The First Question: Is Your Hair Full of Secrets?

Considering what you’re keeping to yourself, and why.

Well, here we are. The first question. I’m not going to fluff you, let’s dive right in.

What secret have you kept, or are you keeping?

Woof…I know. Feeling the feels already? I’ll give you a beat.

Ya good?

So…that’s it. I’m not here to tell you how to interpret the question. Not here to tell you a step-by-step process for how to navigate whatever emotional journey it sends you on. I’m just…asking the question.

But if you are having trouble figuring out how to approach this subject, I’ll offer some possible jumping off points:

• What’s the origin story of the secret?

• How does it make you feel to have to keep this to yourself?

• If it was a secret shared with you, were you asked if you wanted the information before receiving it?

• If you’re holding someone else’s secret, is there something about that power that appeals to you? Makes your uncomfortable?

• If it’s a secret of your own, how did you feel when you realized it had to be kept to yourself?

• Why did you choose to keep it to yourself?

• If everyone found out, what do you think would happen? Best case? Worst case? How would it make you feel?

• If you weren’t keeping this secret, what would be different about your life right now?

• Are you keeping this a secret from everyone, or really just from one person?

As for me, I’m going to start by shutting my laptop and journaling right after I send this out.

So What Next?

Use this prompt to inspire journaling and self-discovery throughout the week, whatever that means to you. As far as our relationship, I’ll be back in touch on Friday to let you know a bit about what this reflection unlocked for me, and hopefully to share a story from another member of this community (more on that below).

Then we’ll take the weekend to reset and recharge, and I’ll be back in touch Sunday with your next question. Note that this doesn’t mean don’t journal over the weekend (unless you don’t want to)!

Speak Up!

As we grow this community together, my hope is that you won’t just be hearing from me about journaling and its benefits, but your fellow readers and writers too. If you ever want to share something, anonymously or otherwise, that one of our questions has brought up for you, just drop me an email or a DM with your story.

A Parting…Something

I’m developing a lot of what this is going to be on the fly (let’s just say we’re at the MVP stage of development here), and I want to try to end these notes with something lighter, something useful. What’s that going to be long-term? No idea. But today, here’s a peek at where I’m writing to you from.

And how about a tune to kick off your writing? I heard Holly Humberstone’s haunting cover of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U” when it was used in the closing moments of the fourth episode of Apple TV’s Shrinking and have had it on loop ever since. It’s one of my favorite Prince songs, and her arrangement gives the song some new emotional layers.

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