Home...Where Your Story Begins

For nearly a year, I worked tirelessly to finish a book trilogy. Along the way, I lost stem several times. In January, I was inspired to finish because of an interview with a respected surgeon turned author, Dr. Paul D. Parson. Paul D.Parson has written a series of books base on the Zulu beads given by Lord Baden-Powell, founder of the Boys Scouts, to the original Scout Masters. With historical events as the back drop, Parson  takes readers on a fictional journey to locate the Baden-Powell's beads. Paul shared with me he wrote the entire series before he released the first book. I was inspired after hearing his story and marketing strategies. So inspired, that I decided I would follow in his footsteps.

As a writer, my interest in authoring books was encouraged by many but Derrick Miles of Milestone Motivation Group was persistent in reminding to write books. Two years ago, I was a contributing author to Super-Human Performance. Derrick, known as the encourager, would say often, “Genma, you must put your stories in a book." I shared with him on several occasions about my desire to finish a book I had started that could be written as a series. After much encouragement from him (and many others) along with Paul's story, I said, “yes” to making it happen. For inspiration, I began reading through twenty-six years of journals that chronicled my every thought.

As I read my journals, I had forgotten how much they held. I put everything in my journals; the good, the bad, and the ugly. At times, I wondered out loud if my writings were from a woman going mad! Some years, I probably was. Many pages captured cherished moments from the lives of family and friends and my spiritual victories of hard fought battles. I rejoiced at seeing growth from one journal to another, laughed hysterically at trying to balance social commentary with social politics, lamented over the painful years of trying to raise teens, and was reminded how much has been accomplished over the years despite years of struggling. My journals were the perfect antidote to get me going. Along with years of blogging and writing for many publications, I had an abundance of material.

When I embarked on completing the series, I did not realize I would be pitted against will and might. Suddenly, it appeared as if the universe began to work against me all at once. Alex, the grand prince, became ill and spent weeks back and forth to hospitals. After getting him well, I was plagued with health issues from out of nowhere, while business accounts that were once solid were on shaky grounds. With illnesses taking front seat to life, invoicing got behind. Sending invoices is essential to getting paid. Very few folks voluntary pay a company.

What in the world was happening, I wondered often? The more I pushed through the more pressure mounted that sapped my energy daily. Pressure, anxiety, stress, and tension, entered my body, mind, and spirit. Not to mention, I had isolated myself to finish the book. Can wanting to finish a book bring strife in your life? I was seriously beginning to believe some evil force was hounding me. However, in spite of the hellish last several months, the final sentence was written.

How did it happen? My firm belief in praying daily was my foundation for staying strong. Add that to pure determination and inspiration found from a wooden sign also empowered me to complete what I had started. A wooden sign? Yes, prayer, determination, and my beautiful wooden sign!

At Christmastime, I bought a gift for myself from Mom’s Sign Company. Mom’s Sign Company is a Franklin, TN based company owned by Margaret Ziegler that specializes in hand painted wooden signs with heartfelt words for any occasion. I had ordered signs for gifts from Mom’s Sign Company before but never for myself. After browsing the site one night around midnight, I saw a sign that read “Home is where your story begins…” immediately my heart skipped a beat. I felt as if God was giving me the "okay" to share my heart and stories from the place that influenced me the most, home. My home, after years of starts and stops, had become an Oasis in my life.

After I received my sign, I nailed it to my wall above my office desk. This was the first time in a very long time that I actually bought a gift for ME! My office is where I work but it is also where I retreat to write for pleasure. Nailing my sign to the wall felt as if I planted the flag on the moon! I did not realize at the time how my sign would be such a powerful motivator over the next several months

When I entered into my writing zone, my words flowed freely for several weeks. But as weeks turned into months, unforeseen circumstances invaded my life. Illnesses hit my family, from my grandmother to my Grand Prince, like the plague of centuries ago and kept me distracted. There were many days spent wondering if Grand Prince Alex would be okay.  I would glance at my sign as I passed by my office door and read it boldly after praying for his recovery. When I became ill and wondered if I was going to see the next day, I repeated the words from my sign along with every prayer committed to memory. When I was discouraged, depressed, drained, and done, the words on my sign would inspire me to keep going. “Write a few words today,” it seemed to whisper. “Keep at it” it would remind me at times. “Do not give up,” it would yell often. And each day, no matter what, I added words to my story that started at home.

