Finding Joy and Purpose: Overcoming Fear with Rhonda Parker Taylor

What if overcoming fear and vulnerability could lead to a life filled with intentional joy?

I'm thrilled to welcome the extraordinary Rhonda Parker Taylor, an American writer, entrepreneur, and academic researcher.

Rhonda takes us through the riveting journey of creating her debut novel, "Crossroads," and shares how visualization and discipline played pivotal roles in achieving her dreams. Get ready to be inspired by her personal stories of perseverance, including her experience of nearly losing her manuscripts, and discover her invaluable advice for aspiring writers on the power of small, consistent steps.

Ever felt trapped by others' expectations? Rhonda delves into how applying her research skills from her doctoral studies to her novels has enabled her to craft characters that are as richly detailed and psychologically complex as real people.

Navigating comparison and self-doubt can be daunting. Rhonda emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries and prioritizing self-care to avoid the pitfalls of neglect and emotional turmoil.

She shares profound insights from her suspense thriller, "Crossroads," highlighting the consequences of ignoring self-care and the crucial need for internal love and self-focus.

We wrap up by discussing the magic of building meaningful relationships and the collaborative efforts that underpin success. Whether you're a dreamer, a writer, or anyone striving for a more intentional life, this episode is packed with inspiration and practical wisdom.

Meet Rhonda Parker Taylor

Rhonda Parker Taylor is an American writer, entrepreneur, and academic researcher. Her debut novel, “Crossroads,” a suspenseful masterpiece, was released in February 2023.

Rhonda’s diverse writing spans from educational works to fiction, and she is well-known for her research on emotional intelligence. Her academic achievements extend to being a prominent leader presented at the United Nations Global Compact Committee.

Connect with Rhonda:
rhondaparkertaylor.com

Chapters

• 0:05 Living Intentional Joy
• 9:30 Finding Passion and Self-Care
• 25:26 Discovering Purpose and Overcoming Comparison
• 29:16 Discovering Purpose Through Self-Care

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:05

Hi and welcome to Untethered with Jen Liss, the podcast that's here to help you break free, be you and unleash your inner brilliance. I'm your host, jen, and in this episode we're going to talk about living a life of intentional joy by putting yourself first. Let's dive in. Hey there, unicorn, it's Jen. Welcome back to the podcast. On today's episode we have Rhonda Taylor Parker.

Speaker 1: 0:39

This is such a delightful conversation with Rhonda. She's an American writer, entrepreneur and also an academic researcher. Her debut novel, crossroads, came out in 2023, and it has been deemed a suspenseful masterpiece. What we talk about in this conversation with Rhonda is everything that led to her creating this book, why she created it and really her journey along the way that has led her to this point. She's incredibly introspective and really her personal passion. She came on the podcast. Of course she wants to share her book with the world, but she said it's really just a passion point for her to come on a podcast like this where she can talk about the things that have really helped her to pursue her dream of writing and getting this novel out into the world. So she really came on this podcast today to inspire you, and especially if you're a writer, but really if you're anybody, to stop putting everybody else first and start putting yourself first. Start putting your passions first and your actual vision and your dreams for this magical life. So, without further ado, welcoming to the podcast Rhonda Parker-Taylor. Hi Rhonda.

Speaker 2: 1:48

Thank you, it's so good to join you today. I can't wait till we have a conversation that everybody can relate to and understands that when we stay disciplined and practice positivity, we can always have our dreams.

Speaker 1: 2:04

Oh my gosh. That is so much of what this is about, and right before coming into this conversation, you were sharing with me. This is a passion moment for me to be able to come and share just your true passion for what you just shared there that we can all follow our joy. We can truly live the life that we came here to live, and there's so many listeners of this podcast that want to be authors. There's a lot of people who want to write. That might be their particular dream. There's other people who that's not their dream. There's other things. That is their thing. But it's so beautiful to have you come on because you're actively living that dream.

Speaker 1: 2:41

Your book is in Barnes Noble right now. You have it on the shelf. And I just went the other day with a friend who's in town. She's in town for a writing workshop and we went into a bookstore and we stood in front of the nonfiction section and I said, okay, envision your book right here on the shelf. And you're there. So I would love to hear from your perspective, what does that feel like? What does it feel like to have that moment? It might not be your first moment, but you're getting to experience that right now.

