So it happened yesterday! I saw & held my book in my hand for the first time. (If you missed the facebook video, click here! Although, I’m sure everyone saw it!)
16 Years ago this dream was planted in my head when an old-short-fat-bald man with a small Hitler-like-mustache stood in front of the room and with all the conviction in the world said that “everyone has a great book inside of them.” It was there that the idea was born to write a book. I was 21.
2 years prior to that, at age 19, I never would have wanted to write a book. Not on my radar at all during my teens. I had to beg my English professor at Mount Royal to give me a passing grade and vowed to her that I would never write again, and told her I just needed to get out of this class because (it sucked! lol) it was mandatory to take English 101 for all degrees. I hope when I write I make complete sentences full of those adjectives and verby things. I also hated the business communications class I had to take on how to formalize a business letter, but I’m a good at faking stuff like that.
POKE MY EYES OUT!
Now, I know why I absolutely dreaded English all those years, even back in High School.
It’s so simple.
It’s because I wasn’t engaged. I wasn’t excited about the topic. Nothing was resonating with me.
A business letter rarely resonates with someone. It’s too formal. It doesn’t hit the heart, and it’s just there to sell you something. (Hmmm… total AHA moment as I’m writing this… Pam, if you are reading this, which you are because I practically force you to read all my blogs, let’s stop our letter campaign and do something else instead! {Pam’s my amazing right-hand, if you didn’t know! She keeps me on the ball!})
Let’s be real for a moment; business letters are so 1960’s!
Here’s the other thing. You can’t sell something you don’t believe in!
You can’t write something to someone unless you believe it, unless it comes from the heart! Otherwise, your personal bull-shit detector goes off internally and you procrastinate because you really don’t want to write that letter, write that book if it’s not coming from a place of authenticity or a place of inspiration.
This is why I didn’t pass English, not because I can’t write, but because at the time I didn’t want to spend my time and energy writing about something that didn’t stir me deep inside and bring me to life.
Years went by. I figured out in 2010 that I didn’t know what I believed in. I had listened to everyone’s theories and every peanut gallery in my life and didn’t really stand for anything myself. I was a people-pleaser extraordinaire! (You can read that blog here. That was a good post on how to fly!)
I finally said enough is enough. I’m a smart girl, grew up, took responsibility for everything, and decided to share my message, no matter how many people disagreed with my view or my ideas.
Then I wrote this book. I totally believe in what I wrote, and sure there are probably a million things I’d change (it’s never perfect!), but overall, my message still stands.
And I realized that even the people that disagree with me (by the way that’s everyone in the world that has different opinions than me!) are still inspired by the fact I wrote a book. I’ve had wonderful old men come up to me and with all the love in the world congratulate me on writing a book, and saying that they wish they did. I tell them that they still have time and that everyone should write a book.
I love that I inspired another human being to find their voice and spark their possibility in the world.
The old men are not my target market at all, because my book is for women for starters, but to have these moments to share and inspire another soul you cross paths with in this world is worth it all! And no one even cares if my book is total shit or not. (It’s not by the way, MY BOOK FREAKIN’ ROCKS!)
So that’s my story for today.
Here I am. Finally meeting my book for the first time and sending it out into the world with massive amounts of LOVE and praying it reaches the shining women in the world that it needs to reach to take one step or one strut closer to a better world. That’s what it’s all about.
Keep writing. Keep on going trekking through the daily shit. Keep inspiring others to be their best. Keep serving with your heart. Keep loving on all the people in your life. And it will be one HELL OF A GOOD LIFE!!
PS!! You can totally buy my book now!! YAY!!
Best Price Hardcover at: http://www.friesenpress.com/bookstore/title/119734000027514059/Lisa-Elle-Strut
Buy Paperback at Amazon or Friesen Press Book Store
Buy E-Book at Amazon, Google Play, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo, Nook, etc. Just search STRUT or LISA ELLE!
Also, if you LOVE my book, please leave a review!
Or if you want a signed copy and you are in Calgary, Alberta on October 27, then come to my book launch! Details at ellementsgroup.com/strut!
