Where it all began …

I know I promised to share with you details about my 2014 plan; but before I do that, I thought it would be prudent to tell you about my book and give you the background on how it came to be. That way when I dive into the details about my plan, you will have some frame of reference.

Photo courtesy of Istockphoto.com/donskarpo

My writing creativity flows out of me in rhyme. I don’t know why that is, but rhyming comes easily to me as does the cadence and flow of each rhyming verse. This unique skill is obviously conducive to children’s books and though I have written one that I adore, I choose to move forward with the another book I have created. There are several reasons behind this:

1. The topic of this book is something I am very passionate about.
2. It is a topic that I can easily relate to and speak to. So, from a promotional perspective, it gives me a way to build my platform.
3. The words for this book flowed out of me so effortlessly. I really believe it’s a message that needs to be passed on; a seed that needs to be planted.

How this book came to be

In March 2013, I was really sick with a viral infection followed by a bacterial infection. I was literally in bed for 6 straight weeks. It was during this time, when I was sick as a dog with nothing to do that I created Journey to Jobville. The rhyming verses poured out of me in random order and I scribbled them all in a notebook I kept in bed with me. When I was finally well enough to sit up in bed, I put the verses on index cards and rearranged them like you would a puzzle. The end result was this book.

Journey to Jobville is an inspirational gift book about marrying your career with your passions. (Does that story sound familiar?!) It is written as a rhyming parable and will be in picture book format. The book plants a seed in the mind of the reader. That seed is to listen to the voice in your heart and use it as a compass along with those skills you are good at when pursuing a career.

What I hope my book will do

When I was growing up and even when I entered college, not a single person said to me “pursue a career that you really, truly like.” It’s such a simple concept and yet, I pursued a career that I was good at but not one I truly enjoyed. I was more focused on whether my major in college would get me a good job rather than a good job that I enjoyed.

As an inspirational gift book for graduates, my hope is that my book will encourage kids in school to pursue their passion. It’s an excellent catalyst for parents to start a conversation with their kids about what they want to do with their life.

Likewise, I believe my book will encourage people who chose the wrong career path to put aside their fears and go after something that is more aligned with their passion.

No regrets

Writing this book is what finally motivated me to pursue what makes me happy. Life is too short to spend so much time doing something you really don’t enjoy. And I for one do not want to be in my 80s looking back with any regrets. So I continue on this journey taking baby steps each day in pursuit of that career that merges skills and passion.

Question: If you could do it all over again, would you choose a different career?