You guys. It has been a minute. Life got a little bit crazy, and I just couldn’t bring myself to sit at my computer and write. BUT I am back and will work hard to make up for lost time. I actually read Unfinished by Priyanka Chopra Jonas back in July, and I absolutely loved it.

Priyanka’s Story

“I have always felt that life is a solitary journey, that we are each on a train, riding through our hours, our days, our years. We get on alone, we leave alone, and the decisions we make as we travel on the train are our responsibility alone.”

A remarkable life story rooted in two different worlds, Unfinished offers insights into Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s childhood in India; her formative teenage years in the United States; and her return to India, where against all odds as a newcomer to the pageant world, she won the national and international beauty competitions that launched her global acting career. Whether reflecting on her nomadic early years or the challenges she has faced as she has doggedly pursued her calling, Priyanka shares her challenges and triumphs with warmth and honesty. The result is a book that is philosophical, sassy, inspiring, bold, and rebellious. Just like the author herself.

From her dual-continent twenty-year-long career as an actor and producer to her work as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, from losing her beloved father to cancer to marrying Nick Jonas, Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s story will inspire a generation around the world to gather their courage, embrace their ambition, and commit to the hard work of following their dreams.

My Thoughts

I watched Priyanka in Quantico when it all made it to Netflix, and just loved her. She is so different than so many of the other actresses, and I appreciated that. Plus, I really love the sound of Indian accents. Unfinished made me fall in love with her even more.

Priyanka did grow up in a place of privilege, so that is something to consider. Additionally, being plunged into the beauty pageant circuit as quickly as she did opened up a literal world of opportunities. However, her book and her story is full of grace and beauty and even a little bit of hope. Plus, major props to her for landing Nick Jonas for a husband THROUGH A TWITTER DM.

I actually flagged quite a few passages from Unfinished for some of my favorite quotes. The first one is the train metaphor mentioned in the synopsis of the book. The next is a little nugget of wisdom from her father, regarding entering new situations:

“Be like water,” he said. “Find the best situation wherever you are and make it work.”

Unfinished, Page 22

Favorite Quotes & Passages

My parents had taught me that confidence is not a permanent state of being, a piece of wisdom I still believe. It’s something you can work to develop and something you have to work to maintain.

Unfinished, Page 57

For me, one of the hardest things to accept in life is that control is an illusion. I hate that I can’t control what happens in my life, but I can’t. Loss happens. Failure happens. Sorrow happens. I can’t always control where I’m headed, either. Sometimes sadness is the destination, whether or not it’s where I want to go. During my time there I had to learn to trust that I was visiting for a reason, but that it would not be my permanent place of residence, my forever state of being. That, like water, I would flow past it eventually and end up where I was meant to be.

Unfinished, Page 183

You can see why I dream of this space as an inviting one. No one person can do all that needs to be done alone. We need to act together for whatever positive change we want to bring into the world. Yes, there’s much to be done, but let’s not use that as an excuse not to get started. All the good intentions in the world cannot replace positive action. We need to act and we need to act now, for whatever change we are passionate about, in whatever way we can, small or large. There’s space in this room for you. I’d be honored if you’d join me here.

Unfinished, Page 230

Honestly, Unfinished was just so lovely. It was not political. There was no hidden agenda. It truly just felt like Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ story that she was sharing with the world. I would definitely recommend it.

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