Bold Moves

I’m taking a different path with today’s topic and thought my Hospital Hill race photo is a nice way to connect since I’m waving “hello.” 🙂

My dear friend and West Point classmate, Susan Spieth, invited me to participate in a Blog Hop titled, My Writing Process.  You can check out Susan’s blog and learn about her book at http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7373277.Susan I Spieth/blog.  The Blog Hop covers 4 basic questions.  So let’s get started!

1.  What am I working on?  Right now I am in the ideation stage around two books.  The first is a continuation of the Bold Moves journey. The second is about leadership and sharing my thoughts and lessons that I’ve learned throughout my life.  I strongly believe that great leaders not only empower others but also build them up and inspire them to achieve more than they thought possible.  For both these works, my fundamental desire is to teach, coach and inspire.  I hope that one day when people assess how well I lived “the dash between the dates,” they conclude that I lived energetically and led warmly, leaving a legacy of leaders who aspire to pay it forward.

2.  How does my work differ from others in my genre?  That is a tough question!  I’m an avid reader on the topics of leadership, running and wellness.  I think my work may differ from others in these genres from the perspective of my humble standing.  I truly want to let people know that they CAN do what I do.  While I believe that the Lord has blessed me in ways I could have never imagined, He has also given me many challenges that in turn developed an intense work ethic.  I’ve worked hard to be successful.  No matter your talent level, hard work pays off.  I want others to realize that they too can be successful and maybe a good way to help with that is to learn from me; both the good and the ugly.  I want my books and articles to be easy to read and easy for people to connect with.  My style is very relaxed and familiar, from a heart of sharing and inspiring.  In other words, it’s not rocket science to be a successful leader, runner, you fill-in-the-blank.  It takes determination, hard work, and most of all, a heart for others.

3.  Why do I write?  It’s fun!  I truly enjoy writing which aligns nicely with my love for speaking and connecting with others.  It’s also very therapeutic.  Writing and running have a lot in common for me.  Both take creativity and discipline and both provide me with a level of therapy and stress relief that is not to be taken lightly.  I think that’s because when I’m running or writing, I try to still my soul which lets God speak to my heart.  Let’s face it, most of the time I am one heck of a busy person and I enjoy that but there has to be time for solitude and nourishing of the soul.  As an extrovert, it may seem weird that I’m promoting the notion of solitude and quiet as a source of rejuvenation but it works well for me.  I do still love being around people and I get great energy from that but when I really need to pay attention to me and what God is trying to say to me, it is through writing and running that I can get to that special place of stillness that allows me to hear Him.

4.  How does my writing process work?  Every aspect of my life is a planned thing because that’s how my brain works.  Except for writing.  That is the one thing I don’t structure or constrain.  My first book, Bold Moves,came to me as I blogged my journey to that first marathon while also raising funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Since leaving the Army, I had forgotten how awesome it was to be a part of something bigger than yourself.  My path of deeper self-discovery through those five months of training resulted in an intense desire to share my joy of completing my first marathon with others.  So, the process is basically identifying what I want to share and why, then translating it into a story that would appeal to readers so that they can connect to it, identify with it, become inspired by it, and take action because of it.  I haven’t published my second book yet — but I will!  I want people to swallow hard and take risks, pursue their dreams and be fearless.  Failure is not an end, it is a speed bump.  Success occurs when we keep charging over those speed bumps until we realize our dreams.  So my writing process is really messy which I find hugely amusing because I am probably the most structured person you’ll ever meet!

Next Week’s Authors:  I am super excited to introduce two passionate writers who will be joining this Blog Hop next Monday, Sept 1st.  Phil Dyer and Caolan McMahon.  They will answer the same four questions on their websites.

Phil Dyer is my classmate and fellow graduate of West Point.  He is co-founder of Broughton Advisory Group and VICTORY Success Strategies, a division of Broughton Advisory Group.  Phil has over 100 business/financial by-lines in major magazines and is frequently quoted in publications such as Money, Kiplinger’s, Men’s Health and many others.  He will be posting at www.euprising2014.com/phil-dyer.

Caolan McMahon is an avid and accomplished runner and USATF L2, RRCA, and Lydiard Certified running coach.  She balances her passion for running with being a mother, a climber, and a philosopher who inspires many by her activities and perspectives.  She will be posting at www.chronicrunner.com.