Monday: Job interview
Tuesday: Putting together 12 marketing packages for publishers in NYC
Wednesday: Business lunch
Thursday: Grandparents visiting
Friday: Crashing from 4 non-stop days

I’m not even going to the gym this week. That’s how busy I am!

I was planning to meet up with someone in DC for the afternoon today and plans got changed at the last minute. (Don’t you hate that?)

Instead of just abandoning the day and going straight home I decided to make the most out of being in DC. There are still a lot of things I haven’t done in the city and today I decided to cross one of them off my list. Eastern Market is such an enjoyable place!

I bought the cutest little box hand crafted and hand-painted with Mickey Mouse on it. I would say what else I got, but the other thing I bought is a gift for my dad that he is going to get on Father’s Day. This blog is public and, with my luck, my dad will only see this post if I wrote what I got him.

Oh yeah, Eastern Market is also home to the most delicious pastry I have ever eaten. They had cherry and chocolate. I got the cherry and it was so light and the crushed sugar on top was just perfect.

I had spent my money on my Dad’s gift. I had a dollar left and scrounged for change, but it wasn’t enough to total $2.00 for the pastry. The older man asked me if I was a local and told me that just matter-of-factly told me that I can pay him next time. Those two men working the table were so nice and passionate about their food. It’s people like that who give me hope and inspire me to keep pursuing my dream.

Everyone local to that market was so kind and jovial. They made eye contact with you and genuinely asked you about your day. These are the type of people that make life worth living and, as I said, give you hope for the future. They truly do.

I definitely know I will be going back there very soon. I’m not going to beat myself up for waiting so long to visit because everything happens for a reason. My first trip there was an incredible experience and I couldn’t ask for anything more. The fact that I salvaged a last minute cancellation just adds and further reinforces what a great place Eastern Market is.

I’m independent, which is exactly why I want to keep this little piece of plastic. It’s a reminder of life, death, miracles and ultimately, and most importantly, strength. It reminds me why I try so hard. Everyone deserves to feel this way and embrace this independence. I’m going to help everyone get there. I’m able to do this because I can literally put my life in a jar and still live.

That’s when I realized what I needed to add to make this package perfect. Whoever reads my package will have the ability to bounce from the typed pages to reading what I’ve written on my site and browsing around. Giving them a second channel gives them more freedom, and also provides them an opportunity to discover more about who I am. They want to get to know me, which is exactly why they need to SEE me.

My story is great, but it can be exhausting trying to keep up with how active I have been. Instead of making the publishing groups just read about me, I’m going to show them. Everyone loves just being able to rest, kick back and watch TV. So I am going to let them do just that and add a news story and live interview I did prior to my Boston run this year. Not only is it a third channel, but it lets whoever is reading my package relax their mind with something visual.

Everyone tells me how passionate I seem to be and how much I apparently inspire them. Those repeated words reaffirm my faith in what I’m doing. I get stronger every day because of those words, which is why I decided to also include a video introduction from me explaining my life, why I wrote the book and why others need to read it.

I believe in myself. My determination has gotten me this far. Brainstorming how to polish off this package, this seems like the best way—a personal introduction from me that also explains everything I have included in my package.

Adding that personal touch, I am in essence adding my heart and soul into my pitch. I’ve literally put every bit of me into marketing this book. I refused to hold back and now I just have to get it all together and actually go to the publishers.

I’ve met too many people who have dreams and repeatedly say they want to pursue them, or even worse that they wish they had pursued them. I was responsible, saved my money and took the time to build this dream out. Now that the prep work is done I am able to move on with my life the same way everyone else lives their lives currently and continue pursuing my dreams as what I do for fun.

Realistically, Determination cannot be my life yet. It’s definitely what I will live my life by, but I refuse to rush something that I’m this passionate about. My parents may always be worried for my wellbeing and others in my life or that I may encounter may shun or belittle what I’m trying to do, telling me it isn’t possible. However, as long as I remember my reason for pursuing this then everything will fall into place.

Passion drives determination. As long as you embrace passion then your determination will find a way to make the dream your reality. Simply believe and pursue.