Speaker 2: 3:11

Well, I would first say that you taking your friend and going into a bookstore is the first moment, because you have to visualize. And for me, I had visualized for years writing the great novel and I wrote it, and then I sat and let it sit on my desk for a couple of years before I did anything with it. And the reason is that I had to face my fears and all my life, you know, and all of us can relate to this, because we all have fears and we don't want to make ourselves vulnerable and we're like what if people don't like it? Or what if they don't like me? Or maybe you're overconfident, but then that fear holds you back because what if it's not successful? And that might define me. So there's so many reasons that we have fear of following our dream.

Speaker 2: 4:06

And then one day I went to do I needed a document because I'm still in academia and I was like, oh yeah, I wrote that in this time period and I went to get them this is how old, how long it's at a floppy disk and I pulled it out and stuck it in to get that other document and it was corrupt and it had all four novels on there. And I'm looking over and I'm seeing where I printed them out Way back then. You printed everything too, because you didn't know how stable things were going to be. And I'm like, oh my goodness, if I don't do this, I'm going to be like all those other people out there that they say the best novels are in people's closets. And I was, you know. And then my sister had to talk to me, you know. She's like well, what's holding you back? And I'm like well, you know, I've been working on this for this customer and this project for that customer. And then I had just, she's like, but what about your projects? And then I had to.

Speaker 2: 5:08

I've always been a glory in a person, and a person that wanted to have dreams, I'm like. But I love helping people and I love making them, you know, make their dreams come true, and that's, you know, what I've built my, my consulting on is making sure that, academically, people are strong. And I had to make a plan for me, though, you know, and that's where I really had to think about it. If I don't, if I didn't make a plan for me, my, you know, my bucket list of dreams were only going to be built on the ones that I had built on helping and mentoring others, cause I do have those dreams too, so I so visualization is very important, and so the so going to that bookstore first, and then the other thing is staying committed. You have to stay committed to your, to that plan.

Speaker 2: 5:57

And what I tell those that are out there that say, oh, I've got a great book at whether it be fiction, nonfiction cause I do both, I do academic. One page a day of your own writing and your novel is done in a year. That's not a big commitment of time for people. One page a day, you know. And then what you can do is then you can take action. You make it into smaller objectives and there you go, you know.

Speaker 2: 6:24

And so, yeah, it was a dream and it's coming to fruition and I had success. So I would tell anybody and any dream they have, I don't care if it you know you want what. The best home that you can have, that's. That's a dream too, because that's that's something during the pandemic I really focused on. It was my home, and that was making sure that every that's a dream too, because that's that's something during the pandemic I really focused on. It was my home, and that was making sure that every room has a piece of me. So whatever that dream is, it doesn't have to be an overnight boom instance. You know instant gratification. Just put it into small chunks and stay focused and and and.

Speaker 1: 7:05

Isn't that fascinating. It goes down to the littlest thing. What you just said about your house and putting that little piece of you in every room. I had this realization in my kitchen the other day. I have a dream of a very beautiful kitchen and I visualize that beautiful kitchen all the time. So we had a great kitchen when we lived in Kansas and we moved to Oregon and it's not what it was. And so I have this visual and I had this thought the other day. I can make this kitchen the best kitchen that it could be and I can just keep it as beautiful as I can. And the difference that that shift has had for me every time I go in that kitchen and rearranging the things that are in there and making it feel good for me, is such a massive difference. So what you said about doing the little things that can make a difference for you right now, Organizing it, you know, like in the kitchen that's a big one because you end up with such.

Speaker 2: 7:56

You're visualizing it that way, so I get the kitchen 100%. I love to cook, you know. I found, and, um, that's one of my love languages is cooking for for myself and others. And I found that my kitchen was not. I didn't have the pantry space. I didn't have, you know, the things in the pantry I needed. I couldn't find them once I got them there. So at first it was like, oh, go buy all this stuff. But then it was like, okay, now you can't find any of it because it's pushed in a back in a closet or a cupboard or whatever.

Speaker 1: 8:31

And you're right.

Speaker 2: 8:32

So then you have to start rethinking. Okay, how do I organize it into a way that keeps me motivated to make that kitchen the best that it can?

Speaker 1: 8:43

be motivated to make that kitchen the best that it can be. Okay, you told me that you have had quite a journey to get you to this point. I also find it fascinating that you write both nonfiction and fiction. So I'm curious what has led you to the place that you're at now, being in academia also writing fiction books? What inspired you to get to the place where you are now?

