The Power of Acceptance
By Jim Carruth

Interview With The Author

Why did you decide to write a book?

I was having a tough time at a new job - constant interruptions, new and complicated tasks to learn, and a workload made for five people, not one. So, I was reading Eckhart Tolle at the time, I thought, why not give "The Power of Now" a try? I did, and failed, completely.

This book was an attempt to look at that failure and discover where I went wrong. Most of the time, it had to do with not fully accepting my situation, fighting it, being tense, not able to let go, and anger - lots of anger. When I let go of "The Power of Now," "The Power of Acceptance" arose for me, and I was inspired to write the book for me, first of all, to remind me where I went wrong, and secondly, to share these insights with others who find themselves in similar predicaments, as I believe we all do from time to time. It later became a psychological primer on how to clear your life of mental pain and distractions, as preparation for being present, and for going into meditation.

What did you learn by writing a book?

I learned that I loved the process. First, I got up early every morning to write, and also worked on it on the weekends, over the period of a year. Then, I worked with two editors, an illustrator, a publishing firm, and finally, after the book came out, a book publicity consultant. I was determined to not let the book go out with any mistakes, and to get as much feedback as possible before releasing it. The result was a group effort in a primarily solo activity. I also learned how to be impeccable in my task as a writer and publisher by taking so much care with it, and involving many more people than just myself.

Do you have any suggestions to help others publish their books?

I would have called the publicity consultant first, instead of after the book was published. There are things that one doesn't know about the publishing business that could have helped me, had I known them first, instead of after the fact.

The advice I would give is this: 1) Decide up front if you are going to self-publish, or send it to a publisher and try to get it accepted. 2) Whichever way you decide, study that way and try to get to know it completely. Self-publishing is one world, and having your book accepted by a publisher is another. Decide which world you are in first, and then learn everything you can about that world.

The other piece of advice I would give is to make sure you hire a competent proofer or editor. They are worth their weight in gold. Too many books, both from publishing houses and self-published, go out with basic grammatical and spelling errors. When someone comments to you about your book, you don't want it to be about the mistake found on page 47, but your ideas and concepts. Errors are avoidable with a good editor, and ultimately a distraction from your purpose as a writer, and embarrasing to you if you are the publisher as well. It just shows that you missed a step, and didn't think it all the way through.

How do you inspire yourself to write?

I like to go into my backyard on a cool day with my journal, sit in my favorite chair with my feet up, and think things through. If I get an idea for a book, I write all the parts down, and then take each part and completely think it through, making notes along the way. It's not only a great exercise for writing, but a great way to work through phases in your life.

The other thing that's a must for a writer's inspiration is to be constantly reading or listening (Books On Tape, interview CDs) to other writers. Immerse yourself in people who write and think really well, and it will rub off on you. It's like keeping company with other spiritual seekers - it will raise your level of attention instead of lowering it.

Do you have any funny stories about things that happened while you were writing the book?

No. It was a constant flow of really hard work, but enjoyable. A task that helped me to focus my state of mind.