My Authentic Words

I sit here, a hot cup of coffee by my side and the soft glow of the cursor impatiently blinking at me.

It makes me think back to when I was writing the first edition of my book and just how difficult it was for me to put words onto the screen. Yet every morning, without fail, there I was, 6AM, at The Daily Grind, now long gone, staring at a blank screen wishing the words would come.

Writing that book and the two editions since now seems like one of the most vulnerable things I’ve ever done. To put my thoughts into the printed page and expect someone, anyone, to want to read them still feels humbling to me. Who did I think I was to share my limited wisdom with the world? Many nights I’d lie awake pondering this exact thought.

I had an editor, of course, someone I trusted and admired. His guidance through the early writing process was essential.

But it was also wrong.

“Go out and look at other authors writing in this space. Find someone that has a great following and a writing style you like. Then simply write like that.”

So I did. And yet the words, as they slowly poured out of me, felt wrong. They weren’t mine. In my imagination, I thought that if I, too, wrote in such a way, the world would beat a path to my door. I prayed for the book to make me rich or famous. Copying the approach of Harvey MacKay, Tim Sanders, or Keith Ferrazzi, all heroes of mine at the time, seemed like a ticket to success.

But it wasn’t. Something didn’t feel right. So I went back to my own writing style. I wrote like I tended to speak. And when I did that, the floodgates of inspiration opened up. I was thrilled.

My editor was not so thrilled. I remember having several conversations about my writing style and how he thought it was unsophisticated. I remember feeling pressured into bending to what the “industry expects.”

But I held my ground. And I could tell he wasn’t confident, maybe even a little embarrassed to have his name attached to the project. This undercut my own confidence in a big way in those final months.

Nevertheless, when the book came out, it received a better-than-expected response.

The third edition continues to sell well and is used by three major universities as part of their course curriculum.

I think about those early days and just how many Ripples I’ve experienced since then. There are certainly days when my confidence in writing wanes. But I stay committed to my authentic words because I have evidence they are making a difference.

I hope, when you feel like someone is trying to convince you to be something you are not, you fight like hell to stay on your path. Never feel compelled to change just because someone says it’s what the world expects. Being vulnerable and brave enough to be yourself is where the magic happens. I really believe that.

And if you are looking for a book that will change how you connect, engage and build relationships, I’d be honored if you purchased a copy from our online store. I’ll even autograph or personalize it for you!

Ripple On!!!