We did it!
Chuck and I are thrilled to report that we finally completed our book’s first draft last week. This exciting endeavor uses many people’s personal stories to illustrate the We Are Resilient™ approach, including our own. Writing the book has been an honor because so many of you trusted us with your stories. Your vulnerability inspired us through some long days and nights, reminding us how the Connecting Skill of Speaking Authentically touches us at our deepest level. We know some of you had to draw upon the Resilient Mindset of Courage to share your stories, and we are grateful for that. We know this book will help heal others by illuminating honest mental health.
We find it particularly appropriate that we completed our draft in time for World Mental Health Day because We Are Resilient ™ is all about promoting mental health. For the past 70 years, my extended family has been enmeshed in the mental health system, with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, and suicide. Like too many others, I am intimately familiar with all the treatments that don’t work and all we don’t know about how to address mental challenges.
We are moved by how many people are using our We Are Resilient™ methods to strengthen their mental health and promote it for others. We are happier and healthier human beings when we use the We Are Resilient approach. Healthcare providers, educators, other support professionals, and families are crafting a better life for themselves and their patients, students, and families. Learning how to enhance our mental health improves our relationships and our ability to work together to solve problems in our community.
With this draft done, Chuck and I will now draw upon our own Resilient Mindset of Courage. We have been heads down writing for about ten months, so finishing means we are suddenly looking around again. The path ahead is less clear than the writing of the past year. Traveling this unseen path requires Courage—the belief that each step is correct because it aligns with our values.
We have a lot of hard work in front of us–like finding the right agent and/or publisher. We need to raise funds so we can continue providing free resources to the thousands of people downloading or viewing our resources. We also need to create innovative marketing strategies so people who most need this work can find us. We want to train more coaches. We need volunteers to join our team. We would love to hear from you if you can help us with any of those things!
As Chuck and I use our Resilient Mindset of Courage, we invite you to do the same. How can your Courage help you follow your heart and take steps aligned with your values?
With Resilience,
Meri and the Dovetail Learning team