Speaker 2: 9:06

Well, I love reading, and so that would be the first thing. And in business and in academics I'm going to say there's no tolerance for mistakes. You know, you have to. Everything's got to be scholarly, everything has to be accurate. You have to, you know, have a certain tone in it.

Speaker 2: 9:30

Actually, writing was one of my weaknesses younger and I was in a business meeting. This is non-academic, but I had put together a proposal on how to create a whole new dialing system for, on how to create a whole new dialing system for actually it was a student loan company that I worked for and gave it to my boss and it was a new boss, so I wanted to get a pat on the back or some good feedback, and we ended up implementing it. But the one first thing that he said is you used the wrong insurer. I'm like what are you talking about? You know, and I had to go find in the document where I'd used I-N instead of E-N, you know, and you're not even thinking about the detail, even though you've written it in detail, but you're not thinking about that. I was mortified, I was humiliated and I realized you know what. I was mortified, I was humiliated and I realized you know what it's not. It's about the weakness, and that's making you mortified. Who cares if there was a typo? It was about that. I wanted to excel and I wanted my skill level to show, and so I I decided then and there, all these ideas in your head, and at that point I think I'm still working on my master's, not my doctorate in school, with all of the things that were in my head, I needed to accomplish them. I needed to excel for me, not because my dad wanted me in business or my mom wanted me to be an accountant or any of those things. I needed to excel for what I wanted. So that's when I decided to get my doctorate. It's when I decided to surround myself with other educators that would help me become the better version of myself and that would follow behind me and me follow behind them as a peer, so where I, we can support each other in a positive way, so that much like a peer group would be for editing, you know, or like a beta reader would be. We, we did that with each other through our doctoral programs, and so the transition was natural.

Speaker 2: 11:49

If a person thinks that everything's creative and novel and fiction, it's not. You have to do the research too, and for me, I used that practice of research in my novel, so I think people will see it. So a good example is my character develop is not a normal creative, just brainstorm who they are. First of all, I figure out, okay, who is is it a male, female? And then I go shopping for what house they look, look, they live in. I go in on Amazon and look, for you know if it's historical, if it's been historical, but that was 1983. I'd say, okay, what outfits do they wear? Is she a conservative person? Is it a more liberal person? And then I and I literally create a world that they can live in. But then I say, okay, that's enough about the physical attributes. And I think that's where some novelists stop. They describe rooms and everything so much. And I said, okay, what do they think about themselves?

Speaker 2: 12:55

So when you go to a doctor, I do soap notes all the time for some of my doctoral students and you go in and you report what your sickness is right and you say, okay, I got a sore throat and my heart's racing, and then the doctor writes that down. But then they start asking questions about every system in your body and they document it. So if you've ever gone to your, like my, they've documented every what they see. So they first write what you've told them about yourself and then they write in their, your, my chart, everything, every system. You know what their, what the response is. And then they also. But if you look at it on the doctor's side rather than just the patient portal if you you had access to it it also says things like dressed inappropriately for the weather has a flat effect, and so I use that DSM, which is the diagnostic for mental health, to describe what that person's issues are, whether it be something that they've had five bad events in their childhood, so they're at a high risk for a stroke when they get older, you know, or you know, do they have anxiety?

Speaker 2: 14:11

So when every time something changes, their heart races. And then I know like I know them better, I know them like they're the person next door or my friend, that I know their entire history. And it helps me get past the writer block Because now I've got this historical context of the person. So they're in this room and, if anything else, I can describe how they're feeling. I can describe what their behaviors are going to be like. Are they going to be agitated? What their behaviors are going to be like? Are they going to be agitated? Are they going to have a cough? Because they've been smoking, you know, three packs of cigarettes a day for, you know, 40 years and they're developing emphysema, you know. So I try to take that research background and apply it in the novel. And then, because my passion is people, I try to depict the person in a light, not just as if they're the good guy or the bad guy, because it's suspense. I try to show the good in them also.

Speaker 1: 15:21

Because people are complex.

