Be True To Yourself

From the IntroductionI remember vividly the day my high school art teacher told us that she didn’t care too much about how well we did in her class. “What I do care about,” she said, “is that maybe someday when you are an adult, you will think of this class and you will say to yourself, ‘I remember I enjoyed making art,’ and you will pick up a brush or a pencil and you will create something again.” Her statement mpacted me with its clear message that I didn’t need to be moving on a direct and certain path. Her statement told me that I could pick up where I left off, that I could—and would—be discovering and rediscovering myself for years and decades to come. My art teacher understood her job as planting seeds of possibility in our minds and hearts. That’s exactly how I see this book: As little seeds of possibility that will bloom when they are needed. It is full of practical advice, pep talks and poetic inspiration to help you in the journey of discovering and being true to yourself. Being true to yourself is not easy. It might mean going against the beliefs and actions of your peers. It might mean disappointing somebody you love. You might wonder, “Who am I anyway?” Sometimes you won’t know what to do. Sometimes you will do something that will turn out to be the wrong thing and you will feel very bad about it, but that’s OK, because getting off course is an unavoidable part of getting to know yourself. I hope this book will serve as a guidepost along the way, encouraging your imagination, nourishing your heart and fortifying your sense of self-worth. I hope this book will be an antidote to all that is superficial, harsh and fleeting, an antidote to all the things that might rob you of knowing your innate magnificence. This book is organized in short essays, one to read for every day of the year. You can read it in order day by day, from cover to cover in one sitting or flip through and read randomly as you feel called. Some ideas will resonate for you, some will not. Take what works for you and leave the rest. Words that don’t make sense at first might someday become the very thing you need to hear. The fact that you are reading this book tells me that you are a special soul, a deeper thinker and a curious seeker. I am grateful and honored to be connected to you through the shared experience of these pages. Let’s dive in...