I have a new identity

I have a new identity. It’s not a whole new identity. It’s a new little piece of my identity.

Actually, it is a pretty big piece of my new identity.

When people now ask me “What do you do?” I can answer honestly and openly, “I am an author.” GULP! Wow! Did those words just come out of my mouth?

Photo by Joanna Penn

Yes, my book, Gutsy Women Win: How to Get Gutsy and Get Going will be launched on January 17, 2017.  It was quite a long process with so many stops and starts along the way and many times I kissed this book good-by. Many times I decided to just let it go as something I dreamed about, but would not make real in this lifetime.  But something just kept nudging me.

I kept thinking about it and looking at the few chapters I slowly, over time kept adding to. People kept asking, “How’s the book coming along?”

Finally, I decided that I had told so many people I was working on a book that I had to get a book done or people would no longer believe me.

There was also something else.

About a year ago, I was talking to someone who asked me the question, “What did you want to do with your life when you were younger and just starting college?”

I stopped and thought for a very brief moment. “I wanted to be a journalist. I wanted to go to war torn countries and photograph the people living there and talk to them and write their stories about how their lives had changed. I believed that if we, as human beings, heard the stories about what war and hate does to innocent people, to other human beings, we would not stand for it and speak up and stop war. I wanted to change lives through the words I wrote.”

She asked, “What stopped you?”

“I couldn’t afford to go to Journalism school.”

“What’s stopping you now?”

I felt like she pierced my heart with that question. I didn’t have an answer. The question brought tears to my eyes then, and as I write this, it brings tears to my eyes now.

That was the point where I realized that the only thing stopping me from finishing my book was me. Sure, I’m not going to be going to war torn countries, but I can tell people’s stories. I can tell you my story.

Hence, my book. The finished product. No, it is not the great American non-fiction book, but it’s a good book that I vision will inspire some people and not others. But, I know that those who want to change their life might just find some words that will help them do just that.

It might just help human beings love themselves and others a little bit more.

I say that’s pretty gutsy.

What’s stopping you now?