It’s very important to share your story. Four days after my book was published, a woman came to me at the Royal Adelaide Show to have it signed. She said she wanted to meet me in person.
I was moved by her gesture to drive more than an hour just to come and talk to me.
She was a learned woman with a high paying job and very well respected in her industry.
My base for the duration of the show where I was judging the entries for STEMSEL, Science Technology Engineering Math’s and Social Enterprise Learning was the Technology Center.
This lady was all professionally dressed and I could tell that she would be heading straight to her office after meeting me. She extended her hand and said: “ Thank you”
“Thank you for writing your story as that is MY story. Thank you for writing all the things I was afraid to say out loud.”
She told me she had read only half of the book but whilst I was still in Adelaide, she wanted to thank me. Thanks to social media anyone can track me down 🙂
But the truth is, I’m the one who is very grateful. I’m so grateful that she bought my book. Actually, she bought four copies, one for her daughter and the other two as gifts.
When I began writing earlier this year, my intention was to help people realize how much power they have within. But little did I know that by sharing my story and by empowering others I was empowering myself.
We are all connected, our experiences are somehow intertwined and your lessons are valuable to other people.
We have a saying in Africa “only the pot knows how hot the fire is” but if you have gone through depression, or some other sort of tragedy you empathize with the other, which is very different from sympathy.
My story is full of life; I choose to focus on what’s great about life and to be a blessing to others. To live my life to it’s fullest, you only live once, right?
I’m hoping that by reading my book, you will be inspired and maybe even write your own story. You never know it might free someone.
It was a therapeutic moment for me to finally write down my journey from Katete to Horsham here in Australia. To write about the lessons learnt, the broken hearts, the little and massive wins in life.
Never under estimate the power of words and what they can do. Words can create and destroy someone. Use them wisely and be a little kinder to one another. Surely this will help to build a better world.
Keep smiling and write on.
