Since writing my NTH post, there have been a number of responses; some of which were expected, and others more surprising.  There have been fleeting moments of regret, but I remain steadfast in my mission.  I met with my editor a couple of weeks ago for the first time.  He interviewed me for a couple of hours, and took several pages of notes.  Although we haven’t defined a core message for the book, we have some concepts to begin with, which I think will shape up nicely and be something worth reading.  What’s particularly interesting is that when I decided to write the memoir, I had no intentions of selling the book, or at least marketing it to sell, but I’ve been very encouraged by my supporters, and now feel a higher sense of accountability to ensure that whatever I write will be interesting and worthy of the couple dozen dollars someone may shell out to get a copy.  Nevertheless, I have my first assignment, which is to identify a core message, and write a 10 page introduction for the book.  The non-conformist in me would argue that it would be possible to have more than one main theme, however, I must defer to the experts I have asked to assist me, and wrestle with my conscious to identify the most urgent and important message I want to communicate, considering this may be my first and last book.  Instead of doing this on my own, I thought it might be interesting to request feedback from my supporters by inquiring what you would be most interested in reading about.  Here are my top three potential core messages for the book.  Have a look, and leave a comment below this post should you feel compelled to do so.

• Importance of self-worth and self-acceptance – Arguably, my low self esteem has been the primary driver to become an over-achiever in anything and everything I have done.  I’ve never been the smartest, or most talented, but my need for approval manufactured a grit-like quality that allowed me to achieve success in many ways, or alternatively blow mounds of money to gain acceptance and/or approval.  Go big or go home is an understatement when fumbling to find the write words to describe my over-the-top style.  However, once I was able to expose this deficiency, it has allowed me to grow in many ways, and redefine what is most important to me while I’m here on earth, and what I want to leave behind when I leave it.
• Transparency – For the majority of my life, I’ve always been very forward and direct.  I don’t like small talk, and have never been afraid to speak my mind, however, I didn’t come to know the value of transparency until early adulthood.  When you expose your own fears, weaknesses, and sin, it can create a sense of intimacy only described by experience.  Unfortunately, the flip-side is that transparency can get you cut out of deal, betrayed, judged, and worst of all, killed.  Telling the truth can get you hurt, but living a lie is much worse.
• Doing the right thing – Anyone who knows me well, knows that doing the right thing is extremely important to me.  At times, I have chosen not to do the right thing, but when possible, I’ve made things right.  A person might think that doing the right thing will result in good things happening, but in my experience, it’s been quite the opposite, especially from an outward perspective.  We have opportunities to do the right thing every day, and more often than not, people choose to do what’s best for them.  Yes, we are selfish creatures, but I plan to spend the rest of my life attempting to prove up that doing the right thing is what matters most.

No matter the core message, my life stories will be interwoven throughout the book, as to draw reflection and perspective to the main theme. I also need to identify who my main audience is.  This is particularly tough for me, because I think my story has potential to appeal to many demographics, and especially young adults, as well as men and women alike.  However, it would be interesting to hear from those that do find what I have to say appealing and why.  Thanks in advance for your help, and for being part of the journey.