PicoBlog

Matt Dahlia.

Whenever I look at this newsletter’s name or the name on my passport; whenever I share with a friend that I’ve changed my last name, I can’t help but think: Wow, I’m really taking a wild turn.

I decided to change my last name at the beginning of 2022.

It was a multi-layered decision. A lot of it is too personal to go into here, but the ultimate reason was that I wanted a fresh start.

A clean slate.

I wanted to symbolize the shedding of old skin and the blossoming of a new one.

As I was putting together this newsletter, I wrote a long explanation about my reasoning behind the new name.

And then I remembered…it’s already explained in the book.

So instead of reinventing the wheel, I figured this would be the perfect opportunity to share the first ever excerpt from Talk To Strangers (!!)

Giving you excerpts from the book is something I want to do more of as we move our way towards launch, so this will be a great test.

Alright, without further ado, here is a passage from the end of the book on why I picked Dahlia as my last name:

“Dahlia.

My favorite flower.

It had been the background of my phone for the past year, a symbol and reaffirmation of the inner work.

Flowers are the ultimate teachers. Their stages are emblematic of growth: the seed, the cracking, the grinding fight upwards through the dirt towards the sunlight, the stem growing ever so slowly and patiently, one day at a time, to eventually blossom into the most insane, unexpected array of color and life.

With Dahlia, I was still able to honor my family’s ancestral last name, Daher, while also honoring where I was going. It felt right. It felt like me. And it felt scary as hell to admit to myself that I wanted to be Matt Dahlia.

I worried it was so cliché. Guy moves to LA, becomes an influencer, does therapy, and names himself after a flower. Cool, brah. People would be confused, especially those who knew me. But as I stepped into this person I was becoming, those fears of judgment didn’t rattle me like they used to. Years of discomfort had taught me that if it doesn’t scare you, it doesn’t make you grow.

Best of all, I now had a family of more than eight million people around the world who would understand. My Yes Theory family. A community committed to helping each other face their discomforts and reach for their truths, reminding each other that we’re forever supported in our full life expression. 

For that, for you, I am forever grateful.”

Hope you enjoyed it :)

Love,

Matt

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