Do You Have the Energy for It?

Those close to me know I'm big on the subject of energy. I'm always asking myself and others, "Do you really have the energy for it?" (referring to a new project or direction). I know that if you do have the energy and are clear on your intent, half the battle is already won.

And if you don't have the energy, there is little chance of a winning effort. You'll soon lose interest and put the project behind you, usually losing self-esteem in the process.

Several years back, Tara said to me, "I think it's time you wrote another book for Simon & Schuster Pocket Books. With their distribution, it could introduce a lot of people to your work."

"I just don't think I have the energy to write another successful mass-market title," I said. "My first books for Pocket are filled with the enthusiasm of self-discovery, that's what made them so popular. You can't fake that. A reader always perceives the author's sincerity and energy."

But I thought a lot about Tara's words.

In my seminars, I've told thousands of people, "Don't assume there is only one way to attain your goals." I took my own advice. After years of investigating past lives, I'm quite objective; it's difficult to get excited about even the most interesting cases, but I asked myself, "What part of your metaphysical investigations is most exciting?" The answer was easy and the same as when I'd written "You Were Born Again To Be Together" -- the idea of romantic love spanning lifetimes.

"What would really challenge you regarding your work?" I asked myself. Answer: "To stretch my abilities as a writer."

That did it. I'd found my energy. I had gathered some powerful, documented case histories over the years and I decided I'd write about them in a different way -- in third person. This was a new and different challenge and it generated very high energy. Could I communicate the true cases in a short-story, docu-drama format that would read quickly? Could I incorporate metaphysical philosophy without slowing it down? Could I make it work?

When my editor read my first case history, she cried. I knew then the answer was yes, yes and yes. I had the energy and I knew Pocket Books would go for it. "Predestined Love" sold extremely well for six years in the Pocket Books edition and is available today in a trade-size Valley of the Sun edition.

What do you want to do? Do have the energy for it? If not, go find it.