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Welcome to It's Raining Books, Allison. Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?
I was inspired to write this book to help people find hope and possibilities during uncertain times. If we fear the unknown, it is sometimes hard to find the courage and strength to pursue our dreams and change our lives. We see the unknown as another obstacle standing in our way. Yet as we start to embrace the idea of Maybe as explained in the book, we see that the unknown is a place where new possibilities exist and our lives can be different. We understand that just because we don’t know the answer today, it doesn’t mean things will be negative or not work out in the future. We open up to thoughts such as: Maybe things will get better; Maybe a new opportunity will present itself soon; or Maybe we are exactly where we need to be in this moment. Maybe is a perspective that carries us through the twists and turns of life with the hope that we can still have the life that we desire. Based on the positive response from many readers, I believe the book is helping people shift their relationship with uncertainty and find more hope and opportunity in their lives.
What research is required?
I wrote from my own life experiences and those of my clients with the mindset of Maybe. Maybe helps me with my stress and worry every day and gives me hope that more is possible in my life.
Name one thing you learned from your book.
Uncertainty can feel dark and scary. But only because we forgot that everything new and beautiful in our lives will be born from the unknown.
Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?
I need to read out loud to edit my work.
Are you a plotter or pantser?
It depends on my mood and what I am doing that day. I guess I am both.
Look to your right – what’s sitting there?
The book Real Happiness by Sharon Saltzberg
Anything new coming up from you? What?
I am writing a book about using the philosophy of Maybe in parenting. Maybe has enabled me to parent with less stress and more ease. I am able to recognize that my children’s lives often are not determined by one moment and, even during tough times, Maybe everything will still be okay. Of course there are imperative moments when our kids must listen to us, like taking a particular medicine if they are sick or mandatory safety provisions during certain activities. Yet much of what we believe is ”imperative” is a story that we are writing in our minds making us believe that there is only one way for our children to have joyful and successful lives. As we embrace Maybe, we remember parenting is a long road and our children’s well-being and futures are always filled with more opportunities and possibilities even when we can’t see them in the moment.
Do you have a question for our readers?
What makes you worry? Are you afraid of uncertainty? Do you think the mindset of Maybe could help you?
Allison Carmen spent many years fighting a powerful addiction. It wasn’t drugs, alcohol or fame. It was an addiction to certainty. If she didn’t know what the future would bring – and who does? – she felt anxious and afraid. This decades-long struggle followed her through college, marriage, parenthood, and a successful law career. While everything seemed fine from the outside, Allison was in a constant battle that was unwinnable, sapping her energy, attention, and spirit. Until the day she discovered The Gift of Maybe.
Maybe is a simple yet powerful philosophy that has transformed Allison’s life, and the life of her many clients (now that she has ditched her legal career and has become a successful life coach). The message is this: In the face of uncertainty, Maybe opens your mind and heart. It creates a little space for hope. It allows you to take a deep breath, stay in the present, and forge your own path.
Many things in life are beyond our control, but the mindset of Maybe presents a simple, powerful way to stay connected to what’s possible, and work to make it happen. It is just one change of perspective, but Maybe it changes everything!
Enjoy an excerpt:
You may be wondering how something as easy as thinking or saying the word “Maybe” can have the kind of impact I am describing. That is precisely the beauty of Maybe. The idea of Maybe is so easy to apply, and at the same time it can have a profound effect on whatever part of your life you choose to apply it to. Whether you have been recently laid off from your job or you are having health concerns or money problems, whether you are looking for love or success or just looking to live life with less emotional pain, the philosophy of Maybe provides you with a tool to help you find your way. It helps you alleviate stress or worry, helps you embrace the uncertainty in your life as an opportunity, helps you enjoy the present, and helps you live with less emotional suffering. It is a mind-set that can influence all aspects of your life, a strategy you can use when life throws you an unexpected curveball.
As you experience the mind-set of Maybe, it will take on a meaning unique to you. Maybe creates a space where so much more is possible. Maybe becomes the constant that never lets you down.
Maybe is not a plan or a story; it is the offer of an unfolding experience. Embracing Maybe is a process, one that evolves and will continue to improve your life in new and exciting ways. For this reason, the true power and nuance of Maybe will come to you outside the pages of this book, when you experience your first moment of joy and vigor in the face of uncertainty.
Maybe is just one change of perspective, but it is one that can change the very direction of your life. So, let’s take a journey together into the land of Maybe, and may we all find a life of peace, happiness, hope, and success. Just Maybe!
About the Author:
Twitter is @giftofmaybe https://twitter.com/giftofmaybe
Website is http://allisoncarmen.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Allison-Carmen/240188549364970?focus_composer=true
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/allison-carmen/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-gift-maybe
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Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the excerpt!
ReplyDeleteJanhvi
justjanhvi at gmail dot com
Great interview - I enjoyed reading it! Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteI liked the interview.
ReplyDeleteTerrific post! I enjoyed the excerpt. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat is your least favorite part of the publishing / writing process?
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt.
ReplyDelete