Living Proof...Believe

Exhale… finally a chance to sit and digest everything that has happened in the past two months.  Yesterday I attended my first official book launch along with 3 other brilliant authors. I had known for a couple weeks that I would be standing in front of a room of media, established authors, industry experts, peers, publicists, publishers, friends, family and aspiring authors. I anticipated it would be nerve-racking. 

This past week, I spent countless nights reading my work, listening to the feedback of the many who have supported me through my blog, twitter, facebook and everyday life. Trying to feel the message I was meant to deliver. Night after night, I dragged my laptop to bed. Wrote and wrote and wrote. The next night, I picked up and started a new document. Again and again and again. I realized that every time I sat to write, I had a different perspective,  different angle, an entirely different topic.

I finally abandoned the idea. I thought about every time I’ve ever delivered in a similar situation. I am not one to plan these things. I don’t have the capacity or desire to memorize, rehearse, and for the life of me refuse to record and hear myself! :). I know someone out there is agreeing with me. So, 72 hours before the big day, I handed it over… I decided not to worry about it. I knew one way or another, I could stand before a room for 10 minutes and if life experience had taught me something, no matter what happened, it would be over before I knew it and it would be fine.

So there I stood. i stepped onto the stage, was handed a microphone, and turned to face a room full of eyes focused on me.  I took a deep breath, then opened my mouth, and did what I do.Said the first thing that came to my mind. Not two minutes into my speech, someone’s phone rang…I almost panicked. I knew my attention span would be lost. Instead, I stopped and listened. What happened blew my mind. The ring tone was “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars. A song near and dear to my heart and one that I wrote about in the very book I was launching. 

I looked right at my Book Coach who had planned the whole event, and in front of a room full of onlookers asked “did that just happen on purpose? did someone set that up?”. Before the words were out of my mouth, I knew the answer.  I couldn’t help but smile. I had prayed for the direction, and here it was, in the loudest most undeniable form.

Before I could think again, my heart spoke to the room about the significance of that song, and how the room had just been witness to believing that you will get exactly what you need… a remarkable moment in my life that I will never forget.

Believe…