The Power of Reinvention

On June 7, my third novel and first standalone dropped with B. Love Publications. Less than two weeks after its reception and over 500 people downloading or purchasing it during its first week, Coming Home is in the top 100 of Black & African American Women's Fiction (Kindle Store), Black & African American Romance, and Black & African American Women's Fiction (Books).

From Scholar to Novelist

Why did an engineering professor with dreams of one day becoming a university president start writing romance novels?

It began when I was thrown away by my organization. Some people would swear that isn’t what happened. They might say I brought my outcomes on myself by not holding my head down or by pushing my organization to protect its marginalized members. Others might think I wasn’t professional enough and didn’t adhere to the age-old rules of academia and my institution. It could also be said I was too vocal about my displeasure at what was happening in my space, sharing countless stories of what I perceived as injustices and oppressive, inconsistent workplace practices.

My Healing

Any of that could be true, but as someone going through a grief recovery process , I am being brutally honest about my feelings and about what I experienced during my post-administrative tenure. So many people were complicit in inflicting harm and covering up its impact.

My recovery requires me to acknowledge the impact of the ongoing hurt my organization and colleagues caused me. Oppressive systems want me to deny the losses, but my mental wellness depends on saying they were real. The deeper I go on this journey, the more I realize how few people know how to respond to occupational losses and grief.

Rediscovering My Gift of Writing

I wasn't excited to reinvent myself or transition to something unplanned. My award-winning research studies assured me I had the transferable skills to learn new information and create innovative brands, but why should I have to? I earned my position and worked on my career trajectory my entire life. Why wasn’t I given multiple chances to prosper across educational contexts like others? What was I supposed to do?

I rediscovered my gift of writing after partnering with three other professors. We discussed how intense our environments were and created fictional characters with stories that presented what we went through daily.

I studied YouTube videos about writing and chatted with other authors and publishers to learn the craft of writing fiction. The mysteries of narrative and dialogue were unmasked as I practiced writing and crafting storylines that moved my female protagonist in ways I wished I could have but didn’t as an engineering professor.

Over time, fiction comforted me as I took care of my mother long distance during her last days on earth. The Black women professionals on my pages made me laugh and reminded me I was more than my job. I could survive work hurt. Joy was always present amid sadness in the pandemic world around me.

A Revelation

Last week, I spoke with my therapist about Coming Home and realized how much my disappointment about work exists in Dr. Ressa Hooks' voice. In one passage, Ressa, a domestic abuse survivor who didn't earn tenure at her university, said,

"Although I appeared to be healthy and happy on the outside, I was out of whack internally. No amount of praying, fasting, or meditation was working. From what little I knew about psychology, I was sure my insomnia came from my avoidance of my reality and the shame I felt of failing in a job I was committed to...I missed having a village I could trust and let my hair down with." Excerpt from Coming Home by Monica Cox

The male protagonist, Dr. Tuscan Sims, an Army medic, is her restoration. As I wrote his words of healing and comfort, I was writing how I wished my organization had held me until I gained my strength and recovered from my loss. Tuscan saw how the rules of his school district could break Ressa, a talented teacher, who needed grace and time to heal personal and professional wounds. In his role as an equity accomplice , he took a stand against a system that could have broken her beyond repair. He loved her back to life.

Healing from Professional Hurt

When people are abused by work, restoration isn’t always present. It's not even a priority in many organizations. I often think about how discrimination leads to loss of talent, productivity, and return on investment , along with the long-term implications of their apathy, fear, or silence.

To those of you wondering how you are going to heal from work hurt:

1. Take it one day at a time. Allow yourself to feel your pain. Your loss is valid.
2. Give yourself the grace to move at your own pace. Depending on past trauma and what you’re facing in this season, you may not recover as quickly as you would like. That’s okay.
3. Go back to your core. Think of what you enjoyed as a child and what brings you joy in darkness. Pursue a facet of that joy to explore what more might come from your realization.

Looking Ahead

So many people think I have it together, but I am moving at a pace that works for me right now. That means I’m processing my reality in ways that keep me healthy and at peace. One day I might become the university president I aspired to be at 19. Until then, however, I’ll tell my story in this Stop Playing Diversity newsletter, books , and podcast . I’ll also guide others toward clarity in my business , which centers on wholeness, boldness, and strength.

Check out my novel, Coming Home by Monica Cox, via the link below:

Kindle book -> https://a.co/d/9A1jJTX

Paperback -> https://lnkd.in/eFKGWUAe

Are you looking for professional clarity? Fill out this contact form to get back to your core and discover what your next steps might look like. You deserve all the joy and restoration life offers.?

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