Something Nubian

I took a notebook creation class today. Only for the inspiration.

When I first created my first book, it was created by journaling every day in a NOTEBOOK. I went to the store and just picked out an ordinary notebook and began keeping track of information regarding daily activities.

I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in 2009 and my doctor said there was no cure. “Bullshit!” I said.

I still have it to this day and have read plenty of stories of those who have “claimed” to have healed themselves. Good for them! I am still trying to.

In 2010 and 2011, I devoted my time to trying to cure this frustrating dis-ease. I stopped eating meat for 30 days and that only cleared up having a 5–7-day menstrual cycle. I got that down to 3 days without cramps. But I have an IUD now, so I don’t have a cycle or cramps. Still had the stiffness in the mornings.

I learned to meditate. I would wake up and be one with myself for at least 30 minutes. I would even stop at the beach a few times for some guided meditation. Now mind you, this was a 30-day process as well. I still have this mess!

So now I am not eating meat and meditating! Ok, let me take this further. The one thing that has always been important to me is sleep, so I made sure I was getting enough sleep. At the time, I was nursing a newborn and had a two-year-old running around as well. I began putting them on a schedule so we can all get at least 8 hours of sleep. Again, 30 damn days! No change.

Then, I was introduced to a book written by Queen Afua called the Sacred Woman, and that book became my bible because she gave me the tools to tie all that I had been doing altogether! And while her book makes significant changes in my life, I still have this dumb-ass illness.

Now remind you, these are things I had been journaling in a notebook. I recorded all things in the nine areas of people’s activity (economics, education, entertainment, labor, law, politics, religion, sex, and war) and when I went back and read it, I did not cure the diagnosis of fibromyalgia, I learned to live with it on my own terms! And that was enough for me.

I had to learn that although I could not get rid of it, I was doing just fine with it and wanted to encourage others like myself that they could too.

Before passing away, a friend of mine said we should work on curing ourselves. While I still have not done so, I have not given up, well sometimes I do but as long as I am alive, I will work on it.

And the first step was turning my journal into a book. I wanted black women to know that even with our chronic pain, we can still live triumphant lives but at our own paces. I want to make some changes to the book yet, I have taken so many pages from my own book!

I have since then written four more books, and to date started a print-on-demand company selling planners, journals, and notebooks.

Helping others like me is what I want to do! Because so many of us give up. I give up plenty of times but then I remember why I do what I do in the first place. Because I can not give up. My soul just won’t allow it.

So today, within three hours I created The Black Woman’s Guide to Minding Her Own Business Notebook. I took a short class on this and was inspired to finish what I started and that was go back to journaling in my very own notebook.

And I am offering it for free for a short period of time. It is available in my virtual bookstore… for freeeee!

This is for future authors who wish to journal their own journey and I am just an author building my print on demand empire!

Write Now. Right Now!

If it was one thing I took away from my own book is never forget what I learned about different illnesses and how to cope with them.