I was talking with my friend Bethany earlier, and she helped me realize something. A lot of my book feels like common sense to me. I guess it should, but it’s just fascinating how things I readily live by are so inspiring for other people.

Here’s a perfect example. Bethany was telling me how she has trouble with procrastinating; how she always has things she wants to do and continues to put off what she needs to do. 

That’s when I suggested that she do what needs to be done and use what she wants to do as a reward for completing the required work.

Let’s say it was getting late or I had just gotten home from work, and all I wanted to do was watch TV, yet I still had to do my daily run. Instead of lying down to watch TV, I would go right out and do my run. If I sit down first, my motivation to run becomes that much harder to restart. Instead, I go run first and stretching out on the couch becomes my reward for completing my run.

Having dessert can be treated the same way. It can be treated as a reward. It’s just interesting to me how the habits I use day after day are actually techniques and perspectives that most people haven’t considered.

I can’t even tell you how many there are in my book because of how readily I use everything I write about in my book. All I know is, at the end of each day I feel fulfilled. If I can help others embrace life as fully as I have been able to, that’s all that matters. In fact, that is a pretty awesome reward for finishing this book.

My friend motivated me to look at my book again and I got the bug to start going through the countless number of edits I had thrown across a good number of pages.  I haven't looked at An Uncharted Life for about 6 months, and it felt good reading through it again.  I really wrote a 300+ page book.  I'm happy and I feel a true sense of accomplishment.

Probably about a third to halfway through the book, reading and editing the content got really tough to do, emotionally.  I had analyzed and broken down so many situations that I hadn't thought about in months.  It was tough reliving some of them again.  It's a very humbling feeling, I guess, to see how the story progresses, but man it is hard to re-read my life detail for detail.

It also doesn't help that I am editing the book on my computer in my room.  I'm stuck in my room all day, inside the house with little to no interaction with anyone.  It's like a marathon in a way, considering I deal with emotions in both, I hit walls in both, but no matter how difficult it is to get through, you reach the end and you feel an utter sense of accomplishment.

I did feel that when I finished the book, but after polishing off my edits, I felt this almost sickening sensation come over my body.  It was the first time I really remember the book from the beginning through the end, and the way the book transitions through and then comes full circle just kinda sucker punched me in the gut.  I wasn't expecting the story to hit home so emotionally.

I'm still really excited that it all came together.  I guess that is why I am going to be so diligent with editing it.  I want the book to be perfect-- seamless transitions from start to finish.  It's been tough mentally to read everything close enough to make sure the story is smooth and progresses cleanly.  I just hope I'm not a continual emotional wreck each day that I have left in editing it.

I think I've gotten through the most emotional sections though.  The further the story progresses the more uplifting everything becomes.  While I've had to learn from my past, the most important lesson it has taught me is how to remain optimistic and pursue every day in that manner.