Reading through “The Success Principles,” I felt drawn to the idea of a coach. I needed a new view on things, someone to inspire me, and push me to do more.

Dear Mr. Canfield:

I am a writer.

Those four words might not seem like they hold much power, but for me, they are magical. Although I have been a writer all of my life, I didn’t like to tell people I was a writer. I felt I needed to have an actual published book in order to gain admission to the exclusive writer’s club and the privilege of claiming membership.

After I read your book, “The Success Principles” a few years ago (my sister bought it for my husband for his birthday), I realized that I needed to start acting “as if.” I was already a writer, but I needed to believe it and I also needed to act as if my published books were already sitting on bookshelves around the world. I began saying not only that I was a writer, but also that I was an “award winning, #1 NY Times best selling author.”

At the beginning of this year, I was stumped on how to proceed toward my publishing goals. I was doing everything I could think of, but still had not been able to find a publisher or agent. I turned again to “The Success Principles” and decided I had to push onward after reading a quote from Ross Perot: “Most people give up just when they’re about to achieve success. They quit on the one-yard line. They give up at the last-minute of the game, one foot from a winning touchdown.”

What if I was only a foot away from my dream and I didn’t keep going?

Reading through “The Success Principles,” I felt drawn to the idea of a coach. My husband has a personal business coach who has really made positive changes in his life. As independent pharmacy owners, my husband and I both know the importance of constant self-improvement to achieve success.

While I have been successful in other aspects of my life, a published book has thus far eluded me. I have wanted to write and be an author since I was 6-years-old and wrote my first story. I needed a new view on things, someone to inspire me, and push me to do more. I needed a coach.

I started the coaching process in May. Although I had always written out affirmations and believed in the Law of Attraction, the coaching sessions made me focus every day on my goals and how to accomplish them. I have been immersed for months now in thinking and planning about what I want in my life. Every day I get up thinking of myself as award winning author, R. M. T. Craft, and every night when I go to bed, those are the last words in my brain as I fall asleep.

There are two things, however, that I am most proud of on this coaching journey.

First, I have really fallen in love with meditation. I have found the process to be so helpful and relaxing.

Secondly, and of enormous importance, I had my “author photo” taken for my book jacket.

The author photo was something I had been planning to do for months. It represented another way to “act as if” I was the famous author I imagined myself to be. But there was a problem. I hate having my photo taken. I have absolute phobias about the process and cringe about looking at pictures of myself (even though, one of my affirmations is “I always take a good photo,” I haven’t convinced myself of this yet). So I kept putting off having the photo taken.

And then my Coach asked me to think of one thing that would make me step outside of my comfort zone, something that would really make me stretch. I knew it was the photo. As soon as my Coach asked me, the photo popped into my mind. But I kept quiet about it for a few days. Did I really want to make myself do this? Couldn’t I come up with something easier? I began to sweat just thinking about the ordeal of getting a photographer, finding an outfit to wear, and having my hair and make-up done.

One of my largest regrets is that I did not have the photo taken a long time ago. I had always imagined that my cat, Oswald, would be in the picture with me. Sadly, in May, right after I started the coaching process, Oswald passed away from cancer. I had missed an important opportunity, because I was afraid.

The picture is now taken. My other kitty, Tobias, filled in for Oz. Additionally, I’ve made room in my life to allow me to be the author I am going to be. I have free time now and I don’t feel guilty because I have given up things that I didn’t like to do anyway. The coaching process has made me focus upon me and what I really want to accomplish in this life. I have become selfish about myself.

I want to thank you and my Coach for providing this wonderful opportunity for me to become who I am and have always been: a writer. A writer who is on her way to being an “award winning, #1 NY Times best selling author.”

Sincerely,

— Robin C., OH, USA

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