Ultimately, the answer is yes. We come into this world alone, and we leave this world alone. I believe that we bring into this world our soul. And our soul has some lessons to learn. This world is where we make mistakes, and that is how we learn.

From the time I was a little girl, I was afraid of making mistakes because I regularly got slapped and was afraid to explore – so scared I was to step outside of my learned behavior. I was like the mouse in the electric shock experiments where the learned behavior of fear happened way before the shock. I bound myself inwardly in hopes that my internal slaps within my mind and “fight or flight” reactions would stop. I guess I was post-traumatic stress, but I like to think of all of this as my soul lessons.

I have learned to put myself out on the line. I am real, and I make mistakes. Seven 1/2 years ago I decided to form this company – Write Heart Memories – helping people turn their stories into books. It rides the edge of authenticity within me and anyone else who turns their stories into books because it leads to self-acceptance, self-discovery, self-worth, and self-love. It has helped me to beat my fears and past behaviors of not wanting to make mistakes. I have unbound myself, and I am unstoppable. This passion within me is what I’ve learned from my company and being an entrepreneur. I am like the “energizer bunny.” I will not wear down. I keep jumping over hurdles around money, time, project management, grammar, creative expression and what have you because I am committed to helping people get their stories into books.  I am not giving up. Your stories, writing your stories has given me constant energy because, in every book I write, I experience transformation and the people telling their stories experience this too. The stories can be about anything – your poems, your recipes, family history, talking with me and finding out what turns you on so you can remember.

Today, Teresa is coming over because a roaming coyote devoured her cat of 18 years – Dula. We connected when this first happened, but she was just in too much pain. Teresa is ready now and is coming over at 3:00 to remember Dula. It comforts her to know she can be around my three cats while we talk and record. I am capturing Dula’s essence because Teresa is telling Dula stories that are going into a book. Teresa will then always be able to remember loving Dula.

There are so many ways I can market what I do to reach the people who understand how marvelous it is to get these stories in books. John contributed to my Indiegogo Campaign because he lost his mother, and I had already written her book. We were in the final phases of proofing when she passed on August 11. But by August 20th, he had his keepsake book of his mom.

Cheryl contributed to the campaign and her partner, Ben, will get a book. Ben is in his seventies. He has many great stories to tell; smart, kind and caring. He wants his book framed around lessons because he hopes, maybe, his son (who doesn’t understand anything about him) will someday understand his dad.

If you haven’t guessed, I write from my heart. It’s scary, but that’s all I can do. Doing this, writing my stories and writing your stories has healed my heart, and you too can have a whole heart.

My Indiegogo Campaign is for you and your stories to help me keep putting your stories in books so you can afford to do it timewise and moneywise.

So are we all on our own? Yes and No:). I wouldn’t be writing if I didn’t know we weren’t all working together to improve the consciousness within ourselves. THAT is how we help this world we inhabit. We help each other learn that it’s okay to be who we are. Learning who we are is a daily practice. Stories within ourselves and the stories we read from other people’s lives inspire and motivate us. Write Heart Memories is what I have to do because I help you find your voice.

Beth