Michelle and I met, like many of my other clients, from spending time in training with Jack Canfield and Dr. Deb Sandella. Then in the fall of 2017, Michelle contacted me to help her bring her book of poetry into the world, and: A Love Story Within. Poetry has been a way for Michelle to make sense of her world through her journey with breast cancer to becoming a single mom––and more.
Michelle says, “I see myself as quite ordinary. And though I’ve experienced some quite spectacular things in my life, like surviving breast cancer and adopting my daughter from Guatemala as a single woman, I’m just like everyone else––working full-time, paying bills, figuring out what’s for dinner, doing laundry, and driving my daughter around.”
Her busyness led her to carving small niches out of her day in the wee hours of the morning. “So, I began my daily, early morning wake-up calls to write, simply and for no other reason than I had to. These early morning contemplations are essential to me now as eating, drinking, and breathing. I need space to find the place of the truth of who I am and the quiet to hear the loving whispers from my soul.”
In essence, through her daily writing practice, Michelle came out of hiding––and discovered an authentic way to express herself and her Truth. She said, “As I started listening to those loving whispers, I learned some new things about who I am. Most importantly, I’ve learned to be courageously vulnerable. The poems written in the early dawn were not meant for public consumption. I wrote them to satiate my own appetite for love and truth in my life. But over time, as I got clearer and more connected, I went from feeling raw, naked, and exposed to feeling bold, cleansed, and free. No more hiding of who I am––and as I started to share my writings publicly, others found my musings to be useful in learning who they are. Truth telling is mutually beneficial.”
What others are saying about Michelle’s book, and: A Love Story Within
“Michelle Kaplan’s keen awareness of the truth of our human experience and her transparent vulnerability combined with her personal quest for freedom and self-expression make reading her poetry a deep and meaningful experience.”
~Jack Canfield, Coauthor of the Chicken Soup for the Soul ®series and The Success Principles™:How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
“Michelle Kaplan set out on a journey to find herself amid all the inner and outer confusion and complexities of life. Many readers will find their own story in hers, and will find her poetry inspiring and empowering as they set out to do what she did: reconnect with themselves, and live out the love affair between soul and ego, heart and mind, love and fear, heaven and earth. There’s a love story within all of us waiting to be written and rewritten, the kind of self-love without which all other love fails. May this book help you find, write, and live your inner love story.”
~ Parker J. Palmer, Author of Let Your Life Speak, A Hidden Wholeness, and On the Bring of Everything
