Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First.: 10 Questions to Take Your Friendships to the Next Level

by Laura Tremaine, Jenna Fischer (Foreword by)

Overview

Part memoir and part guidebook, Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First. is the invitation you've been waiting for to show up with your whole self and discover the intimate, meaningful friendships you long for.

In spite of the hyper-connected culture we live in today, women still feel shamed for oversharing and being publicly vulnerable. And no matter how many friends we seem to have, many of us are still desperately lonely.

Laura Tremaine, blogger and podcaster behind 10 Things To Tell You, says it's time for something better. Openness and vulnerability are the foundation for human growth and healthy relationships, and it all starts when we share our stuff, the nitty-gritty daily details about ourselves with others. Laura has led the way in her personal life with her popular blog and podcast, and now with lighthearted self-awareness, a sensitivity to the important things in life, and compelling storytelling, Laura gives you the tools to build and deepen the conversations happening in your life.

Laura's stories about her childhood, her complicated shifts in faith and friendships, and her marriage to a Hollywood movie director will prompt you to identify the beautiful narrative and pivotal milestones of your own life. Each chapter offers intriguing and reflective questions that will reveal unique details and stories you've never thought to tell and will guide you into cultivating the authentic connection with others that only comes from sharing yourself.

So let’s get started! Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310359852
Publisher:	Zondervan
Publication date:	02/02/2021
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	1,070,066
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Laura Tremaine grew up in Oklahoma and moved to Los Angeles sight unseen when she was twenty-two years old. She worked in film and television production for many years at MTV, VH1, Fox, and Paramount Pictures before pursuing writing full time.

Laura has been sharing her life online for over a decade. She writes about friendship, anxiety, motherhood, and marriage. Her posts and podcast episodes resonate with women looking for ways to connect more deeply with others as they transform from one era of life into another.

Laura lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Jeff, and their two children.

Table of Contents

Foreword Jenna Fischer xi

Introduction: Share Your Stuff xv

1 Who Are You? 1

10 Weird Things I've Done 19

2 Who Was There? 21

10 Things I've Learned from My Big Sister 39

3 What Are You Afraid Of? 43

10 Symptoms of Anxiety (And 10 Ways I Treat Mine) 60

4 What Were Your Pivotal Decisions? 63

10 Pieces of Unsolicited Advice 78

5 Who Taught You How to Be? 81

10 Notable Fashion Choices 99

6 When Did You Belong? 101

10 Ways to Journal 115

7 When Did It Change? 117

10 Books That Shaped My Worldview 135

8 What Broke You? 137

10 Letters I Never Sent 158

9 Where Are Your Magical Moments? 161

10 Questions to Ask Yourself at the End of Anything 179

10 What Do You Believe? 181

Conclusion: Go First 185

A Postscript 187

Acknowledgments 189

Editorial Reviews

As a self-proclaimed open book, even I had yet to go to the places Laura Tremaine leads us when it comes to opening up. I am forever changed by her words and her invitation to share my stuff. Tremaine knows there is more depth and richness to be had in our relationships and she graciously leads us by sharing her own raw, sometimes suspenseful, and tender stories. Share Your Stuff, I'll Go First is a masterclass on how to open up, share with vulnerability and grace, and in return connect with those around us in ways we could never imagine. Bri Mc Koy. author of Come and Eat: A Celebration of Love and Grace Around the Everyday Table

I have been waiting for this book for YEARS. Laura is brilliant and brave and creative and wise. We've been friends since we were teenagers with ponytails and crushes, and these days, she's still the first one I'll text for a book recommendation. This book will be the starting point for so many meaningful conversations, because Laura knows connection comes from sharing our stories. She's been sharing her stories with me for more than twenty years, and I'm thrilled that so many people will be able to join that conversation now—it's one that has instructed me, challenged me, and healed me a thousand times over the years. Buy a copy of this book for every person in your life that you want to know in a deeper, more meaningful way. Shauna Niequist, New York Times bestselling author of Present Over Perfect

I've always loved Laura for her curiosity and for the way she pushes people into deeper conversations, whether it's on Instagram or her podcast or at a table of friends. While the details may be different, I think most people will recognize their own story in Laura's, as she stirs the reader on to consider their own narratives on everything from faith to friendship to love and parenting. This is a book you're going to want your friends to read, one that will be a catalyst for amazing conversations. Kristen Howerton, author of Rage Against the Minivan: Learning to Parent Without Perfection

In this insightful, generous, and life-giving work, Laura Tremaine shows us how channeling her words into meaningful sharing changed her life—and how we can learn to do the same. Wise, warm, and relatable, this is the perfect read for anyone interested in exploring how to use their words to deepen their relationships. Anne Bogel, author of Don't Overthink It: Make Easier Decisions, Stop Second-Guessing, and Bring More Joy to Your Life and host of the What Should I Read Next? podcast

Laura is the consummate host and hand-holder as she invites you to share who you are, where you've been, and what you've experienced. But she does not ask you to be this vulnerable without going first. Laura opens each chapter with her own intimate stories of joy and triumph and loss and fear so we can see exactly how it's done. In Share Your Stuff. I'll Go First., Laura gives us the manual to create connections with new and old friends, and most importantly, with ourselves. Jamie Golden, cohost of The Popcast with Knox and Jamie and The Bible Binge podcasts

Laura Tremaine is a phenomenal storyteller, and her debut book is now officially one of my all-time favorites. Beyond Laura's honest vulnerability and graceful charm, the true gift of this book is the delightful alchemy that emerges at the end of every chapter where, after reading her story, I was compelled to share my own. Five stars! Three cheers! I adore this book. Emily P. Freeman, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Next Right Thing

Listen, you need Laura Tremaine in your life. She has such a gift for the real, deep, life-changing sort of friendship that eludes so many of us. If female friendship has felt like a foreign land without a map, Laura is your best guide—funny, warm, knowledgeable, honest, relatable, and just the right sort of best-friend-bossy. She will guide you not only to deeper friendships with other women but to a deeper understanding and compassion for yourself. I love this book. Sarah Bessey, author of Jesus Feminist and Miracles and Other Reasonable Things

To the person who is afraid of being seen but desperately wants to be known, this book is a love letter to vulnerability, sparkling on every page. Laura goes first, masterfully telling her own stories, enthusiastically and lovingly pulling us by the hand to do the same, and you'll willingly follow her. The path is clear, the questions are illuminating, and deeper connection is inevitable. It's seriously such a great book. Kendra Adachi, New York Times bestselling author of The Lazy Genius Way and host of The Lazy Genius Podcast

From the Publisher