Speaker 2: 15:23

Yes, so, so like, for instance, even though someone was there, when, when the first victim was murdered, he has a decision to make. He's known the person that murdered murdered her his entire life. So is he going to actually take the state stands or is he going to go ahead and take, you know, take the hit and go to go to jail with him and that internal struggle that he has? But he also knew the victim and had a crush on the victim. And so it's like this. I hate to say it can happen to any of us, but you could get in the wrong car at the wrong time. Hate to say it can happen to any of us, but you could get in the wrong car at the wrong time. It's all about our decisions and our behaviors in those decisions that make a difference between suspense of your own life or not.

Speaker 1: 16:17

Yeah, I think it's really cool. Obviously you're so lit up by this and you're following all of your passions, but you've brought your passion for research and really digging in and also your passion for people and really understanding the behavior of people and you're bringing that into your work and your work has traveled with that and just gotten stronger and stronger and better and better along the way. I would imagine the more and more you bring all of those interests of yourself into what you do.

Speaker 2: 16:46

I think that's an accurate assessment. And then also, as you mature I'm not a young chick anymore you learn that self-care is a big part of following your dreams and many people think of self-care as just eating right and exercising. But self-care is also your mental and spiritual growth and being able to achieve those dreams. And if you're not, when you get to the final resting place, you're going to have regrets. They say most people go through midlife crisis because they haven't followed their dreams workplace you're going to have regrets. They say most people go through midlife crisis because they haven't followed their dreams.

Speaker 1: 17:27

What does that self-care mean for you? What are some of the things that you do that really support you?

Speaker 2: 17:35

I think the first thing is I've learned to accept who I am, for for years I struggled with, I would say, insecurities, self-doubt, wondering if I measured up, so accepting me for who I am. I come from very high, achieving family members. My dad was an entrepreneur that started his business in a barn and now it's a midsize manufacturing company. And for many times I put the carrot and measuring stick to what everybody else thought I should be and what my life should be looking like. And then I realized, wait a minute, but that's not who I am. So I don't have the big house, I have the smaller house with more property, and so that's self-care for me.

Speaker 2: 18:36

I love my animals, so I, you know, I watch the nature as it comes through on my property. I get coyotes, I get opossums, I get everything. I mean just about everything that you're going to have in the Midwest. And then practicing every day in my home, not just making sure it's beautiful, but like that, I reflect on every window Because, see, you can design your house internally and out externally, but do you look out the window and enjoy what you've done?

Speaker 1: 19:11

that's big so I.

Speaker 2: 19:13

So I go and as I open up the blinds I look and say, okay, what out there can be improved, what's out there maybe it's an animal that I see running through a squirrel or something and then what's out there that can bring me joy? And then when I take my dogs out for a walk, instead of roaming the neighborhood, I first do the property and enjoy who I am and who I've built. Now that could go the same way if you live in an apartment. I've lived in apartments before, so it doesn't have to be a large home, is my point. You may not be intended to have it. Maybe that upkeep isn't what you're supposed to do, especially like. Could you imagine being a single mom, you know, and then having three acres to try to keep up with, or you know that that that would be impractical, you know. So you design it around where your life is today and enjoy that and embrace that.

Speaker 2: 20:19

If I compared myself to my sister, she is very excellent, driven, but her life and her dreams are different than mine. She has a very large house and she travels with her. She takes her dogs to dog shows and shows them, and so her life is very different. Mine is more in, I'm more reflective and home oriented and she's more out of the home oriented, but she's still fulfilling her dream and I, you know, and she's practicing the same kind of intentional life Like I.

Speaker 2: 20:55

She was driving to Wisconsin this week and I was like, okay, so what on that drive can you do? That's intentional, but you can't, you don't have time in, and so it was like call my great, our aunt, who's, you know, nearing 80. And some of the things that you can do that brings intentional joy and then finding the lessons of the things that you've done wrong and working them out, you know. So those would be the things that I would say is self-care for me and that's developing those relationships in my home and my. We all have down times in our emotional being, but those kinds of things bring you back to reality and that life is just not that difficult. We have difficult moments. I've lost a son to a gunfire, we've all had difficult moments. It gets you through those moments when you have a daily practice that brings you self-fulfillment.

Speaker 1: 22:00

Yeah, I'm so sorry to hear that about your son. What you say you say that was such wisdom because you've lived it that those things point you back to what does bring you joy and when we can do that. That's such a powerful. It's such a powerful shift to have people in this world who have come through something that hard and you've come through it to the point where you can point back to this is what brings me joy is just really, really huge and speaks a lot to the person who you are. Thank you for sharing that.

