As I sit and stare at this now slightly tatty looking author copy of my paperback book, I marvel at how far I have come. I cannot stop staring at it.
For decades, I dreamed of being a writer - an actual published author.
Like many of us, though, I did not do a great deal about it. Sure, I bought the macbook - several, actually, and downloaded Scrivener. I started many books, but never finished them. Once I even wrote every day for a whole week. And then I gave up.
Our brains are amazing, but they can also be our worst enemy. Even as I slept last night, the night before my book launch, those nagging doubts hit me hard. "Who do you think you are, publishing a book?" Or, "What if people you know read this? You might have to leave work!"
Utterly ridiculous, of course, but completely normal.
Our brains simply want to protect us, to keep us safe, but they do not necessarily suggest the right tool. A great example of this, is when we experience stress, anxiety or grief. A quick hit of dopamine will (temporarily) fix us right up, so our brain asks for a drink of our favourite tipple. But it is the wrong tool, as the post-dopamine crash will be worse than the original issue we faced, and then the depression and increased anxiety after that, worse still. Our brain wants to keep us safe, but alcohol is the wrong tool.
Dampening your dreams
And you know what else alcohol does? It dampens our dreams, ruins our sleep, and damages our health. So those dreams fade slowly into nothing until they disappear, forgotten.
It was only after I found freedom from alcohol that I started to realise all of my dreams. Without all the guilt, the cognitive dissonance, and the confusion alcohol causes, my brain re-fired and all the possibilities opened up like a floodgate! The life I discovered was unbelievable!
And can you imagine my delight when my favourite author, Annie Grace, author of This Naked Mind, agreed to introduce my book! It was even bigger than my dream! And so appropriate as her book had helped me so much all those years ago.
Is it time now for you to start on your dreams? I think it is. Your dreams can come true. Just get rid of one thing.
A small request
I would love it if you could help a newbie author out and read my book, Spirits & Sorrow, available on Amazon right now. It's a small thing, but it is massive to me. And please let me know what you think?
You can download it here, on Amazon:
I would love an extra Author follow on Amazon too (I cannot believe I can call myself an author now!) and a review, especially if it's kind.
I hope this inspires you to put the drink away and start on your dreams too. Give me a shout when your book is out, and I will pay it forward and download yours too. 💜
Have a lovely week,
Amanda x
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