More Than I Expected
My adult children encouraged me to write The Way, and the book was modeled after an “ethical will” in the Jewish tradition. An ethical will is NOT an autobiography. Instead, it is an expression of one’s experiences, life lessons, and values.
I hope that my grandsons will remember me as someone who always said, "I love you so much. I like spending time with you. You always brighten my day." I think that they will remember me as someone who told fart jokes, played in the pool, and wrestled on the floor, and that's OK.
Still, maybe when they're all grown, and I'm long gone, they'll pull my book off the shelf, skim through it, and think wistfully, "Papa had a little bit of substance, after all."
I will always remember the day that I pulled the book out of the box for the first time. I handed the book to my grandsons, and I told them that I wrote a book and that I dedicated it to them. Then, I showed them their names in the book, and their eyes lit up. They still tell people,"I'm in a book!!"
It's all gravy from here, and it's so much more than I expected.
When I completed writing it, I assumed that I was finished with the book, but I was actually just getting started. The book has connected me with so many people and taught me so much about business, marketing, publishing, social media, writing, etc. More than I expected.
Steve Kuhn, the designer, united the two halves of the book, the autobiographical sections, and the editorial sections. When I saw the design, I knew (for the first time) that the book worked. It was the book that I always wanted to read and the book that I always wanted to write. More than I expected.
When I let the book off the leash, it runs farther and faster than I think that it will. In a book club, one of the readers showed me his dog-eared and highlighted copy. (That's exactly how I want people to read it.) He told me that the book re-energized his spiritual life. More than I expected.
I printed a few advance reader copies and sent them to influencers and interested people, and I got calls, emails, and letters from readers who like the book. Many readers recognize their stories in my story, and they want to share their stories with me, as I shared mine with them. More than I expected.
Sometimes, I will send someone an e-book, and they will request a paperback for their bookshelf. Other times, I will send someone a paperback, and they will request two or three more books. A few readers even traveled to Crestone, which is featured in the book. More than I expected.
Although the book has not even been released yet, I have already generated more revenue and sold more copies than the average self-published book. (Incidentally, that is not a high hurdle--anyone who thinks that it's easy making money writing books has never written books!!) More than I expected.
Last year, I got an an encouraging email from Barbara Brown Taylor, a New York Times bestselling author, who wrote:
"Your letter tells me that you're doing all the right things--above and beyond the call, I'd say--and if they're working then you should have begun building a readership by now. The problem--which neither you nor I can help--is that so many people are writing books these days, and there are already so many words in the world, that trying to persuade people to read ours is uphill all the way... Regardless of how many people are ever able to read it, my guess is that the number of people who meet you are the people whose lives you will change--and whose lives will change yours as well."
I'm excited and grateful and humbled. The book has brought so many special people into my life, and it has introduced me to so many interesting experiences.
It's all gravy from here, and it's so much more than I expected.
The Way: Meaningful Spirituality for a Modern World is available for pre-order here:
https://www.amazon.com/Way-Meaningful-Spirituality-Modern-World-ebook/dp/B0CGCG1FMG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=N7G22D6I88X0&keywords=the+way+larry+jordan&qid=1693239554&s=digital-text&sprefix=the+way+larry+jordan%2Cdigital-text%2C139&sr=1-1