Speaker 2: 22:32

I think that if anybody out there is going through a hard time, we have choices and the first one is get out of bed and you know, I have not had an easy life, but I've learned from those ups and downs and we all are going to have ups and downs. So the first one is your mental health and get up and put one foot in front of the other and find that you can believe in yourself, no matter what the circumstances are. And if your bills are this high and your income's this high, you know, get rid of first, get rid of all the duplicates and those notices that you're cramming in your junk drawer because you don't want to face it. Once you face it, it's not as bad as you think it's going to be. If it's a death of a loved one, same thing.

Speaker 2: 23:32

I've cared for a mother that's had cancer. I've cared for a father that died of emphysema. I've cared for you. Know you, just once you face those negatives, you realize, okay, god's going to carry me through this. Whatever your God is and however you define it, Facing it, turning inward and facing it we will.

Speaker 1: 23:54

We live in a society that really likes to just kind of put the blanket over things and try to try to mask the pain and all the ways, and so that having the courage to turn in and face it when you're ready to face it, it's like not always expected that you do it like right away, get over it. That's not the way that we process. But in that right moment when it's time to face it, that's really huge. Otherwise it turns into suffering. You know, it's like suffering is an option.

Speaker 2: 24:19

And you know it. Not only does it turn into suffering but, like you said, you have to learn coping skills for yourself. You know it's a process. Give yourself that process. You know whether it be okay. Today, all I got to do is get out of bed and put my clothes on. That's progress, that's. You know that's all part of it.

Speaker 2: 24:46

But always continue to realize that you're put here on this earth to be successful at your purpose. It doesn't have to be a big purpose. Some people think, oh, but everybody else is doing so much that doesn't matter. Is that what you're intended to be? I know many people that say I'm retiring by 55 or 60 or whatever. No matter what, I'm not going to do this rat race all my life. I want to be able to work in my garden. I want to be able to do you know. So that's okay. You know that's your dream, that's. You know that's what it's all about. It's living your purpose and rewarding yourself for those accomplishments. Maybe that's how you get through the work rat races. Knowing that, hey, this thing's going to end. I'm like I don't know if I could ever not stop working. My dad was the same way, so it was behavior. So you know everybody's different. I don't know how to turn it off like that, but maybe one day I will.

Speaker 1: 25:45

Yeah, maybe that's part of your purpose. You'll find out.

Speaker 2: 25:48

Find another project.

Speaker 1: 25:51

I don't ever see myself not working either. I'm one of those people that I and fortunately I recently had an astrology reading and all of these readings done and she's like your career is your purpose, so please stop feeling guilty about the fact that you love to work, because you just love to work and that's what you're meant to be here to do, and so it's like whatever brings you joy what you're saying, you're meant to be successful at your purpose. That's such a powerful statement, rhonda. Thank you for sharing that.

Speaker 2: 26:21

And I think that not only just that, for sharing that, and I think that not only just that, you got to stop. We got to stop comparing ourselves to each other. You know, you're a beautiful woman. I should be able to appreciate that and not become what I call a hater. Same thing with why are we, why are women in the workforce holding other women back rather than supporting them in their journey?

Speaker 2: 26:44

You know, men, even if they dislike each other, sometimes will open up the door for the other person so that they can follow in right behind them. You know, it's important that that comparison and in social media we do it all the time we're always like they're prettier, they're stronger, they're faster, they've got more money, they've got better clothes. But if we can stop comparing ourselves to other people's worlds, our purpose will rise. And some people are like I don't even know what my purpose is. Well, are you looking at everybody else's world instead of looking at your own world world? If I'm looking at my neighbors or if I'm looking at somebody else's world, how am I ever going to find the?

Speaker 1: 27:31

purpose for my next project. So true, so true. And your journey is just a masterful example of you actively living this. Do you have any? And you mentioned earlier self-doubt, some of these things I call those tethers. You know anything comparing ourselves to others? That's another tether, that's, you know, rooted in other things, but we all tend to have. When I've had conversations with people, they're like oh yeah, there's this one that keeps coming back for me. Is there one that seems to come back for you time and time again? This thing that you just have to keep working through? And what works for you to work through that thing?

