Joy Comes from Within

There are very few things that a person can attribute to contentment and none of them should be external things.  A house, car, clothes, or any accoutrements of status aren’t designed to bring true happiness.  Joy comes from within, and it always will, because God designed it that way.

Some people are so obsessed with creating an image that’s bigger than life that the façade can take on a life of its own and suffocate the spirit.  I caution those people to don’t get burnt by the fire you’ve built.  Make sure the light within shines brighter than any lights that are around you. Take time, every day, to ground and re-center yourself.

---

This year, I was lucky enough to see, up front and personal, a public servant gives a good part of his heart and soul to his constituents.  His hard work and sacrifice are admirable but he also taught me how important it is to surround yourself with people with no hidden agendas.  Trust and loyalty are rare commodities within personal connections.  And when you’re lucky enough to achieve a certain level of success it becomes more elusive.

I’ve taken that lesson to heart; I totally trust my inner circle and appreciate all of the time and memories they've share with me. When I watch people like Oprah, Tyler Perry and author JK Rowling operate with a sense of gratitude in their business ventures, I’m inspired to write and create out of a similar place of truth.  My readers are so supportive and they understand I’m working hard to achieve a certain goal.  I’m not chasing their dollars; I’m sharing a part of myself.

When you read North Star and my upcoming novel South Beach, there are glimpses of my personal experiences and my philosophy of life. I reveal characters that have many layers and in my book series you’ll be able to understand their motivations, dreams and fears about life and love.  It’s reminiscent of the moment you met a person for the first time.  They seem so wonderful, daring or whatever they chose to show you, or what you chose to see, at the onset.  Then you spend more and more time with them and you observe them in different situation and around different people and the truth always comes to the surface. You see the depth of a person the good qualities and their annoying ones, the things that make them tick, and glimpses of the journey they’ve taken in life. It's always laid before you if you decide to pay attention.

I want my readers to know my characters and root for them just like I do every time I sit down at my keyboard. It make my job as an author so enjoyable.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend and keep believing in ‘our love stories, our community, and our connections’.

---