Let's get the ball rolling....

I was in the library last week and saw that one of my former co-workers was having a book signing for "Princess Ava and Prince Kali" a children's book that she authored. I was pleasantly surprised and decided to give her a call and congratulate her on this accomplishment.

During our conversation, I learned that she started on the book last fall, and here it is summer, and she has her book published and is having a book signing! I think that happened pretty rapidly, and it convinced me to begin working on my book projects sooner rather than later. I am currently completing a qualitative research project about homelessness among adolescent mothers in Chicago, and purposed within myself, that after I finished the research articles, I would begin to write 1000 words daily toward the completion of my books. However, being the social entrepreneur that I am, there is no set date that the research will be completed: It is a very complex process that I am endeavoring alone (I will never, ever take on the responsibility of a research project without adequate funds to hire staff again). If I stick with my plan to write 1000 words of my books once I have completed this research project, who knows when my books will be done!

So now I have purposed to start writing 50 words per day toward the completion of my books, and instead of waiting until the indefinite date of when I complete my research, I will begin on August 4, 2008. Writing 50 words daily is not difficult to do, especially since I love to write: I am sure that there will be many days when I exceed 50 words. Nevertheless, I will not pressure myself to write more than 50 words daily.

I had given some thought to, and have done some research about my options when it comes to publishing. Initially, I thought that self-publishing might be the best way for me to go. Then, a little later, I thought it might be good to search for a publishing company. However, after talking to my former co-worker who has published her book, I have once again decided that I will self-publish. There are benefits to self-publishing and to being published by an established publisher. Of course, I will enjoy the autonomy that self-publishing provides. I was further persuaded to self-publish once my former co-worker shared information she had learned from a seminar she attended. I don't remember who she said the author was, but he hosted a seminar, and talked about how 20 publishers rejected his book manuscript: Many told him that he couldn't write. I shared with her that I had read about a mystery novel writer, who before she was first published, received 160 rejection letters from publishers: Talk about tenacity! Anyway, the author whose seminar my co-worker attended, decided to self-publish due to the rejection from 20 publishers. His book became very successful, he was featured on the Oprah show, and within 1 hour, he sold 1 million copies (talk about the power of Oprah). As a result, he enjoyed the financial merits both of authoring and publishing his book. My former co-worker, who also self-published her book, suggested that these experiences (i.e. hers and the successful authors) were confirmation that I should self-publish my books when I write them. Say no more--I think that self-publishing will be the best option for me as well.

So now, the procrastination has to cease. I have these book ideas, and it is time that I start writing the books. As the Nike slogan so eloquently states, I'm going to "Just do it".

Until the next blog,

Lillian S. Harris

"Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? (AN AFFIRMATION)

I am a beautiful, smart, and unique woman

I appreciate myself and my talents, and I will put them to good use

I recognize that my life has purpose

And I will invest the time needed to realize my purpose

I can accomplish anything I set my mind to and am willing to work for

I realize that nothing is going to fall in my lap

Yet I can make my dreams come true if I work diligently

I know that life isn't easy and I will have some struggles

Still I will make the most of what I have and always strive for the best

There are no guarantees in life but I can influence my destiny

I am destined for greatness

I will doubt my doubts and create my own truths

I refuse to accept less than my worth

I refuse to settle

I refuse to become complacent at any point short of my destiny

I will never give up

I will not be paralyzed by fear

I will pursue my dreams fervently

If I fail, I will try again

If I am wrong, I will make it right

I don't have to be ashamed of any of my experiences or any of my mistakes

I will learn from them and use them to my advantage

I deserve to be treated with respect

I deserve to be loved

I deserve the best and will treat myself as though I do

I will lead a healthy, balanced, successful and prosperous life

People will be priviledged to know me.

Copyright 2008 By Lillian Harris

Are you a dreamer?

I am a children's church teacher and one of my favorite lessons that I taught my pupil's about is the story of Joseph and how his brothers sold him into slavery because they were jealous of him. I had an epiphany as I taught the children about this future leader (He went from a slave to a ruler in Egypt): One of the biggest reasons that Joseph's brothers hated him was because he was a dreamer--most dreamers endure harsh persecution (e.g. Dr. King) and deal with alot of jealous and/or envious people.

I have always been a dreamer. Focusing on, and creating a vision for my future is what kept me striving toward my goals despite the many turbulent times that I faced as I pursued them. As a teen and younger woman, upon initially meeting someone (especially in a business or collegiate setting), I would talk about my goals to strike up a conversation. Truth be told, being from my background and experiences, I guess I felt I had something to prove. But at some point, I started accomplishing alot of my goals; and they evolved into a vision-- Before, where people would patronize me when I shared my goals with them, they now [when they hear my vision] either believe that what I am sharing with them are just grandiose, lofty "dreams", or they recognize my potential, ability, and ambition and then I am subject to the persecution (e.g. jealousy, deceit, envy, hatred) that dreamers face. (It's funny how when at the time I was being patronized, I didn't recognize it until my goals became a vision.) But I can't help it; my vision continues to broaden on a regular basis.

It takes a fearless and tenacious person to actually pursue their dreams: To put those dreams into action-- that's when a dream becomes a vision. I haven't heard the story of one innovator, one entrepreneur, one inventor, who didn't struggle to make their dreams a reality and motivate the manifestation of his or her vision.

I recently read this book entitled, "Spirit Driven Success". In this book, the author talks about the same story of Joseph and how he provokes his brothers by telling them the dreams that he had, which symbolized them serving him (if you are interested in reading this biblical story it can be found in Genesis 37). She goes on to quote another spiritual truth in relation to this story: She implies that when a dreamer or visionary shares that vision with people they know hate them, or are jealous/envious of them, they are casting their pearls before swine. Respectively, she advises dreamers or visionaries to avoid "casting their pearls before swine" (Matthew 7:6). So that's why some people hate on you when you share your vision with them? Alot of people regulary claim that they are blessed, and it truly is a blessing to be a visionary who has the ambition and courage to pursue their vision, but to be blessed is to be envied. I guess that's where the saying, "Can you stand to be blessed?", was derived.

Until my next blog,

Lillian S. Harris, The Elect One

"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds." ~Albert Einstein