Speaker 2: 28:03

For me, it's putting others first instead of myself first. It rises its head a hundred times a day for me. So I have had to learn that it's okay to say no, or it's okay to see if they can struggle through it themselves. First. I want to jump in and solve it for them. You know we can do this, let's go. And they may not even be ready for it, and they may never be ready for the changes that they need to do to get there.

Speaker 2: 28:36

So, and not taking those projects to a point when I say projects like the mentorship and the time that it takes for mentorships to a point that I'm living their life and making the decisions for them I would make decisions for everybody in the world if I could and make their lives all better every day. And so then what ends up happening is they'd become dependent on me, not on day, and you know. So then what ends up happening? Is they become dependent on me, not on themselves. And so to me, I have to remind myself I am not God. I cannot make their lives better. All I can do is support them in their own journey.

Speaker 1: 29:16

What does that do for you when you come to that place?

Speaker 2: 29:20

Well, at first the stress is off my shoulders, because when you take ownership of somebody else's stuff, what ends up happening is their success or failure becomes your goal and objectives. And so if I'm doing that, I end up doing their paperwork. I end up doing their paperwork, I end up doing their you know. So it takes the stress off. Show them you know, show them how to do it for themselves, where to get the resources. So it takes the stress.

Speaker 2: 29:53

And if they don't choose to take the step, especially when it comes to, like, starting their own business, everybody wants to know. You do business entities and you do academic. How do you do it? What should I do? And you tell them? And then they and you do academic. How do you do it? What should I do? And you tell them, and then they don't do it. They want you to do it for them. Okay, that's a pretty cost, you know, but if they don't ever learn it themselves, how are they going to run their own business? So I am disabling their ability to find their dreams if I take on everybody else's stuff and just do it for them and I. So it's a relief to stay disciplined to saying, okay, this is where you go, this is how you get it, this is how much it costs, or whatever it might be, and then work on, help them work on those skills. If it's a confidence of what's holding them back, why are you, you know, holding yourself back? Help them address the fears and support them through that.

Speaker 1: 30:49

What a potent realization that when we take on so much of other people's, we start to take on their purpose. We're actually keeping them back from living their dreams. Can I ask you a random question, if you were to go get a massage, where do you feel most of your stress? Where are you most tender? Where do you hold all of your stress in your body?

Speaker 2: 31:08

That's funny, because I go get massages and I go to a chiropractor because I do have a bad back. I feel it, depending on what it is that I'm doing. I either feel it in my neck or, as my husband says, you sit too much, you're going to turn into a chair. Or, as my husband says, you sit too much, you're going to turn into a chair, and my lower back, because that's where my spine is, and then you end up getting headaches, you know, because you're too tense and so I definitely. Those are the two areas that I continually have to work on.

Speaker 1: 31:39

It's just interesting no-transcript very clear that it's like this is the thing that I really struggle with, and yet it's the really powerful message that you're here to share with people and that you're sharing through your work is like your purpose, it's your purpose, follow your purpose. It's like we'll get so sidetracked by trying to help everybody else and you're telling people come back home to you and you've been on this journey of really understanding it at a deep level and you're continuing to move forward with that and probably get those reminders all the time and those massages are helping you somatically.

Speaker 2: 32:38

Oh, definitely. And as we go through life, we have to remember that. You know, there are emotions inside us that brew up and in Crossroads I chose to use three of those emotions that happen when we're not doing self-care and then we're not practicing our purpose, and those are angry. When you're angered, there's a reason, there's an emotional response to that Fury and envy. And if all three of those, if you do not address them in yourself, you could be the one that's doing the perpetrating. And it may not be killing somebody, but it could be emotionally killing somebody. It could be the wrong words, it could be the wrong actions. So you know, when we practice self-care and try to find our own purpose, we don't find out, fine, we have to lash out to other people.

Speaker 1: 33:40

Because those emotions, they come out sideways. That lashing out is like we've stifled it and we haven't properly processed it, and they come out sideways. That lashing out is like a we've we've stifled it and we haven't properly processed it, and it comes out sideways. Beautiful Everyone, please go check out this book. It's the after listening to this conversation, everybody's going to want to, because I feel like it's the culmination of everything that you are sharing here. Tell us if there's anything that you want people to know about this book and why they should check it out. Please share. Rhonda.