Last week, I met with several editors who looked at me as if they were seeing a ghost. I could read their thoughts, “She has been sick, when did she find time to finish?” I smiled to myself knowing that at home my secret weapon, my sign, helped me accomplish what many would have said was unthinkable. A believer in the power of words, my sign kept me motivated through tough times and was a constant reminder of the beauty of where your story begins.

Author of Baden-Powell's Beads on Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes

Join Living Your Best Life with Genma Holmes as we profile organizations and leaders who lead by example. With extraordinary acts of kindness and charitable giving that help countless lives daily, these organizations and leaders embody "Be the change you want to see in the world".

Throughout 2013, Living Your Best Life will feature various authors of books that empower, inspire, and motivate one to think deeper, learn more, while keeping us intrigued.

On  Saturday, March 23, 2013 tune in to hear from orthopedic surgeon turned author, Paul Parsons.
Paul Parson has written a fascinating fictional titled, Baden-Powell's Beads, a "page-turning novel that entertains the reader from the opening sentence to the final page." The book is based on the true story of the original Zulu beads given by the founder of the Boy Scouts, Lord Baden-Powell to Scoutmasters.

Paul Parsons' Baden-Powell's Beads, the first book in the Beads series, uses historically accurate events and religious history to weave a gripping, fast-paced thriller that keeps readers enthralled until the very end. Paul will also share about book marketing and what it took to launch this series.

Living Your Best Life, a radio show that empowers, inspires and motivates one to live their BEST life, can heard on 760 AM in the Middle-Tennessee Region, military bases, and streamed live on U-Stream.TV from 9-10AM CST. (This show was aired on WTST, a member of the HBCU radio network.)


More About The Author

The oldest of three, born into a career military family, Paul grew up on naval bases throughout the world. At age 10, while in Puerto Rico, he came down with a serious kidney ailment and was confined to bed for one year. It was during this time he discovered he could excel academically. His sophomore and junior years in high school were spent in Madrid and Seville, Spain, away from his parents stationed in Sigonella, Sicily. After graduating in Jacksonville, Florida, he attended Dartmouth College and rowed all four years on the lightweight crew team, traveling to England for the Henley Royal Regatta after his senior year.

Medical school at the University of Tennessee provided another travel opportunity as Paul was the first exchange medical student from UT to Egypt, where he studied infectious diseases for two months. As a practicing orthopedic surgeon, he’s traveled to Russia, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary as part of a performing arts medicine delegation. Other recreational travels include trips to Hawaii, Tahiti, Scotland, various sites around Europe, and a week on the Amazon River.

A voracious reader, Paul made it a goal to study prolific late twentieth century American novelists by collecting and reading their works in chronological order. Those whose books he’s completed include Jean Auel, Tom Clancy, Nelson DeMille, Vince Flynn, Diana Gabaldon, Terry Goodkind, John Grishsam, Gary Jennings, Steven King, James Michener, Robert Ludlum, and Wilbur Smith (admittedly not American, though one of the best).  He’s halfway through Greg Iles, Larry McMurtry, and Easton Press’ 100 Greatest Books. Other interests include golf and guitar picking (a requirement if living near Nashville).

Baden-Powell’s Beads is the first of his six novels to be published, with a release date of April10, 2012.

Paul lives with his wife and two dogs in Brentwood, Tennessee and has a second home in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Paul D. Parsons Website

More About Lord Baden-Powell 

Robert Stephenson Smyth Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell, (February 22, 1857 – January 8, 1941), also known or Lord Baden-Powell, was a lieutenant-general in the British Army, writer, founder of the Scout Movement and first Chief Scout of The Boy Scouts Association.

After having been educated at Charterhouse School, Baden-Powell served in the British Army from 1876 until 1910 in India and Africa. In 1899, during the Second Boer War in South Africa, Baden-Powell successfully defended the town in the Siege of Mafeking. Several of his military books, written for military reconnaissance and scout training in his African years, were also read by boys. Based on those earlier books, he wrote Scouting for Boys, published in 1908 by Sir Arthur Pearson, for youth readership. In 1907, he held the first Brownsea Island Scout camp, which is now seen as the beginning of Scouting.

After his marriage to Olave St Clair Soames, Baden-Powell, his sister Agnes Baden-Powell and notably his wife actively gave guidance to the Scouting Movement and the Girl Guides Movement. Baden-Powell lived his last years in Nyeri, Kenya, where he died and was buried in 1941.

Photo credit: Pictures of Paula D. Parsons at book signing by Genma Holmes