Preface xiii Part I A Rocky Road to Avoid 1 Chapter 1 When My Mess Walked Through the Door 3 DBT and CBT: Tools That Changed My Life 4 The Moment You See Your Changed Self 6 Choose Where You Direct Your Energy 6 Redefining Addiction 7 A Part They Don''t Talk About 8 Climb Out, Step-by-Step 9 Chapter 2 Lessons in Life and Linen 11 Dish Gloves and a Drag Queen: My Fabulous Lifelines 11 An Iron Test of Will 12 The Depths of Our Disease Are Dizzying 13 Ask Your Heart 15 Self-Respect Leads to Sparkle 15 Chapter 3 From the Bottle to Off Broadway 17 Same City. Old Dream. New Me. 17 "Talk" Without Action Is Self-Sabotage 22 Chapter 4 Have Bruce Do It 25 Hiding a Habit in a Hustle 25 Building My Business, Brick by Brick 28 Chapter 5 The Pandemic 31 A New Home Provides a New Chapter 31 When the World Shut Down 32 Letting Go, Saying Yes 36 Chapter 6 TikTok 39 Not Lead Paint, "Leading" Paint 39 The Power of Connection 42 A Cup of Mission with a Side of Positivity 43 Part II A Better Path to Follow 47 Chapter 7 The Power of Pause 49 The Sun Is Always Shining, but Maybe the Rays Aren''t Reaching You Yet 49 The Power of the Pause in Addiction Recovery 51 The Moment Between Impulse and Action 55 Chapter 8 It''s Okay Not to Know 59 "I Don''t Know" Is an Acceptable Answer 59 Being Present for Others Without Needing the Answers 60 The Gift of Silence 61 When You Don''t Have the Answers 62 You Don''t Need the News to Know Your Worth; You Can Choose Peace over Panic 62 When the World Feels Too Big, a Little Perspective Helps 63 The Seductive False Glamour of Social Media 64 The Wisdom in Not Knowing 65 Chapter 9 The Power of Choice 67 Seeing the Storm from a Different Angle 67 Rejection as Redirection 68 From Failure to Growth, from Earth to the Moon 69 The Triumph of Survival as Your Record 70 You Possess Choice in the Everyday 70 Speak Until You Believe: These Words Have Power! 71 Being Seen Is a Deep Need--Start by Seeing Yourself 72 Chapter 10 Falling in Love with Fear 75 Break That Mold If It Wasn''t Made for You! 75 Fear as Fuel 76 We All Have Dreams (Yes, Even You) 77 From Cleaning Crappers to the Land of Tappers 80 When the Spotlight Reawakens a Fear of Being Seen 80 Knock, Knock It''s Your Dream. Yes, I''m Still Waiting for You. 81 Chapter 11 The Present Is a Gift 85 Perspective Shifts Welcome Gratitude 85 Your Magical Beating Heart 86 Gratitude and Struggle 86 Living in the Moment Not for the Moment 88 You Can''t Buy Gratitude 89 Choosing Hard Now for Easy Later 90 Don''t Let Negativity Steal Your Now 91 Chapter 12 Do Your Best 95 What''s Your Role? How to Take an Honest Inventory 96 Doing Your Best During a Mental Health Storm 97 Supporting Someone in Crisis: Stay Grounded First 99 Chapter 13 Do No Harm 103 The Knives We Carry 104 Acknowledging the Pain, Then Choosing Something Different 104 Act "As If" 107 A Year of Showing Up as Your Future Self 108 Chapter 14 Do for Yourself 111 A Lesson in Burnout 112 Boundaries Matter. Period 112 Where to Begin 113 Our Journeys Are Measured in Hours and Honesty 115 You Are in Good Company 116 It Isn''t as Complicated as We Make It 118 Chapter 15 Do for Others 121 It''s Easy to Give Advice, but Not Always to Take It 121 The Guiding Questions Behind My Social Media Work 122 Showing Up in Real Life, a Friendship That Endures 123 What You Give Is What You Get 125 Give Wisely. Listen to Your Gut 125 I Didn''t Create These Principles-- But I Live by Them 125 The Gift You Give Is the Life You Build-- Love in Action 128 Chapter 16 The Power of Taking Action 129 Be Your Own Advocate 129 Visualize Your Dream Life 129 Control What You Can 130 Don''t Overthink It 130 Get Past the First Obstacle! 130 One Step at a Time 131 Your Actions Have Impact 133 Everyone Has a Story to Tell 133 The First Draft Is the Hardest 134 One Day at a Time 134 The Poppy in the Crack 135 One Moment Becomes a Wave 135 A Jar, a Lid, and Self-Limiting Beliefs 136 The Final Leap of Faith 137 Chapter 17 It Takes the Time It Takes 139 The Myth of Overnight Transformation 139 A Highway Analogy 140 The Danger of Unrealistic Expectations 141 When Time Stopped 141 What Can We Learn About Grief and Time? 143 Climbing Mountains, One Step at a Time 144 Chapter 18 Understanding How to Outgrow Yourself 147 The Illusion of the Pink Cloud 147 Temporary Is the Only Eternal 148 Growth Is a Gift 149 You Can Learn and Unlearn! 150 You Are Becoming 151 Chapter 19 Your Time Is Limited 155 The Trap of "Tomorrow" 155 A Simple Tool: The Procrastination Jar 156 Mood Hack: Dress Like You Mean It 158 The Neuroscience of Self-Care 159 Your Time Is Limited.

So Suit Up and Show Up. 162 Part III A Better Version of You Is Waiting: Show Up and Shimmy 165 Chapter 20 Questions I Should Have Asked 167 Chapter 21 The Journey of You 177 Use the Truth of This Moment to Shape the Next 177 You Can Do Hard Things 178 I Believe in You 179 About the Author 181 Index 183.