Speaker 2: 34:07

So Crossroads is a 1983 suspense thriller. It's similar to like an Agatha Christie kind of clues throughout it. It deals with people that don't practice life balance and what ends up happening. It is a crime thriller, though what you need to know about the journey in Crossroads is it's there to help you also understand how your individual choices affect your daily lives. Just remember that the things that we've talked about in the podcast is when you follow your purpose and you have a passion for it, what you end up doing is you set yourself up for success. But if you don't, when anger is cruel, fury is overwhelming. But who can stand before jealousy? Envy makes the bones rot, and that's actually a proverb. If you don't address and focus on your internal love for self, that envy will literally deteriorate your whole body.

Speaker 1: 35:07

Goosebumps. There's so much truth in what you just shared there, thank you. Thank you for writing this book and best wishes on the continued success of it. I have one final question. I ask everybody who comes on the podcast when do you see the magic in the world?

Speaker 2: 35:25

on the podcast. Where do you see the magic in the world? Oh, the magic in the world is the relationships you connect with others. I firmly believe that a good example for me is my book would not have been as successful if I hadn't partnered with a good publishing company. That also introduced me to Meryl Thuneway and she read the book and she endorsed the book. She wrote the foreword and then she released a beautiful depiction of what you can learn from that book on YouTube.

Speaker 1: 35:53

It's really beautiful. It's on her website, so go watch that. It's really beautiful.

Speaker 2: 35:57

So if you partner yourself with a good connections whether it be a good spouse, a good sister, a good brother, you know a neighbor then you know those connections really is the magic. You know you can accomplish so much with good connections. It's those negative ones that hold you back.

Speaker 1: 36:20

Yeah, thank you for sharing that. That's a really, really beautiful reminder to each of us that those connections really matter. I'm so glad to be connected with you, and now everyone who listens to the podcast is connected with you as well. Where can people indeed best connect with you?

Speaker 2: 36:31

I try to make it simple. Rhonda Parker taylorcom is my website. Um, all my social media is under Rhonda Parker Taylor, also Rhonda's with an H, and shoot me a shout out. I'll shout, shout out back and follow me However you want to, whatever one one of the social medias that you that you prefer. I'm on Instagram, facebook, twitter. I'm even learning old dogs, do, do, do, do tricks, tick, tock.

Speaker 1: 37:00

Look at you, heck yeah, you're better than me.

Speaker 2: 37:05

I am learning. So, yeah, follow me, however you want to follow me, and I'll be glad to exchange pleasantries.

Speaker 1: 37:14

So beautiful and go get the book. Of course it's in all the places. Thanks so much for coming on the podcast, rhonda.

Speaker 2: 37:22

Thank you. Thank you for having me. Everybody have a great day. Be blessed.

Speaker 1: 37:26

Oh, my goodness. There were so many amazing takeaways from this conversation with Rhonda. I'm just going to share a couple of the things that I wrote down, because I can't cover them all in Thursday's thread. In Thursday's thread I will pull out a piece, so stay tuned for that. But I just had to share a few of these things because one of the big things that she talked about was really doing it for you, and we can't do it for ourselves until we fully accept who we are.

Speaker 1: 37:51

Who are you? What do you want out of this life? Look out the window and appreciate the things that you have, while also dreaming of the things that you really, really desire, and make it happen. Just make your dreams happen, not your sister's dreams, your parents' dreams, your grandparents' dreams, your colleagues' dreams what are your dreams? And then make the choice to start making those happen. And another huge thing that she talked about was that it's okay to let other people struggle, because that's actually part of their journey. You can be there to support them, you can help them and you can lend your support wherever it is needed. And you do have to let people go on their journey, because that's how they eventually are going to find their purpose and build the tools and the skills to help them follow their dreams. So, underscoring that, put yourself first message. So do stay tuned for Thursday, where I'm gonna pull a thread out from this episode and go a little bit deeper.

Speaker 1: 38:52

Thank you so much for listening to this episode. If there was something that you got out of it for yourself, I encourage you to share it with a friend who might also get that same thing or might get a little something for themselves. You can also share it with all of your friends. Take a little screenshot of the episode itself, put it on social media, tag me, tag Rhonda. She said she's in all the places. You can tag her in all the places. All of the links are in the show notes. If you tag us, we will reshare your post every time. Thanks again for listening. You just keep shining your magical unicorn light there out there for all to see. I'll see you on Thursday. Bye.