Read an Excerpt
Introduction
"In a dark time, the eye begins to see."
—Theodore
Roethke
Laying in bed at night, what do you think about?
When you wish upon a star, what is the thing you hope for time and time again?
Who are your soul mates, the people who understand your inner workings more than anyone else?
What writing or lyrics speak to you as if your mirror-self wrote them?
***
Your answers to these questions are most likely different from everyone else's in the entire world. And considering there are a lot of us out there,
that's saying something!
But it's these answers—the things that make you tick and hum, the imprecise combination of quirks and habits that are yours and yours alone—that make you who you are, that make up what Rachel and I like to call your secret self. Think of it like your soul's own precise and particular fingerprint,
something that is constant no matter where you are or who you're with.
In The Secret Me Book, you'll learn about this part of you in a deeper,
more meaningful way.
Why, you may wonder, do I want to learn more about myself? Let me share a story about my own secret self...
2010 wasn't one of my favorite years. I went through some personal stuff that left me reeling, and I had to have my wonderful fourteen-year-
old cat Baxter put to sleep. There were times I felt so completely gut-sad that all I could manage to focus on was the rise and fall of my ribs as the breath came in and out.
But here's the thing about being alone: you begin to learn what you are made of. You discover there's a rhythm to your breathing, strength in your bones. That year, I found in myself a current running deep—like a secret underground river—silent and steady and strong. It's mysterious, this dark river, but it's constant and true, as sure as the breath I take in. I like to think it's the real me—the secret me.
So who is this secret me, my secret me? It's someone who believes books are a first home—that they can take me outside of my mind, to places that are beautiful and strange. It's someone who cultivates friendships with people who are witty and kind and dependable—who will take me roller-skating when I'm sad, even if it's a two-hour commute. It's someone who believes in comfort food: a plate of rice and beans with freshly chopped tomatoes and cilantro, or a burger from the Ear Inn. It's someone who can seek out music for my moods—the
Magnetic Fields for when I'm heartbroken, Patty Griffin when I need solace.
My secret self is the same whether I'm in a crowd of people or alone in my apartment. It's who I am when I'm in the middle of fresh heartbreak, but it's also me when I believe I'll find love again. It's me when I've lost my best cat buddy, but it's also me when I've taken in a new punk-ass kitten. It is the constant part of me I can always count on—my true self.
What makes up your secret self?
This book is about recognizing who you were, who you are, who you wish to be. It's not about self-help or self-improvement—
rather it's about self-recognition...
getting to know and trust and rely upon the core parts of you.
As you move through these pages, you'll find prompts to spark your thoughts, quotes to inspire you, and what we have dubbed Secret Surveys—quick glimpses at the secret selves of those around us.
By looking at the things you keep in the dark, you'll tap into secret parts of you in a deeper way, learning to celebrate what you usually keep quiet and unspoken. You'll discover what you're made of: the strength that will carry you through days of joy and spring, days of heartbreak and loss, days of the ordinary.
You'll discover what makes you, you.
We wish you the best of luck on your journey.
Meg
