Your Mission: Discover Secret Selves…

How many of you had imaginary friends growing up? I did. Mine seemed to appear when my sister (two years older than me) started school and I had more alone time. I don't really remember much about my imaginary friend, only that he died in a horrible car crash driving his Knight Rider car off a cliff when I started kindergarten. Yes, such a violent noble death for the early 1980s.

Even if you didn't have an imaginary friend, I bet you’ve played a few different roles in your life. Those teenage years almost require different personas just to survive. Sometimes it was fun. Many times we didn't even know we were doing it. Who can forget the glorious holiday of Halloween, fun for kids and adults, allowing us to be our Secret Selves. Now we're all grown up and there doesn't seem to be time for any fun, which is why I think Halloween has become such a popular adult holiday. Now I'm not saying if you dress up as the devil you want to BE the devil or you're evil. Maybe you just have a dark side (we all do) that you want to explore.

Think about your last few Halloween costumes as a starting point. Could these be subconscious Secret Selves you want to explore? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide. Why is this important? Ahh young grasshopper, don't you know? Discovering and uncovering these Secret Selves allows you to begin functioning in a more conscious and creative way. At least this is what Julia Cameron says in her book, The Vein of Gold, which I highly respect as a creative resource. Get out of yourself for a bit, have some fun. Play make believe. You can go anywhere with this exercise. Now is your chance to be an astronaut, poet, singer, mailman, pimp, cowboy/cowgirl, go-go dancer, politician, cheerleader, dictator, homeless person, writer, housewife, famous actor, geek, stripper, preacher, struggling comedian, janitor, sniper…the skies the limit! Get out of yourself and tap your inner creative. What does it feel like to be this type of person?

I have many secret selves, here are five currently on my mind…

Rex is a spy who knows multiple languages, has an overflowing bank account and is incapable of maintaining any real relationships. He never knows where he will be and who he may have to kill or blackmail. He lives life on the edge and can't stand to stay still. He works out and has a perfect body. His closet is filled with designer tailored dark suits and shoes, a few guns and knives and a telescope.

Colin is a an accomplished writer with limited time and many social obligations. He's an avid runner who lives in an amazing NYC apartment on the Upper West Side with an aquarium housing four fresh water tropical fish he adores.  He wants to get a dog but travels too much and is choosing to wait until he settles down more. He's published a series of fiction novels dealing with various paranormal mysteries and a rabid fan base has developed. His agent is pressing him to complete the negotiations for a movie deal, but he’s nervous he will lose his privacy to fame. He enjoys being an anonymous writer. His closet is a bit disheveled like a Gap store was just robbed – with lots of t-shirts, khaki pants, baseball caps, sweaters, running shoes and a classic typewriter he picked up at a garage sale.

Barry is an actor/comedian, life of the party. He has a modest home in the Hollywood Hills, which he was able to buy from a popular sitcom he starred in during the early 1990s. He lives a comfortable life, he doesn’t need to work but stays quite busy. He's close to his family back east. He offers private acting lessons and makes it a point to work on at least one or two projects a month. Creating an indie film with his high school friends is his latest endeavor. He enjoys snow skiing and starting political arguments at parties, getting people really riled up. His closet is a mix of Banana Republic and Paul Smith attire, ski boots, ski clothes, running shoes and a surf board.

Hugh is a doting dad with an extremely active life. Running the dogs to the vet and the kids to soccer practice, dance recitals, math tutors, etc. He loves to cook and throw big (yet laid back) parties. BBQ is his favorite.  He's always there for his family and is able to balance his career responsibly. He enjoys his day job as an executive for a video game company and gives it all he's got from 9am – 5pm. His closet has a soccer ball, old trophies from college, lots of suits from Men's Wearhouse and casual clothes from Target.

Kenly is a Grammy winning singer and world traveler who has a passion for volunteering his time to those in need. He's a jetsetter who also enjoys photography on the side and the friends he's cultivated in the last 10-15 years are his family. He cranks out a hit album every 2-3 years but his latest passion is producing hits for young talent. His closet is filled with travel gear, photography equipment, hiking boots, hats, tennis shoes and every color cargo pants /shorts imaginable.

Challenge: Name Five Secret Selves

Play some music, light some candles or incense…do what you need to do to create a different environment for yourself. Get creative. Don't let resistance keep you from this exercise.

1. List 5 Secret Selves
2. Tell us about them
3. What's in those closets?
4. Choose your most FUN Secret Self and write about what your life would be like if THEY were running it!