Why I Wrote Becoming Awesome!
Life Lessons from the World’s Greatest Leaders
As I take one last look over my book Becoming Awesome! before it goes to publication, I paused when I came to this sentence (written quite a while ago) from the book introduction:
“No one is sure what dilemmas or complex problems lie ahead for us.”
Hmmmm. Certainly, I understood the meaning I wanted to convey here. After all, anyone who knows me also knows my personal mantra “So much can happen in six months.” Explaining to my latest listener that six months from now our lives can be so unbelievably different than anything we could ever imagine.
Indeed, no one could fathom six months ago we would be sheltering inside, remotely working or schooling, missing baseball season, giving up graduations and proms, chatting with our friends through Zoom instead of meeting at our typical hang out. We are worried for our friends and families, our jobs, income, and savings. Sadly, we are grieving over unexpectedly losing someone close to us.
Now time is spent revisiting our values, shifting our priorities, reconnecting with family and friends, appreciating staples — like toilet paper. As new normal settles in, we rethink the small niceties we took for granted — like a handshake or high five. We have a deeper appreciation and more gratitude for medical workers, teachers, child care workers and truck drivers.
We are jolted into a new reality. We are making a shift. We learn, unlearn and then relearn. We adapt. We persevere. How well we adapt to these new life lessons has much to do with our own emotional intelligence or life skills lessons that are put to test.
The impetus for my book came after my stint as a CEO of a program that helped at-risk youth find a more productive approach to their risk-taking antics. As part of an 8-week program, teens were guided by facilitators who focused on building emotional intelligence and life skills like self-awareness, identifying values, understanding emotions, treating others with respect and making positive choices.
During my four year tenure, I witnessed a transformation in participants’ attitudes and behaviors when they were shown and taught these skills. Students started working harder at school and in relationships because there were getting clearer about who they were and how this made a positive contribution in their families and communities. They understood the positive impact they could have on their future and in the world. Parents who were seeing positive changes in their children were continually asking me why this learning was not part of the regular school curriculum.
After four years of this fulfilling work, I knew there was a better way to influence more teens to tap into their unlimited potential. That is why I wrote: Becoming Awesome! Life Lessons from the World’s Greatest Leaders.
Because “No one is sure what dilemmas or complex problems lie ahead for us.”
I have always had a core belief in the value of learning emotional intelligence and life skills. Each generation faces new realities, they need to be better equipped to find solutions, persevere, and find success. By equipping students with skills, resources, and life lessons so they are prepared for their future, the better chance they have for long-term prosperity and success.
Over the next weeks and months, I will be sharing excerpts and stories from my book, Becoming Awesome! Life Lessons from the World’s Greatest Leaders in this article series. This book is for anyone who wants to prepare teens with the 21st century skills needed to succeed and contribute positively to their families, communities, and the world.
Becoming Awesome! is available now on Amazon (link) If you enjoyed what you read, let’s connect. You can reach me on LinkedIn or email april_lara@sbcglobal.net.
