Wellness 3.0: Self–Healing Alignment vs Quick Self–Help Fixes
By Nicole Barton
/ 9 May, 2025
For the majority of my life I tried to ‘fix’ myself. I invested time, money and energy in the next...
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You’ve probably heard the saying, ‘we all have a book inside us’. Over the years, I can’t tell you how many people I’ve met who’ve always wanted to write a book, yet only a fraction ever put pen to paper or fingers to laptop. In fact, only 3% of writers ever make it from idea to page for a very good reason. If you’re normal, like me and many other writers, committing to actually writing 15k-100k plus words can seem like running a marathon across the Sahara Desert. Suddenly, your initial enthusiasm dries up. In fact, 97% of writers who start writing a book never finish it. Instead, it gets filed away in a dusty drawer never to see the light of day again.
So, what do the 3% of writers who complete their book have that the 97% don’t? Discipline? Drive? Determination? Possibly. But in my experience these aren’t the things that get you over the line. I believe it is something deeper than that – a calling from the heart full of passion, play, persistence and patience. Yet, like all human beings, we can easily fall out of our hearts and get stuck in the quagmire of our critical minds. Suddenly, that initial spark of creativity doesn’t seem so inspiring anymore. In fact, it seems downright ridiculous! So, how can you remain connected to the heart and soul of your writing? When I came up with the initial inspiration for writing this series, I was excited. It was like a mini big bang going off in my heart. However, it didn’t take long for that burst of energy to vanish, leaving me with a blank page and questions. Why me? Why now? Why this? How do I do this? I first came across some of these questions in a fantastic book on writing called Your Story Matters by Nikesh Shukla. What I wasn’t expecting when these questions surfaced in my head was that my heart would answer. And this is what my heart had to say: Why me? I have a passion for writing and sharing stories. It initially showed up when I held my first ever book. From that moment, I became an addict. I gobbled up book after book like kids gobble up candy. Over the years, my passion for reading evolved into writing and I became an author for Oxford University Press and Trigger Publishing. In 2020, I took a leap of faith and stepped into the publishing world as a freelance literary agent specialising in books on spirituality and wellbeing. In addition, I’ve led writing retreats and courses, and am also a regular guest-lecturer on creative writing at Cambridge University. Why this? When I first started out on my writing journey, I was clueless. I didn’t know where to start or even what to write. I was only guided by my desire to put pen to paper. I joined writing circles, went on courses, made connections with writers and publishers around the world who passed on their knowledge and wisdom which supported me in turning my writing dreams into reality. This led to me working in the traditional and indie publishing industry. Like my mentors who generously shared their knowledge, tools and insights, I want to pass on what I have learned. I didn’t have to make this journey alone and neither do you. Why now? I get so much fun, joy and pleasure from sharing my knowledge. I want to reach as many of you as possible. Furthermore, I believe stories are healing, uplifting and inspirational, for the writer and reader. Now, more than ever, we need those stories to find their way into the world. Not from the same old voices, but from fresh voices – your voice. Your story can make a difference to someone else. It can touch their heart and soul half a world away – half a lifetime away – and only you can write it. How do I do this? This is the first of a series of articles. In future additions, we’ll take a deeper dive into the tools that can support you in connecting with the heart and soul of your writing. We’ll explore intuitive writing, using the tarot as a writing tool, dreamwork, and ways to get out of your head and into your heart. Finally, I want to leave you with something I’ve discovered: you don’t find the story, the story always finds you. Why? Because you were meant to write it. So, the next time you have an inspirational idea, don’t dismiss it. Instead ask your heart the following questions: Why me? Why now? Why this? How do I do this? Until next time, Happy writing. Naz x Naz's other articles can be found here
