Girl Wash Your Face – Rachel Hollis

Introduction

This is the big opening letter to my book, the part where I tell you all the
things I’m hoping for as you read it. This is the moment where I outline my
intentions and—if you’re already game to read on—this is where I fire you
up more about what to anticipate. This is also the important letter for
someone standing in the bookstore right now trying to decide if she should
buy this book or, like, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up—and the
words she’s reading now will decide for her. I mean, that feels like a lot of
pressure for one little letter, but here we go.

This book is about a bunch of hurtful lies and one important truth.
The truth? You, and only you, are ultimately responsible for who you
become and how happy you are. That’s the takeaway.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m going to tell a hundred stories that are funny
or weird or embarrassing or sad or crazy, but each of them is reaching for
this same pithy, Pinterest-worthy truth: your life is up to you.

But that truth will never be believable if you don’t first understand the
lies that get in the way of it. Understanding that you choose your own
happiness, that you have control of your own life, is so important. It’s one
of those things we grasp with both hands and put up on the bulletin board as
a reminder . . . but it’s not the only thing you need to understand.
You also need to identify—and systematically destroy—every lie
you’ve told yourself your whole life.

Why?

Because it’s impossible to go somewhere new, to become something
new, without first acknowledging where you are. The self-awareness that
comes from truly digging into what you’ve come to believe about who you
are is invaluable.