Wings of Wisdom, the first book

Wings of Wisdom was the first book I had ever written. For years, I had collected motivational and inspirational quotes - I had books filled with these quotes. I often thought it would be great to put all of these wonderful quotes in a book for my children. However, I didn't have the first clue about publishing a book. And, the bigger issue for me was that writing was one of my weakest skills.

I will never forget the Christmas I purchased the program, Microsoft Publisher, for my husband as a gift. One night I started playing around with the program and had the idea of putting all the quotes that I had handwritten in my many books on the program.

I started adding quotes, and then decided to put stories along with the quotes. One thing lead to another and I had actually put together about 30 pages of the book Wings of Wisdom. I sheepishly showed it to my husband, and his reaction was one of encouragement.

So, I started compiling this day by day quote book. It took me over two years to complete. And, my husband edited and re-edited the book many times. I also gave draft copies to a few of my friends who took their time and read the draft, and gave me suggestions to improve the book.

I was determined to complete the book and have it published. Well, to make a long story short, the book was finally complete. But I soon found out how difficult it is to be published as a new author. So, after much searching, my husband and I decided we would self publish the book. The detail, the cost, and the work seemed overwhelming. But, persistent and perseverance prevailed as we finally had the book, Wings of Wisdom published.

Reflecting on my early days of writing the book and then publishing it showed me:

- no matter what your weakest skill is, if you are willing to work at it you can do it
- being determined, not giving up when you face challenges will lead you to success. We faced many challenges. Time, money, and knowledge were only a few of the challenges we faced. But, for every challenge, we knew there was a solution
- one thing leads to another. The website, www.wow4u.com was created as a result of the book. We faced the challenge of not having a publisher and found a way. Then we faced the challenge of major bookstores not wanting to put an unknown author on their shelves. So, we developed the website to sell the books. And, as you can see, the website today is about more than selling books. It reminds me of the quote, "when one door closes, another one opens".
- The proverb, "where there is a will, there is a way" is true. I was determined to write the book, but working full time and raising a family left little time for writing. In order to write, I got up a hour earlier each day. I had the will, and I found the way!

Has the book been a best seller? No. But, for me, the book was not about money…it was about sharing my thoughts and quotes with my children and others. And, it was about accomplishing a goal that at one time I thought was impossible.

So, if you have a goal, be determined, persistent and persevere - you can reach your goal!

Alim