Never in my wildest dreams..

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d write my first book at 22 during the start of a global pandemic and publish it at 23. While it’s been a privilege to be recognized and respected for being an author, it’s tough. As a young author, you question yourself a lot. I frequently find myself thinking about how my book could’ve been better. Still, I need to give myself more credit for even writing a book about how to navigate life after graduation while still navigating it myself. I acquired so much wisdom and knowledge in my first years out of college that I knew I had to share it with the world.

Nobody that looked like me had written a book about this topic. The books surrounding this topic were also outdated. Then, the pandemic hit, and I had to change what I planned on including in my book to adapt to our new society quickly. In Reroute, I was vulnerable. This book is my lived truth. I was grieving the loss of my cousin, dealing with not having a full-time job yet, and thinking, am I even good enough to write this.?

There were many times I doubted myself, but I knew that if God placed this idea in my head, it was for a reason. I got the support of my community to raise over $6,000 to bring my physical book and audiobook to fruition. This is why I always say I am community-made, not self-made. Shameless plug in case you want a shirt yourself: (link) The power of community is unmatchable.?

If you have an idea in your head, start talking with people that can help you bring this to life. Surround yourself with the right people that will continue to add value to your life and the people who will support you throughout the process of bringing your thought from idea to execution.?

At times we can get caught up and only think about ourselves and forget about others, but there’s more power than we know in community. We can heal in community, grow in community, grieve in community, and thrive in community.