Back in 2018, my world was starting to spiral a little bit. I was dealing with my parents’ divorce, my mom moving to CA, and my dad struggling. I was dealing with my brother taking the company into a different direction and I had to find a new job. I was dealing with feeling this dark cloud hanging over my head, and feeling like change and growth was happening in my life. I didn’t handle change well at all, nor did I have any idea about growth, and what that even looked like. I was stuck in a fixed mindset not even knowing what that meant. All I knew was life was changing. From that, this blog was birthed.
It’s been a crazy couple of years. The strangest thing is that I have never been a writer, had any desire to write, or even had the first writing class, but one morning get this crazy idea that I needed to blog. I remember telling my husband and his response was to ask me did I even have any idea how to do that. The answer was no. All I knew was deep in the pit of my stomach, this desire came out of nowhere, and I knew I had to figure this out. I remember sitting down that first day and literally out of who knows where, it just came flowing out of me. I never set a schedule to write any certain amount of time, or any number of days per week, I would only write when something would spring up inside of me, and I would nearly explode until I got it out. Each blog, 70+ at this point, only came when the inspiration hit, and all I had to do was sit down and it came out. Each one would be raw, and I was vulnerable, most times writing about what I was going through in the moment, but it seemed to strike a chord with people, and resonate, and help somebody. That was when I realized why I was supposed to be writing. That’s when I realized I had a dream that was starting to surface.
Over the past two years, I have had so many things come up. Family issues, and job changes, and working on myself, growth, and dealing with some very deep issues within myself. Things that took me to some of my lowest days, but also some amazing growth that I am so incredibly proud of. In the middle of all of this I again started feeling the urge to write, but this time it was a book. This was intimidating and scary. I feared judgment, and just kept shutting it down. COVID hit and I knew it was time. I had to do it, and the time was now so I did it. I used some of my blogs for the initial manuscript and built it from there. For the first time in my life, I had a real dream and something I finally went for. The old me would have never written the book. I would have let fear grip me. I would have never chased a dream like this. This time I went for it. The book launched today. I still can’t believe it!
What I want to say to somebody today is this. Do you have a dream to do something? If you have a dream PLEASE figure it out and go for it! If you’re not, why aren’t you? Can I ask you something friend to friend? If you’re letting fear, and doubt grip you, and you don’t feel like you could do it, or feel you even deserve it, why? Why don’t you deserve it just as much as everybody else? Why can’t you do it? You do deserve it! Even if it is only for you and nobody else, you deserve it. I believe we have dreams inside of us for a reason! Tell me this, if it’s not possible, how can somebody with absolutely no writing skills write, and publish a book? I’m living proof you can chase your dream and make it happen. If the desire in the pit of your stomach is yelling loud enough at you, you will somehow figure it out!
I didn’t have thousands of dollars to spend on getting help to write this book so you know what I had to do? I had to educate myself! I had to read books, and watch video after video, and do hours of classes to figure out if it was even going to be possible. Turns out there is something called self publishing, it just takes you a little longer, and hours of hard work. There were nights I was up working until after midnight. There were nights I didn’t sleep. I cried, I got angry, but I fought until I made it happen! It still hasn’t totally sunk in today that my book launched on Amazon. I am excited, and hopeful it helps somebody, and proud I learned so much and made it happen. Honestly, I am still in disbelief that something I have wanted for a year came to pass. BUT IT CAME TO PASS!!!!!!!! Your dream can too!!
So what is your dream? Are you going to fight for it? Do it! Just do it! Fight like you have never fought! Educate yourself, learn, grow and go chase it! I know you can do it! When you wake up someday and your dream came to pass, think of me, and know I cheered you on with everything in me!
With love for you all,
Shauna
Shauna's Sisters 