Pst, come closer. Yes, lean right in, I donāt want anyone else to hear. I have a secret to tell you ā¦
You know that the official release date for my book is Jan 23/23? Well, guess what?
I quietly released the paperback and hardcover yesterday, on Friday 13th.
(The ebook is not available until the 23rd.)
Nobody knows about it except for you! I wanted to surprise you guys because youāre special to me. You can order it worldwide on Amazon with just one click:
January can be the longest month ever, especially if youāre doing dry January, and I have a few chapters in the book about the gnarliness thatās quitting alcohol. A year ago I was where many of you are right now: not drinking, but missing it with a fiery passion. One year later I have no desire whatsoever to have a drink, and I have not felt that good physically and mentally in years! If you want to know if it gets better, let me reassure you: it does. It gets a million times better, better than you can even imagine right now!
But it takes a while to get there, and if you are tempted to say āfuck itā and throw in the towel (like I did about a million times), I have a few very good reasons for hanging in there in my book.
Itās the most vulnerable book Iāve written to date. I reveal a lot of things I used to be deeply ashamed of, dark secrets I thought Iād die if someone found out.
Keeping secrets is heavy. Youāre not free if you carry around a burden you are terrified for others to see. Secrets have a way of coming out sooner or later, so youāre always worried: worried what will happen if it comes out, worried that it may come out, worried when it will come out.
Itās no way to live.
I decided it was time to stop living in fear and take control of the narrative. Instead of hiding important parts of myself Iāve laid it all bare: my struggle with mental illness, my history with alcohol, and the fear that accompanied the last few difficult years.
My hope for this book is that you will feel seen and understood. My therapist always tells me to practice self-compassion, and the message of the book is to fully accept yourself, to forgive yourself for past mistakes, and to be kind to yourself.
We are a lot more alike than we think we are, but weāve been taught to hide our true selves in a misguided attempt to appear how we think we should look: of strong body and mind, without doubts or fears or overly complicated emotions.
Well, guess what? Thatās utter bullshit. Nothing requires more bravery than showing vulnerability, owning up to mistakes, and apologizing when needed. Embracing the real you, flaws and all, is an act of courage, and let me tell you: it will set you free.
I really hope youāll like it! Here is the link once again: Truthš£ ahead.
Have a lovely weekend, weāre already (almost) halfway through January!
Much love,
Miriam