If your life feels stuck—repetitive, uninspiring, like a rerun of Groundhog Day—it’s probably not your job, your spouse, or even your schedule. It’s your ego.

In Advice from a Porcupine, John Wright introduces us to the ultimate inner adversary: the voice in our head that keeps us playing small while convincing us it’s keeping us “safe.” Grandma Porcupine, with her quills sharpened and her sass fully intact, calls it out for what it is: sabotage dressed up as self-protection.

Your ego isn’t evil—but it is outdated.

It’s the version of you that thinks buying the Pumpkin Swirl Coffee is brave rebellion but planting garlic in your backyard is an existential crisis. It’s the part of you that panics at the thought of skipping happy hour but balks at taking a risk on your dreams.

And Wright has one mission in this book: to help you burn the ego’s bridges and build a new one toward purpose.

That’s where the magic happens. Not when everything is figured out—but when you start doing the thing anyway. Starting the Etsy shop. Launching the blog. Writing the book. Even if it’s bad at first. Even if no one claps. Even if your only support system is a wise-cracking porcupine.

Because ego wants you to conform. But your spirit? It wants to create.

If you’ve ever felt like there’s more to you than your routine, you’re right. If your goals scare you, that’s perfect. If people think you’ve lost your mind, Grandma Porcupine says, “Welcome to the club.”

Let your soul drive for once. The ego’s had the wheel for long enough.