can overcome tragedy and emerge triumphant."
--Eric Greitens, former Navy SEAL and New York Times Bestselling Author, Resilience

"Most men are taught to look unbreakable while they're quietly falling apart inside. Judd Shaw offers a different way. How to Live Authentically is a path back to solid ground: a way to rebuild from the inside out so you can lead with strength, compassion, and courage."
--Dan Doty, Relentless Advocate for Men and Boys

"With incredible courage, honesty, and authenticity, Judd shares his path through trauma, dissociation, and disconnection, offering a deeply human story of self-discovery, growth, transformation, and, finally, connection with self. This is a book that stays with you."
--Susan Penning, PhD, LCSW, MSSc, Trauma/PTSD Specialist

"Judd delivers a powerful and accessible guide to unlocking the true power of authenticity and deep connection.... A must-read for anyone seeking genuine, fulfilling relationships and personal peace."
--Krista Williams, Author, Healer, Coach, and Host, Almost 30

"If you or someone you know is on a similar journey, remember you're not alone...Judd's journey can inspire you to begin your own path to healing."
--Dan Cockerell, former Vice President, Disney's Magic Kingdom Park

About the Author

Judd Shaw spent two decades building one of New Jersey's most successful law firms. The firm was thriving. He was not. The work that followed -- confronting addiction, isolation, and the distance between who he appeared to be and who he actually was -- changed how he lives and leads. He now speaks to organizations and audiences nationwide about what it actually takes to close that gap. He is the president of Judd Shaw Injury Law, the host of the Behind the Armor podcast, and the creator of the award-winning Sterling the Knight children's book series.