Brain Bitch Turns One: Lessons, Growth, and Gratitude

It’s hard to believe Brain Bitch is celebrating its one-year mark out in the world. Writing and publishing a book was a bucket-list item for me—one that, for a long time, my own Brain Bitch had me believe I wasn’t good enough to accomplish. I’m incredibly grateful I was able to change that message in my head so I could move forward and see my dream become a reality.

Happy Birthday Brain Bitch

Writing Brain Bitch challenged me in so many ways; it helped me grow and heal, and it was a life-changing experience. When I began to write my story, I was vague because I was scared to be vulnerable, fearing that I might be judged and criticized. I would write consistently for a while but then get nervous that I was oversharing and that my story would embarrass me and my family. So, I would close the laptop and try to forget it for a while. The thing about your big dreams is they’re there for a purpose—to ignore them is to lay aside an essential part of your personal journey. Big dreams often require taking risks and showing courage. Your inner critic may try to squash your dreams, telling you it’s too dangerous, that you stand to lose too much, and that you aren’t enough to see it through. Ironically, I was writing a book about how I had learned to quiet my “Inner Mean Girl” while she screamed at me, “Don’t do it. You will regret it.”

I'm so grateful I had the persistence to chase my dream and not give up. Writing was always a passion of mine, but it wasn’t until I experienced a transformative personal journey that I discovered my true story. As I learned to silence my inner critic—the voice I playfully nicknamed Brain Bitch—I found a sense of inner peace. It was in that stillness that my heart finally spoke, telling me it was time to write my book and share my Brain Bitch experience.

While writing Brain Bitch, I found my voice on the page. Over many months, chapter edits, and rewrites, I became more and more authentic and less vague. Writing a self-help memoir required me to consider whether I was strong enough to handle criticism, because there will always be some. I had to decide if I was ready to defend my stories as mine to tell and if I was passionate enough about helping others through my story to put my struggles out into the world for anyone to read. Silencing—or at least quieting—my Brain Bitch allowed me to grow in confidence and see my worth. I was finally ready to share my writing, but I wasn’t sure how it would all come to fruition.

I believe when you are truly ready to see your dreams come true, the universe shows you the way. I’d written about three-quarters of Brain Bitch when I discovered—through what I can only explain as divine intervention—that a yoga student of mine, who I’d known for several years, had spent her career as a copy editor. I shared with her that I was writing a book, something maybe only five people knew at the time. She said she would love to read my manuscript and possibly work with me as my editor. I was both elated and terrified as I sent over what I had written thus far. To my great joy and a bit of surprise, she loved it and encouraged me to finish the manuscript. Over several months, with her input and assistance, the book was completed, and a lifelong friendship was forged.

Brain Bitch is something I will always be proud of. It’s my story of how my mind had gotten out of control and held me hostage, how over the years I finally found the tools that resulted in lasting change, and how, to this day, I manage to have more good days than bad while navigating this life with my inner mean girl. I knew I couldn’t be alone in these mind struggles, so I wrote the book in hopes that someone out there would read it and feel seen, know they were not alone, and that maybe—just maybe—what had helped me could help them, too.

One year later, Brain Bitch isn’t a New York Times bestseller, but the people who have reached out to me and shared their experiences while reading the book and those who have reviewed the book, let me know that it was a success. Brain Bitch has become a book that people relate to, benefit from, and share with their closest friends and family.

I am eternally grateful for this experience. In the last year, I have taught yoga classes based on the theme of the book, held book signing sessions, and been interviewed on three podcasts. I often get asked if I will write another book, and I have pondered this question myself many times in the last year. I believe when the subject matter presents itself, as it did with Brain Bitch, I will have no other choice but to get back behind my laptop and author another book. In the meantime, I am going to celebrate the birthday of Brain Bitch and the day I became an author.

Thank you for your support of me and Brain Bitch. Please continue to share this book with anyone who may benefit from it.

Get your copy of Brain Bitch on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0pzr88r