The Art of Showing Up

March 9, 2020
Miller (Dot Journaling), deputy editor of Vice’s Life vertical, provides digital natives an easy, entertaining guide to adult friendships. Her stance that “self-knowledge is at the core of showing up” forms the basis of her instructions—outlined in the first section, “Showing Up for Yourself,”—on identifying one’s own values, preferences, emotions, needs, and boundaries. Miller litters her advice with exclamation marks and asides, creating a sincere tone that feels like speaking with a close confidante. Filled with many spirited aphorisms (“You—yes, you!—can do these things! They may feel hard, but they are good and fine!”), the book’s second section, “Showing Up for Others,” is less charming but more instructional and provides readers with scripts to navigate a variety of social encounters, strategies for making new friends, and advice for “when they’re going through hard shit.” Miller starts each section with brief general principles, then relies heavily on lists and action steps, which will make for easy reference and perusal, and her charismatic voice will appeal to any reader of self-help. Those looking for help braving the social unknown will want to take a look.