“I don’t know if I can do this anymore. Sometimes I think I just might have to quit.”
I looked at my friend across the table from me as he spoke. The cheerful chatter of the coffeehouse around us played a striking contrast to his mood. It was obvious he was carrying quite a burden.
The pastor’s brows knit together, his eyes were downcast, and he was leaning forward with intense interest. “I love counseling young couples – I really do – but it’s just so hard, seeing them on the brink. It’s like I get them too late.”
I hadn’t listened to him long, as the answer started clearly unfolding before me. He had the same predicament as so many other business professionals with whom I work. Still, I let him talk it out over coffee, laying down some of his burdens from the past week.
Finally he said, “I wish there was some kind of instruction manual for young married couples, you know? Then all the words and tools I give them could make a difference before they even get married. But nobody’s written that book yet, and I don’t know what to do.”
“Then you have to write it,” I said. “It sounds to me like you’ve been called.”
He looked up at me from his coffee, a bright light of recognition in his eyes. “Huh. You think so? Maybe you’re right – stem the crisis before it starts by giving them the manual… You know, that’s not a bad idea. In fact, I think I really could do this.” He leaned back in his chair, mulling over the idea.
“Sure,” I told him. “It’s a question of leverage. Don’t you think we’re given the answers, contained within the problem?” His response told me he agreed.
And so, another book was born.
As a publisher, I see the act of publishing as a blessing. It’s not just about saying your piece for its own sake. It’s about blessing the world with your discoveries. Whether you’re writing fact or fiction, the words you publish offer the world something new, something valuable, and something uniquely your own.
Standing On the Shoulders of Published Giants
Gutenberg made a wise choice when he published Bibles as the first mass-produced books. Those in power accused him of working hand-in-hand with the devil. Certainly they didn’t want their most priceless knowledge to be in reach of the common man. Truly, knowledge is power.
But Gutenberg pointed out that no one in league with evil would publish the Bible. By making this choice, he demonstrated that the printing press was not developed as an influence from dark forces. It was a convenient way to spread wisdom through the land.
Publishing spreads information democratically. That means it’s not just in the hands of the few, but it’s accessible to anyone who can read. Each generation can build upon the knowledge of the previous one – as Isaac Newton put it, “standing on the shoulders of giants.”
I strongly believe that writing is a gift to humanity, bettering the human condition. It also can be the most powerful weapon on earth. Ideas can be used to kill, or cure.
Sharing your thoughts through the medium of books means you can reach people around the world, now and in the future. The words you write today are a blessing to the generations to come.
Like my new friend the pastor, the world is hungry for your knowledge, experience and wisdom. It is important for you to write your book and see it through. Who knows what lives your ideas can change?
Bryan Heathman is the President of Made for Success. He works with bestselling authors and consultants which have included the late Zig Ziglar, Donald Trump 
and John C. Maxwell in the role of publisher and marketer. Bryan is the author of Conversion Marketing, a marketing book on converting website visitors into paying customers. Bryan’s Fortune 500 experience includes working for Microsoft, Eastman Kodak and Xerox.