For about two months, I have been receiving a mail every couple of days from a lover of The Spider’s Web (my book). The message is always the same, inviting me for lunch with her friends. I was hesitant at first, but curiosity got the best of me. I finally agreed to meet with this lady and her seven friends. I’m proud to say I had an amazing time. No dull moment: from signing their books, to answering questions on my female characters, to talking about my next book, dating/ relationships and talking about just anything. Plus, the Chinese food was sumptuous. The four hours away from my personal space was so worth it. When it was time to go , they handed me a hand-made card with a beautifully wrapped gift and thanked me for being an inspiration. I was moved to tears. It brought to mind a favourite quote of mine: “Your life is your message to the world; make sure it’s inspiring.”

That event got me thinking. Inspiring others come naturally when we as individuals learn to inspire our own self; to build up our own life; to strengthen our own mentality. As we face the trials of life, making the choice to not give up, to focus on the word of God and the positive outcomes and, to not let a toxic environment change our perception of life, molds and shapes us into pillars of strength.

There are hard days. Oh boy are there some hard days! Days where you question everything! You question whether your goals are worth the heartache. You question whether the sacrifices you are making will pay off in the end. You want to give up and just stay right where you are. You are at the point where you feel mediocrity is okay and you will be happy living that way. Those questions are natural and they are also necessary. When we push through the pain and the doubt, we eventually walk into something beautiful: our dreams and goals realized.

Remember this; today the storms that you are facing will one day be over and the experience from that will be used to encourage, motivate and inspire another person in the future. When you follow your heart, you overcome every obstacle life throws at you. Your beautiful life is an inspiration to others – stay the course.

We can choose whether we break down or build up others. The choice determines the legacy we leave behind