There are approximately 25.6 alumni from my school in the same country where I am now... I would estimate that 5/6 of them are into finance... a friend of 1 of them changed my life and is the reason I decided to study diplomacy.
4 out of the rest decided to help me find that perfect job... And, with that decision, came my most terrifying question: "so, what do you want to do?"
...I want to go on a hot air balloon ride through the cities of Poland, I want to dive with the sharks in Costa Rica, and meditate with the Buddhists of Kashmir ... I want to get married, have two children, adopt a third, and put together a saltwater aquarium in our living room... I want to spend time with people I love and want to see smiles brightening up their faces more often than tears wetting their eyes... and I want to go back to my guitar classes, and learn to tango with the man I love... I want to bring back my childhood dreams and enjoy the moments of silence in the crazy crowd of Sao Paulo...
...probably not the answer they were looking for. And certainly not the answer I gave them.
In light of my hesitating silence, came the most obvious conclusion: well, then, write a book.
"You really need to tell your stories. It's not just a good idea; it's downright urgent. There's a backlog of unexpressed narratives clogging up your depths. It's like you have become too big of a secret to the world. The unvented pressure is building up, threatening to implode. So please find a graceful way to share the narratives that are smoldering inside you -- with the emphasis on the word "graceful." I don't want your tales to suddenly erupt like a volcano all over everything at the wrong time and place. You need a receptive audience and the proper setting."