I remember back when I was around fourteen years old and an old friend of mine and I decided that we would write books and one day have those books placed in the major bookstore Chapters.
All we needed was to pool our non-existent funds together to purchase a brand-new typewriter, which meant that we would have to work and save up, and that just wasn’t going to happen when there were so many great books, videogames and movies to buy, and that beautiful metallic red Vantage electric guitar that I had on layaway wasn’t going to pay itself off any time soon, well ever.
The dream of the typewriter never came to fruition for us, but the writing never stopped, and on scraps of paper and napkins and notebooks would be the words that would lead us both to greatness…well, that was the hope. In truth, the pages never lead to conclusions or to books, the story ideas only piled up, a true mess of potential, becoming nothing more than orphaned stories screaming for attention, and that attention never came. We just talked about the potential of one day and it went on like this for a very long time. In fact, it wasn’t until my late thirties that I sat down focused and determined enough to achieve that dream of yesteryear.
When the dream to write and publish my book resurfaced in an undeniable way I made my way over to Chapters (now Indigo Books) and took a photo of the shelf that would eventually hold my book, and I published that photo across my socials to make the sacred pact with my few followers that my intention was set. I wrote the intention down that I would publish my book by my next birthday, which was still a few months away, which seemed to me like more than enough time, and with some caffeine running through my veins I started the journey towards the dream.
THE CHANGE…
As I wrote every new page I could feel something changing in me, a deeper confidence to match with my insecurity, a flicker of light to push away the fog of resistance; it was becoming clear that I was ready to achieve this dream of mine, and it was intoxicating.
I am not here to tell you that it was an easy path and that I never suffered any doubt as every page manifested into existence, because easy is not a word that I would use to define any dream dependent on exposing the height of your skills and the depths of your soul, but it was worth the effort as the personal transformation took place.
Finally, after a month of meeting my dream for coffee every day I placed the final word in its place. I closed the lid to my laptop gently and took in the moment that I had just accomplished, and no one in the world knew what I had just done, and that, honestly, felt perfect. Of course, I understood that the journey through editing, cover design and marketing was still on the horizon, not to mention that I still had to convince Indigo to pick up my book. None of that mattered though, not right now, because I already succeeded, I already won; and that is the first emotion you feel when you write a book.
The month that followed was one of deep self-reflection and difficult choices. I wrote from the heart and was convinced that everything I had written would make the cut, so when I removed over twenty pages that missed their mark it was a stab to the chest and a hit to the ego. I admit, I took a few days to learn how to swallow my pride during the editing process and rediscover the proper respect for the process of creating a new book. Once I had made peace with knowing that the book must become what it was trying to be I just let go of all emotion behind the editing process, and the consistent deletion and editing of my words no longer felt like abuse.
THE FREEDOM…
Fast-forward to my birthday and my book was now officially on Amazon! It could be purchased by the entire world (or so I thought) and I had ordered my author copies. I was now an author, and I was a teenager with a dream that came true, and the best part was that I had made that dream come true. I didn’t stumble upon it, and it didn’t happen by chance, this book now exists because I made it happen, and that right there is one of the greatest feelings you will ever have.
After a few weeks of patiently (not patiently) waiting for my books to arrive, the day finally did arrive and it was incredible! Right in my hands was the proof that I could manifest the thoughts and contents of my being into something both tangible and real, and at that moment it hit me; my potential to achieve more has been undeniably proven, these were no longer dreams but potential realities, and all I had to do was continue to show up for myself.
I started making the necessary calls and handshakes and I witnessed first-hand as my book was placed on the very shelf I once took a photo of, back when I made the decision to follow this path, and at that moment I could feel the feeling of freedom course through me, as if all hesitations and self-doubt were purged through the fires of accomplishment, to look me straight in my eyes and tell me the most important of new realities; that I could, and would, write even more books.
So, what happens when you write and publish a book? Your world shifts and you change.
A transformation takes place that removes the fear of yesterday and replaces it with the gratitude and hope for tomorrow. You understand that your thoughts can physically manifest into something that both you and others can hold, and you can feel the importance of the responsibility of such an incredible gift. When you write and publish a book you wake up to your potential.
If you want to write a book, then you must. Don’t wait, dive in, get messy with it, and enjoy the true alchemy of learning to turn lead into gold.
