It’s very difficult to put into words what the process was that brought me to writing at this time in my life. But, I’ll try. Back in the mid-2000’s, I had turned fifty. I was, I guess in a state of PTSD from a medical brush with death. I survived a deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism in 2003. I was depressed and overweight, sitting around seriously on the bottom. In that period of time I don’t know how I did it, but I was able to raise my daughter. Looking back, it seems to me there was a great meeting, a monumental synchronicity of events that began to bring my life together.
Back in those early days of self-discovery, the first books I read were The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer, and You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise Hay. Then, I took the suggestion from Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way to write three pages in a journal each day for self-examination. The journaling became coupled with reading author-gurus like Wayne Dyer, Louise Hay, Abraham/Hicks. Most importantly, I had frequent talks – five days a week still – over the phone with my sister Annette who lives in Northern California, who happens to be a trained spiritual counselor. Over a two year period I came to see more of a purpose or intention regarding my life.
With success and purpose slowly building inside me, the inspired time suddenly manifested. That’s when the idea for a love story came to me through my journaling. That was in 2009. Through all the self-study and learning how to switch from a self-punisher to a self-soother and advocate with a focus on a creative outlet, I weaned off all the anti-depressants I had been taking for years. I no longer needed the psychotropics. I have not taken one milligram of an antidepressant or anti-anxiety for many years now. I’ve learned, and am still learning, I have a choice as to how I feel or think about something that is an obstacle or block to happiness.