The Things We Don't Talk About: A Memoir of Hardships, Healing, and Hope

Book excerpt: From Failure to Finisher, from Once-a-Bartender to Now-a-Board-Member, Stacy's story of triumph and transformation is one that will resonate with anyone who has ever felt like they were at Rock Bottom. In 2009, Stacy was a three-time divorced, three-time college dropout, single mom to a son with autism and a daughter living out-of-state with her dad. On government assistance and barely able to pay bills, Stacy's world was falling apart around her. That same year, she ran her first marathon and the trajectory of her entire life changed the instant she crossed the finish line. Determined to turn her life around, Stacy enrolled in college for a fourth time. The more she learned about the world around her, the more she turned inward to reflect on the life she had lived. For the first time in decades, she unearthed the memories she had long ago buried- of the abuse by her father, the loss of her religion, the baby she had placed for adoption- and the enormous weight of shame she had carried through the years. Slowly, Stacy started opening up about her past. What she expected to find was judgment and isolation; what she actually found was acceptance and connection. Fueled by a newfound confidence, Stacy began speaking about her hardships at events around the country and soon discovered no matter where she went, there was always ALWAYS someone who told her, "Me, too." Her company, See Stacy Speak LLC, was born. Her platform was based on teaching people that the very things that hold them back- fear, shame, insecurity- are the very things that can be used to fuel them. A self-proclaimed Ambassador of Badassery, Stacy's motto is, "I see the Badass in YOU, and I help you see it, too." "The Things We Don't Talk About" is a humorous and heartfelt story of hardships, healing, and hope. Sassy, sweet, and a little sarcastic, Stacy courageously shares her own shortcomings as proof that through pain there is purpose and through our weaknesses we can become warriors. This book will make you laugh and make you cry, and leave you inspired to share your own story, too.