Jenifer Lewis Pens Book of Essays About Finding Joy, Activism and 'Falling for a Con Artist'

Jenifer Lewis is dishing out more of her trademark wit and humor.

On Wednesday, the black-ish star, 65, shared the cover of her upcoming book of essays Walking in My Joy: In These Streets with PEOPLE, as well as an exclusive first look at some of the passages.

"Tell me, what are your secrets? Say it out loud and you're halfway there," she writes.

Walking in My Joy is Lewis' funny and inspirational guide to living a great life, despite hardship. She explores some of her biggest tribulations and joys, including testing positive for COVID-19, fainting in the White House and "falling for a con artist." In addition, she highlights her work as an activist after George Floyd's murder, interesting encounters across the globe and finding balance through therapy, according to the press release.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I should pause here and confess that in my mind's eye I have sat for hours in the lotus position on the top of the great pyramid of Giza and prayed for humility. Instead of ohm, I would repeat over to myself 'humble humble humble,' " writes Lewis, 65, in Walking in My Joy. "S--- didn't work y'all. And after over 20 years of therapy, I finally care more about other people than I care about myself — thank God."

The star is also candid about her mental health journey in Walking in My Joy. According to the press release, Lewis shares "lessons she has learned along the way to redirect negative energy, embrace your uniqueness, and create boundaries to preserve your joy."

In her book, she praises the LGBTQ community and credits them for helping her love herself.

"Though the rest of society hadn't caught on yet, we knew that collectively Black women and the LGBTQ+ community have shaped some of the best parts of our culture," Lewis writes in her book of essays.

RELATED VIDEO: Black-ish Grandma Jenifer Lewis Opens Up About Her Battle with Sex Addiction and Bipolar Disorder

"The parts filled with trust, and hope, and compassion, and epic humanity. We taught the world how to be honest. We taught the world how to accept itself and us," she continues. "The gay community embraced me like no other had. Told me I was beautiful 'work those 8-inch pumps Jenifer! Step, ball change baby girl, now show me that perfect profile and lay out!' They'd yell. The gay community taught me how to love myself."

For Lewis' black-ish fans, she addresses "rumor[s]" about a possible spin-off show.

"The rumor all over town was that I was stealing the show. Even the trades printed it, 'Black-ish's Jenifer Lewis is a scene stealing grandma,' " she writes. "To that I say, no s--- bitches. I've stolen every scene in every show I've ever done. They should have thought about that before they hired a living legend."

Lewis' book of essays isn't her first foray into publishing. In 2017, she released her hit memoir The Mother of Black Hollywood, which was previously excerpted in PEOPLE. In her first book, the award-winning actress opens up about her past, including living with undiagnosed bipolar disorder and a sex addiction through her 20s. With therapy and a medication regimen, she's been able to find "peace of mind."

"I have peace of mind now; I'm in my skin," Lewis told PEOPLE at the time. "It took years to get to that place, but I did it—and I have a smile on my face."

Walking in My Joy will hit bookstores on Aug. 30.