The soul [authentic self] grows by subtraction, not addition.
—HENRY DAVID THOREAU
Michelangelo’s David is considered one of the most beautiful sculptures in the history of art. The sculptor’s description of how he created the angel went something like this: I came across a big, ugly block of marble, and in it, I saw David. All I had to do was chip away the excess stone.
Like Michelangelo, all we have to do is chip away the excess stone—our insecurities, fears, biases, distractions—to set our authentic selves free. Good editors do the same with a rough draft. They see the essence of a beautiful story buried under authorial insecurities, fears, biases, and distractions, clearing them away to expose the story’s greater truths.
Once your authentic self comes into view, it becomes a powerful compass for navigating life. With greater ease and joy. We hope this book has inspired you to see your life, and the young people in it, with a fresh perspective. Use it to carve away what doesn’t serve you: the siren’s call of wealth, power, and prestige. An obsession with fixed games. A myopic, self-serving definition of achievement. The unattainable expectations of others. We live in a world that insists that the only way to succeed is through the power of more: do more, get more, be more. We are inundated with articles, podcasts, and books promising to tell us the exact things every person needs to do to be successful and happy. It’s always more. If you take away one lesson from this book, let it be this: you have everything you need. You don’t need more. You don’t have to bend yourself into a pretzel to fit someone else’s definition of success. You don’t have to be all things to all people.
But whatever you choose to be, let it be purposeful.