If you’ve seen my recent social media posts, you’ll know that my diary was stolen out of my hotel in Thailand. They took my whole camera bag which had memory cards full of photos, my expensive Nikon camera, and my journal full of my most personal thoughts, stories and struggles.

At first when it happened, I was very angry. I felt violated, exposed, and naked. I knew the thief probably didn’t read it, but still I worried (this was a while back when I worried a lot more than I do now). Would they try to blackmail me? Would I ever get back those stories? Would those insights, ideas and inspirations I learned from monks, gurus, shamans, tribes, and thousands of hours in meditation be lost forever?

Then I did the only thing I could think of. I started over. I started from scratch and wrote down everything I could remember. I even added to it what I have since learned. What I ended up with was a raw, unfiltered and more powerful story than the one I had lost. With the time between the theft and rewriting my diary, I had learned, changed, and evolved into a nearly unrecognizable person. The distance gave me a perspective that my lost notes were lacking.

That is why I am thrilled to announce that my next book, my diary of spiritual stories and thoughts, will be out this fall. It will be my most personal (and embarrassing) book yet. Just my deepest thoughts and the stories that inspired them. And I actually look forward to sharing my private diary with you all.

Today, I truly do forgive that thief. I know that I would have done the same if I had lived in his shoes. I know that we live in a society of shame and fear, and that we need to take our power back. Whatever you may have done or gone through, so have at least a million other people. There is nothing any of us need to fear or be ashamed of. Our past is not something that needs to be hidden or kept secret. No one was born perfect. We are all on a journey of growth.

​​So make whatever you are insecure about into the source of your confidence. Yes, exposing your insecurity may make other people judge you. But by doing it anyway, you rise above all insecurity and judgment. You become your most confident self when you obliterate your insecurities, not by changing yourself but by accepting yourself totally and completely. Insecure about your belly? Take your shirt off at the beach and stick out that gut. Socially awkward? Be the most weird, unique and interesting person at every party. You can still change if you want, but now you can do so with love and joy. People cannot hurt you for what you love about yourself. They will, in fact, be jealous of your self-love and confidence because they can’t buy it.

That thief inspired me to open up to the world, to shed my insecurities and secrets, and to love every part of me. That is the message I hope I can share with the world in my new book, and for that I am deeply grateful to the man who stole my camera bag.

Much love,

Todd

PS – Here are some other things I shared this week:

Green Grass Syndrome: How to Break Free from Comparison (Listen to podcast)

What If Certainty Is the Enemy of Truth? (Watch Video)

How to Stop Your Thoughts from Stealing Your Life (Watch Video)