I’m not an author. I’m Alli.
Let me be radically honest for a moment. Writing a book was never on my bucket list. Yet, when the serendipitous opportunity arose to join a cohort of writers all across the world with the collective dream of being published authors, I thought more constructively about it.
But I was afraid. Afraid of putting my voice out into the world in such a concrete way. I was scared of having absolutely no idea what even I wanted to write about. I didn’t even tell my closest friends for a long time, because I felt like a fraud. (You know who you are… sorry about that.)
I remember feeling strangely embarrassed when I had first told a few of my closest friends. I guess it was a feeling of believing I wasn’t worthy of publishing a book. I’m 23 years old. What value, insight, or wisdom could I possibly add to the world?
I’m not an author. I’m Alli.
And I’m passionate about learning and discovering from others, which deepens my own understanding of myself and the world at large. I’ve come to realize that writing a book is just one manifestation of this effort of which I commit my life to.
When I didn’t quite know what I wanted to write about, I recall the words of Professor Koester, the Georgetown Professor who runs this book writers’ program:
“Just start researching topics that interest you and talk to people who fascinate you.”
I found it particularly difficult to get specific. I am a women of a vast array of passions. With interests reaching as far as staying educated on the complexities of the Israeli Palestinian conflict to watching documentaries on environmentalism to ultra-endurance activities, I didn’t know exactly where to start.
But, as my brain consumed article upon article on a multitude of topics in order to find some kind of direction, I kept finding myself coming back to women. Women who were inspiring change and had compelling stories that personally motivated me.
Could I use the platform of my book to elevate the stories of women at large?
The answer was yes. I realized I wanted The Power of Pivot to be bigger than myself. As I interviewed and researched, I found common themes amongst all women. In one way or another, each had experienced the concept of change as a critical part in the stories of their lives, and I learned how they had utilized certain principles to experience these changes in the most effective way possible.
Change is such a fascinating thing. Personally, I’ve seen how much my interests and passions have changed over the past 4 years as I’ve graduated from high school and now have graduated from college.
It’s within my own personal life changes and realizations over this period of my life where I’ve found significant growth and transformation, which inspired me to explore the topic of change from the perspective of women more deeply in The Power of Pivot.
A little over a year ago, I never imagined it for myself, but life is full of unexpected pivots and opportunities:
I’m Alli, and I AM an author.
-Alli
*Over the next few weeks, I’m going to be sharing excerpts and stories from my book, The Power of Pivot: A Female Perspective on Embracing Change, in this article series. The Power of Pivot will launch in a few weeks on Amazon! In the meantime, if you want to connect, you can reach me here via email (thepowerofpivot@gmail.com) or through my website: http://www.thepowerofpivot.co/#/*
