2021-December-07

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The Healing Powers of Writing

BY CANDACE NAVARRO · VIRTUAL SALES ACCOUNT MANAGER · UNITED STATES

WITH HELEN GALL

4 MINUTE READ • 6 MINUTE LISTEN

Candace, her girls, and son in law with a picture of Jamin.

Three years ago, my 18-year-old son Jamin passed away unexpectedly.

As you can imagine, it was the most devastating thing to ever happen to our family. I was absolutely lost. I didn't know where to go, what I was doing, or what I should do next in life.

At the start of this year, I decided on a plan. I was ready to quit my job and sell all of my possessions to pursue my dreams of becoming a children’s author and starting a nonprofit.

But right before I was able to dive into this new plan, I received a call from an old friend of mine who works at Cisco. He called every couple of years to convince me to apply. My answer was always the same — that I wasn’t interested.

But during this call, he told me that at Cisco, I would still be able to accomplish what I wanted to do in my personal life.

I didn’t have anything to lose, so I agreed to talk to the hiring manager. Shortly after, I joined the team.

I’ve loved writing since I was a child

Going through the process of healing after losing Jamin, I realized that healing starts with understanding and loving our own inner child. This realization created a passion and what I call a divine push inside me to help children.

“The Girl Who Found Her Way” is the first book in the “Adventures of Little Miss Pai” series.

I’ve always believed that if we can help children digest life lessons in their foundational years, they would have less healing to do as adults. What better way to do this than through books?

For over 20 years, I’ve wanted to write my own children's books. I knew it was time to step out of my comfort zone and stop hiding my talents, so I finally put pen to paper and began writing “The Girl Who Found Her Way.”

Inspired by my 9-year-old daughter, the lead character Paislee was created. What Paislee goes through in this first book is a discovery of ourselves, giving lessons of courage, strength, self-empowerment, esteem, discipline, inner peace, fun, love, and other symbolic messages.

Take the next step in life, despite your fears.

Being an introvert with perfectionist tendencies, I’d had a lot of reservations and fears about putting myself and my writing out to the world. This book is a message to stop overthinking and start doing what feels right. To take the next step in life, despite your fears.

During our journey through life, we come across people who encourage, teach, guide, and love us. We underestimate our willpower and what we can give to others and how important it is to connect with others.

What started as one book has grown into the “Little Miss Pai” adventure series.

Reminding us that it’s OK to feel our way through life, that it’s OK to be a thinker and a feeler. The books focus on the importance of balance in our lives, especially for children growing up in today’s world.

Candace’s first book signing.

Sage Mentoring

The intention of writing these children’s books was not only to fill a lifelong dream of publishing a book but to help support a nonprofit that my family and I started called Sage Mentoring.

Sage Mentoring is focused on helping youth on their journey of discovering their hidden talents by providing resources to reach their highest potential. We want to change their path of self-doubt to one of self-love and confidence. When we nourish the talents they have inside, we begin to change a community and the future.

During my first book signing in our local community, we sold over 100 books. The target is to sell 3,000 books, with all proceeds going to Sage Mentoring. If you would like to support us, you can purchase the books on Amazon.

Losing Jamin is something that I will never fully recover or heal from. There will always be a gaping hole in every part of me. But supporting children as they discover their own self-worth is helping give that void within me a little more meaning and life a lot more purpose.

I know that my son is a big reason why so many young lives will be changed for the better.