By: Elliott Robertson
Say Yes to Life provides you with seven keys to unconditional, abundant living. Each key opens a doorway to experiencing life as a gift.
This book will guide you to the depths of your heart where you long to celebrate life with a wholehearted "Yes!"
You will be led to a place of greater authenticity.
You will be encouraged to take joy in who you are.
Only willingness is needed to embrace yourself with gladness.
With your true Self in the driver's seat and the ego in the back seat, life takes on a new vibrancy.
Now you are present to yourself, to your companions, and the cosmos. The mountaintop appears and beckons you into the fullness that has always been awaiting you.
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The book will be free during the tour.
The opinions we carry about ourselves are not readily identified. They are not easy to spot. We think the opinion (“I can’t handle adult responsibilities,” or “I’m socially awkward and therefore I’ll always be rejected”) is a fair, objective description. We mistake the mask we’re wearing for who we are, and we have no recollection of ever choosing the mask, or putting it on.
To say Yes to life is to bow down to Spirit, to make the “Yes” God utters more important than any other considerations.
You may think of yourself as hobbled in certain ways. Your negative self-talk may have convinced you that you are not smart enough to pursue something you dream about. You may have formed unflattering opinions about, say, your artistic abilities, and these opinions may have caused you to leave your art supplies in the attic, untouched for years.
Cling to the negative self-talk no longer. Listen to Divine Intelligence say “Yes” to you, instead.
Hello and happy summer. My name is Emily and thank you for giving me some of your time.
Was writing your first love?
Yes, I’ve always loved to write. When I was eight or nine, a neighbor asked me what I would be when I grew up, a question I didn’t get asked very often and hadn’t really given much thought.
Right there on the spot, I told him I would be a writer.
Where do you like to write?
I have two places where I do most of my writing: at home and at a café. Well, more than two if you count all the different cafes I frequent. It has to be a café I feel comfortable in, a place where I’m a regular and where I know they are okay with me staying there for an hour and buying just one cup of coffee. A place where the background music doesn’t bother me. One of the cafes I go to from time to time always has classical music in the background and that suits me.
Is writing everything you thought it would be?
Writing what I want to write has always been something I do on the side, something I juggle with day jobs. And generally, my café (or at home) writing time is one of my favorite parts of the day.
How do you form your story ideas?
Over the last 10 or 15 years, I’ve been writing nonfiction. I’m not sure if what I write qualifies as “story ideas.” From where do I get my thematic notions? Mostly from my observations and personal insights. For example, I’m writing blogs about the need to be right. I decided to write on this topic because I noticed that on Facebook everyone seems to value being right more than they value seeking to understand someone else’s point of view. As I gave the need to be right more consideration, it occurred to me that it can get in the way of living life full out from within.
Do you keep notes during the day? (In case something inspires you or, if you had a lively conversation and thought, “Hey that would be great in a book.”)
I have a notebook that I carry around with me sometimes when I’m out and about. I do jot down ideas that might relate to a writing project I’m working on. It’s not a daily occurrence, but when I’m inspired by something, if I have my notebook handy, I’m always glad to have it on hand. If I’ve left my notebook at home, I sometimes use a napkin or whatever scrap of paper I can find to write something down, or I trust myself to remember it later.
Do you write in one sitting or in bursts?
When I’m writing a poem, it always flows through me onto the page in one sitting. It usually takes a few minutes—my poems are usually three stanzas or less. Sometimes a few words will be changed later on, but I write until the poem is complete.
When I’m writing nonfiction, it varies. Sometimes a short blog is completed and reviewed and finalized all in one sitting. For larger projects, however, much more work is required.
What was the last book you read? Did it live up to your expectations?
The Sophia Code is my most recent book. And it surpassed my expectations. Kaia xxxx, the author, is truly brilliant. And her writing is crystal clear.
What are some of your most difficult parts to write?
If I’m writing about something I have a shaky understanding of, it can be tough. It is important to me not to misguide the reader or to write something that is a waste of time to read.
Did this book follow your original plan? Or did it turn into something completely different?
I wrote an outline early on when writing Say Yes to Life—shortly after discerning the keys to saying Yes to life. The sequence of the keys (Say Yes to Your Expansiveness first, followed by Say Yes to Your Uniqueness, and so on) didn’t change. However, I ended out adding a Prologue, an Introduction and other sections in the front and back of the book.
Was it hard to stay motivated during your writing process? What were some of your go-to strategies to stay on point?
Say Yes to Life is a short book. Perhaps I would have encountered a dip in my passion for the book at some point if it were a longer book. But that didn’t happen with Say Yes to Life.
Do you have a playlist for this book? Or any song that helped you develop a particular scene?
I’ve never combined music and writing. Maybe I’ll try that one day.
Lastly, what is one key piece of advice you would give to anyone wishing to go down the writing path?
The advice I would give someone who is thinking of pursuing writing is general and applies to any artist or craftsperson. Do you feel compelled, unstoppably propelled, like you have no choice but to write. If so, then it may very well be part of your nature and not just something you are fantasizing about. I think Mozart had composing music in his nature. He wouldn’t have been able to stop himself if he tried. Hafiz, the poet from the 14th century, obviously had to write poems and was probably at the mercy of the creative flow pouring through him when he was in the bathtub (“Oh, not now—I have to dry off and find parchment.”). Michelangelo also.
Thank you for your time today :)
Elliott Robertson is a Happiness Coach. He holds an MA in Psychology and has been certified as a Happy for No Reason workshop facilitator. His articles have appeared in several magazines, including Science of Mind and Miracles Magazine.
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Elliott Robertson will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read.
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