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Why I Am Writing a Children’s Book
And having more fun writing than ever before
One of the hardest questions to answer correctly is this one: what is the next right thing I should do? My friend wrote an entire book about it. And there are countless ways to address the problem.
One of my personal struggles is deciphering what to do next out of all of the cool things that I find interesting.
Five years ago, I knew what I had to do: start writing. I had to write not because I wanted to write, but because not writing would have hurt too much. I had to write to be the person I wanted to become — or face extreme regret at the end of my life.
So I started writing.
But around a month ago, I noticed a different feeling. There was a story that had to be told — a story that could only be told by me. I was inspired.
But I hesitated.
Why?
It is a story for children.
My own children had heard the story hundreds of times, with each telling a little different. The laughter with my kids was priceless. I never wrote it down, because… it was a story for children.
Last month I felt something similar to what I felt five years ago. I didn’t want to share this story with others — I had to.
So I did what any smart person does when they need advice: I asked my kids what to do (ages 9, 7, 5, and 2).
The answer was unanimous. “Write the book, dad. Other kids will love it, too.”
Now I am working on one of the craziest projects ever, for me. I am an attorney who works at a large firm. I practice business law. I manage large trademark portfolios. I represent startups and technology firms. I read the U.S. tax code nearly every day. I counsel people through some of the most challenging events in their lives.
And I am also writing a children’s book.
For the last month, I took a break from writing about reinvention, business, and personal development. And I wrote eight drafts of a children’s book.
I am writing this article to share why, and also to ask an important question at the end.
