Every so often, I sit myself down and lie straight to my face.

“This is the time I’m really gonna get it together.”

Motivation shows up strong, talking big…

Then goes missing like somebody who owes you $200.

My kids don’t even take it seriously no more. They just joke.

“Alright Pops, we doing this thing for real… or just talking loud again?”

They laugh. I laugh too.

Because they ain’t lying.

I tried everything:

• Cutting back on food that got seasoning.

• Walking laps like somebody chasing me.

• Some “one simple trick” doctors supposedly hate

• Tai-chi walking with my wife (that just made us irritated)

• Stretching routines made by dudes named Kyle who NEVER worked a double shift.

At some point I stopped beating myself up for it.

If the Lord wanted me counting cholesterol, He wouldn’t have made bacon taste like that.

I figured I’d just live my life and mind my business.

Then last month, life said, “Oh, we not doing that.”

I was sitting there scrolling when this ad from Memowrite popped up.

It said:

“Your life story is interesting enough to fill a book. Write a book in 3 weeks using 50 questions.”

I laughed so hard my wife asked what was wrong with me.

A BOOK??

Listen.

I ain’t no writer.

I’m a man who showed up, did his job, and kept the lights on.

But then I saw it again.

3 weeks. 50 questions.

And I thought…

Hold on. That don’t sound crazy.

50 questions?

I answer more than that before breakfast –

and half of them are questions from my wife that DON’T have a right answer.

First question? Easy.

Second one? Had me sitting back like, “Huh…”

Honestly, if you’ve got a few minutes here and there, it’s worth seeing what it pulls out of you.

Because next thing I know, I’m writing about where I grew up.

The block. My parents. The lessons I learned the hard way.

The stuff I never talked about ‘cause nobody ever asked.

Some days I had to stop and just laugh.

Like, “Man… I really did all that.”

I wasn’t rushing.

Just answering a few questions here and there.

Just like the ad said, it took me 3 weeks to get through all 50 questions.

And for once… I didn’t quit halfway.

Then one day, a package landed on my porch.

I thought it was something my wife ordered.

Nope.

It was my book. Hardcover.

My name on the front like I’m somebody important.

My son came over, picked it up, flipped through it real quiet.

Didn’t crack no jokes. Didn’t say much.

Then he looked at me and said, 

“Dad… You really lived, huh?”

That right there? That stayed with me.

Next thing I know, everybody is talking.

Family. Friends. Folks at church.

“Man wrote a whole book!”

“Don’t let him fool you – he famous now!”

I ain’t gonna lie – that felt good.

Let Me Say This to You

You don’t need another fresh start.

You don’t need another promise you gotta apologize for later.

You’ve already lived a full life. You just haven’t written it down yet.

Just start with 50 questions.

That’s it.

If I could write a whole book in under a month…

Yeah. You can do it too. 

Don’t start a new chapter. Write the whole book.