mental wellness Archives

Elyce Monet: The Me I Couldn’t See wasn’t hidden by the world—it was hidden by me. The journey to authenticity starts here.

Liz Rubico October 9, 2024 October 7, 2024Meet The Authors

In “The Me I Couldn’t See: A Journey Into Authenticity” by Elyce Monet, there’s this realization that really hits hard: the real you, the person you’ve been searching for all along, wasn’t hidden by the world. It was hidden by you. That’s a pretty big truth to swallow, right? It’s not society, or your friends, or your family that’s kept you from being your authentic self—it’s you. You’re the one who’s been hiding your true self, thinking it’s what you have to do to survive, fit in, or be accepted. Let’s be real for a second—how often do we hide parts of who we are just to feel like we belong? We craft this version of ourselves that feels “safe,” the version we think everyone will like, and over time, we get so used to wearing that mask that we convince ourselves it’s who we really are. But deep down, we know that’s not the truth. There’s this little voice inside that keeps reminding us that something is missing, that we’re not living fully as ourselves. Elyce Monet taps into this feeling so perfectly in her book. We spend so much of our lives editing ourselves, downplaying what makes us unique, and pushing down the parts we’re scared to show. Maybe we think we’re too weird, too different, or too much for people to handle. So, we hide. But the funny thing is, in hiding those parts, we’re also hiding the things that make us feel alive. We’re hiding our…

Joanna Kleinman: What if the voice in your head that says ‘you’re not good enough’ isn’t your true voice at all?

Liz Rubico September 13, 2024 September 11, 2024Meet The Authors

What if the voice in your head that constantly tells you that you’re not good enough isn’t really your own? That voice, the inner critic that doubts us all the time, challenges us, and destroys our confidence, is something that many of us are all too familiar with. It may sound so powerful, whispering things like “You’ll never succeed” or “You’re not smart enough,” but the startling fact is that this voice isn’t actually your own. This critical inner monologue isn’t a reflection of who you are, according to Joanna Kleinman’s book Dethroning Your Inner Critic: The Four-Step Journey from Self-Doubt to Self-Empowerment. It’s a story you’ve been telling yourself, shaped over time by internalized pressures, traumatic events, and worries. Consider this: How often do we allow our inner critic to take charge? That voice that tells us we’re not good enough causes us to doubt ourselves, shy away from difficulties, and turn off possibilities. But according to Kleinman, this voice is nothing more than a pattern—a habit of thought that we’ve learned to believe. It doesn’t represent our authentic self. So, if it’s not who we really are, what do we do about it? Kleinman’s book offers a transformative path out of this self-doubt. She lays out a four-step process designed to help us recognize the inner critic for what it is—a false narrative that keeps us stuck. The first step is recognizing that this voice isn’t yours. It’s an old script, often influenced by past criticisms, failures, or…