Hi there.
Firstly, I want to thank you for stopping by to check out my first blog entry.
As I contemplated the exact content, it struck me that perhaps I should explore the why.
Why did I write Triumph of the Spirit?
And a funny thing happened.
I couldn’t come up with an explicitly clear answer.
My educational and professional background had nothing to do with writing.
It was never a life-long dream to write a book.
I enjoyed reading but often found little time to permit myself that simple pleasure.
Like so many, life swept me away within its fast paced current.
Career, marriage, kids (I have four), starter home and then bigger homes (to fit all the kids) and climbing that corporate ladder as the responsibilities of my life began to expand exponentially.
So I traced back in my mind when it all began which brought me to a point well over fifteen years ago.
I was driving to work one day feeling depressed and uncertain about my future as my company at the time was in the midst of a big re-organization. For those who work within Corporate America, you know that typically translates into layoffs.
It’s funny how things outside our control create such distress in our lives when we allow it.
So there I was, thinking of the worst possible outcome as I was the sole provider of our family at the time and getting myself in an overly anxious state.
Then four words popped into my head while I was driving on the freeway.
Triumph of the Spirit.
I didn’t know what it meant at the time but over the coming weeks, an answer to a question I didn’t even ask began to form.
It was the title of a book.
A book that I seemingly had to write.
I have always regarded myself as a spiritual person with an optimistic outlook on life. I also sensed that we are part of a much bigger plane of existence.
But this was far beyond anything I could have perceived.
It didn’t seem possible or real so I dismissed it for a few months thinking of every excuse not to take action.
But a certain feeling remained. It was a strong “pull,” as though there were some unseen, magnetic force drawing me into it.
So one day, I finally succumbed and sat down at my computer to start chapter one.
I was terrified because I had no idea where to start or where it was going.
But an amazing thing happened.
Ideas began to form and a story gradually emerged.
It wasn’t always clear what would happen next, and I had numerous stops and starts along the way which included battling defeatist thoughts during times of discouragement.
Finding the time to write was a factor as well given my focus on the family and the need to continue a career that was essential to our financial survival (i.e. the proverbial “day job”). There were periods when I wouldn’t even write a single word to progress the story for over a year or more.
Nonetheless, I kept at it until I finally got to a point when it was almost like a movie playing out in my mind. It became a joy and almost a reprieve to immerse myself within it.
Much has changed since I started that first chapter.
A corporate move from the Midwest to the East Coast (and back again) occurred.
I am no longer married.
My children are obviously much older now with two of the four in college, another only a year away, and my youngest (who wasn’t even born yet when I started) is about to start high school.
These are but a few examples of how almost two decades of time changed the landscape of my life.
But I finally finished my story and here we are.
If you decide to read it, I thank you.
I realize that some people’s reaction to my book may be, “Dave, I certainly hope you didn’t quit that day job.”
But that’s totally ok because if for nothing else, I am incredibly grateful for the journey and what I have learned about myself along the way.
Thank you for reading.
