If you’ve been listening to the podcast, you know I’ve been in Italy for the past week or so, and it’s been an amazing trip, I’ve had a great time. But I was reflecting on the fact that I almost didn’t come. About six weeks ago,a friend asked me to join her in Italy since she’d be traveling here for a conference. I did something I normally don’t do – I didn’t hesitate. I said yes.
I’ve been thinking about ways to get more adventure into my routine, because I’ve been head down grinding on behalf of my family, and my academy programs for the past two years.
Taking a vacation or traveling anywhere internationally used to be on my mind all the time, but in this new season, it has been completely off the radar for me. And funny enough, I’ve written the words adventure and travel in my journal and on my vision board, but haven’t made the time to create any intentional plans.
So when my friend asked me if I’d like to meet her in Italy I just said yes. I had to make sure my husband would be in town to cover the kids, that I wouldn’t be out of town speaking, and that I wouldn’t miss anything major. But I remember saying “count me in” as I hung up the phone with her, checked my calendar, checked in with my husband, and looked into the price of flights.
I said yes because the opportunity resonated so deeply with me, and spoke directly to what I’d already verbalized. When the opportunity to have an adventure and get some travel in presented itself it spoke to me on a soul level.
Now reflecting back on the week that just passed, I’m in awe of the opportunity to step away from my routine and get refocused and re-energized on the opportunity that is my life. While seeing some of the places I’ve always wanted to see, and experiencing Europe as a person of means (not a broke college student) has been powerful, it has also made me reflect on why I don’t say yes more often.
I love the process of travel because it allows you to get some distance from your day to day. When you’re not in the thick of things, you can get the perspective that you’re too close to observe when you’re in the weeds of your life and business. My friend and I were reflecting on the year that has passed, and while I’m so proud of the things I’ve been able to make happen in the last 12 months, I had to call myself out on not tackling one big specific goal.
About a year and a half ago, I helped my son publish his first book, and he’s gone on to publish two other titles. The process of helping him allowed me to see very clearly where I was falling short on my own goal to write and publish a book, so in packaging his genius I got a clear confirmation that it was time for me to finally write Package Your Genius and get it out into the world. I poured my heart and soul into the project and spent the first half of the year writing and editing the book and published it in early fall. I promoted it on social media and did a moderate amount of press, but nothing crazy. I put it out there, got a good response and felt good about checking that book off the list. Because if you know anything about me, you know I have about 3 other books currently in the queue. So this was just the first.
But something started tugging at my heart shortly after I published the book. And that was this bigger vision of publishing other people’s books – not ghost writing the books and assisting them with the process. But being a full on publisher focused on amplifying marginalized voices, especially women of color who want to write non-fiction books tied to their professional expertise. So I had this big insight, then I did nothing.
I did what we do when we’re staring our big dream in the face. I talked myself out of it. I told myself that to do what I really want to do – launch a boutique publishing imprint – would be impossible. Who would I publish? How would the process work? How would the marketing and distribution work? Where would I find authors? What about all of the part
© 2024 Amanda Miller Littlejohn
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