You may want to write a book. You may want to, but somehow you do not feel confident, inspired or time rich. A book may be on your dream board, a something to aspire to, just not yet. With a book, you can see how your brand can be pumped up and rocked out. A book will show the world that you are the subject matter expert. Hell, you have knowledge, skills, and experience that you are bursting to share with the world. The bottom line is that you have ‘stuff’ that you could share. You could share if only…
I meet so many people with an if only stance, and I get it, I do. It’s hard work, and you have other priorities. Writing is in my blood and something I need to do pretty much every day. Because of my passion, I want everyone to write. I also adore dogs and want everyone to rescue one, but that won’t happen either.
Something that came to me recently was a desire to find a way to inspire our younger generation to start writing books and to share what they know. I wonder if this is possible? I hope that it is. There are some very wise young people who could influence this planet in ways that we can’t. I wish (not that I have any regrets) that there had been opportunities for me to write and publish when I was a younger woman. I don’t have children, but if I did, I would (without being a pushy mum) explore how I could facilitate my children becoming authors.
If you have children, take a look at them. What do you see? A child, your child, a soul starting out their journey. They are incredible aren’t they, your children?
They have knowledge, skills, and experiences. They have ideas, creativity and a perspective on this life that is different to ours. They hold the future in their hands. We do too. Us, more mature souls hold the future in our hands too, but in a different way. Is it the same future? Our view of how to change the world may be different to the picture your child has. That is good. Together we can support each other’s ideas towards a unified Planet.
Even if you can’t find the time, courage or confidence to pen your story or share your knowledge, you may find some time to inspire your children to. Could that be possible for you? What would it feel like to see your children in print? To see him or her boosting their career with an important message for the world? Imagine.
You may think that they haven’t lived enough, experienced enough, know enough or have the discipline to do this. They may believe that they do not know what they want to be when they grow up? But why wait to grow up? Rise up now. How about they write about what they know about now and use that as a foundation for their future?
Let’s take an imaginary child. She has to be imaginary because, as I have said, I have no children, I chose to be a mother to animals not to humans, and there are stories in that.
Our imaginary child is 23; she has left university and unsure what she wants to do. She has taken a degree, so she has the academic theory and some experience. Her experience is of living with you, her friends and the world as she sees it.
When you ask her what she wants to do, she may have some aspirations of what she might do with her degree. These are based not on real knowledge, but more of an idea of what she was told her degree and career options might be. Let’s flip this.
Become a witness to life
Ask your child instead to become a witness. Every day notice what her friends ask her and what lights her up when she does certain things. Ask her to explore her emotions around world issues. What brings passion to her voice? Ask her to listen to music and explore what the songs are saying. Invite her to watch films with you and discuss the message, what words speak to her heart? What drives her soul to explore and to be curious? After a while it will become clearer and then you have something to work with.
Journal and reflect
Allied with the above, ask her to journal and reflect. Explain that this will enable her to discover more about herself. Let her write in a safe place. If she wants to share, make time to encourage this exploration. Trust her to know what her soul wants you to know.
Take courses and workshops
Encourage her to take workshops and short courses. Let’s say your daughter has taken a psychology degree and finds through the witness and journaling process that she has always had food and eating issues. That she discovers that because she fills her body full of young people’s party drink and food, it betrays her. Perhaps she finds that her friends also suffer and are confused about how to make changes. What if she were to start making changes to her diet and lifestyle? How could she support her friends and wider ‘young people’ community? The courses and workshops will help to inform her firstly if this ‘floats her boat’ and if this could be used as a way for her to heal.
What if as she heals she can see ways to help her friends?
This could be her book. Imagine other young people reading her book and seeing how they can solve their body image and nutritional issues.
Help her to write a business plan
Think about how supporting your child to write a short business plan how this utilises your skills and how it might inspire you to relook at your business plan. Double bonus.
Support her to set up her business
You are connected, you know people who could support your child to get this off the ground. You may even be a whizz at this yourself. You could put a cost on your time and negotiate to get payment when she gets paid, or you could be a pro bono mentor. You will know what works for the both of you.
Encourage blogging
For any of us to find our authentic writing voices we have to write. It’s one thing exploring voice in a journal and quite another to write for a reader. We all have to start somewhere, and a blog is lovely. Short, thoughtful sound bites. In this way, she will find out if her readers like what she has to say and she will grow in confidence. If she has an idea of her book these blogs could be part of the eventual book. Call it pre ‘write a book’ practice.
Support her to find the right book mentor
Writing a book is not like writing a dissertation. Yes, there is planning, research, and writing, but there is also writing to connect to the reader, the outline, getting to the first draft, editing, cover design and publishing. She will have someone to support this process, to motivate and inspire her.
I believe that we all have a powerful and inspiring message to share. I also think that our young women (and men) hold some of the keys to creating a better world for us all. They have the potential to create remarkable change, and they need our support.
Think about the books that you want to read. Would you rather read something by someone in your peer group and rough age group? I know that I would. If I were in my 20’s or 30’s, I would want to read a book by someone that I aspire to be like.
Make today the day you consider how you could support your children to become change makers with their book ideas.
