Both Sad and Happy?
Have you ever been both sad and happy at the same time? Today, I am.
After two-and-a-half years of being on this journey of writing my book, today I am sad and happy at the same time. Today is the day that I say goodbye (in some sense) to my constant companion. I just sent an email to the publisher to say, "It's done."
Technically it's been "done" for months—except that every time I reread it, I find more edits. Move this sentence here, change this verb tense, delete this sentence. As a Type A and perfectionist, when is "done" really done? I've had the excuse of time since we were waiting to get endorsements in for the back cover. The endorsements are in and if we are to stay on track for our October 1 publish date, I have to let go at some point. And that point is today.
I thought today would be a day I would feel elated. "Whew! I'm done with writing the book!" Instead, I feel a mix of emotions. I'm sad, happy, scared, excited, nervous, exhausted, relieved, and more. I no longer need to say "no" to plans because I have to go work on my book. The words on the page are set.
It's one thing to share my book with a few friends, but it's another to be putting it out there for public consumption for praise, critique, or indifference. Yes, I did send the book to some key people for endorsements, but I didn't actually expect to hear back from them. I mean, I was hoping... I've been overjoyed with getting some amazing endorsements from Ken Wilber, John Robbins, Danny Dreyer, and more, plus a Foreword by Dick Bolles.
Of course, I know I will be spending as much time with my book over the next few years in trying to let others know about it, but it will be a different kind of time together. The intimacy of just me and my book is gone. I'm definitely excited to share it with all of you (and will let you know when it's officially available!). I'm just allowing today to be a day of letting go, of saying goodbye to one stage of the process and hello to the next.
Has there been a time in your life when you felt both sad (for what you were leaving behind) and happy (for what was to come) at the same time? I'd love to hear about it.
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Dina Colman, MA, MBA is an author, healthy living coach, and founder of Four Quadrant Living. Dina has a private practice helping clients live healthier and happier lives. Her book, Four Quadrant Living: Making Healthy Living Your New Way of Life, guides readers to make healthy living a part of their daily lives, leading to greater health, vitality, and happiness. Contact Dina at
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Revised and Updated, 2020
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Invested in her clients
Dina offered ideas on dealing with my job stress. I felt the ideas really catered to me and my job specifically, rather than being some general ideas I could get from internet research. I use one of the fantastic ideas religiously to help destress after every shift. I was so pleased with my experience, I recommended Dina's Four Quadrant Living to my sister.
In the News
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