Should? Or want?

Should? Or want?

Published: Thu, 03/27/25

Updated: Thu, 03/27/25

Melissa Pennel was wrestling with a big decision.

She wanted to write a book, but was struggling to choose a topic.

She had two book ideas and kept ping-ponging from one to the other.

"This one? Or that one?"

The first book felt sensible and practical. It was directly connected to her career. It would be good for her brand and establish her as an authority in her field. It would probably generate money, too.

"This is the book that I should write," she figured. "It just makes sense."

But something about this project didn’t feel exciting. She started working on it but quickly lost interest. It felt like drudgery.

The second book was neither sensible nor practical. It had nothing to do with her career, at least not directly. Yet this idea tugged at her heart. It wouldn’t go away. It wanted to be born.

"This is the book that I want to write."

Should? Or want?

She chose want.

As she began writing, Melissa was pregnant with her first child and grieving the loss of her mother who had unexpectedly passed away.

She poured all of those emotions—sadness and joy, hope and longing—into the book.

And, she titled it: Questions You'll Wish You Asked: A Time Capsule Journal for Mothers and Daughters.

A journal filled with questions to ask your mom before she dies, to collect stories and wisdom while there is still time to do so.

"I don't know if anybody will buy this book," Melissa told herself, "But it felt healing and cathartic to write it, and that is enough."

A few of her friends purchased it and loved it. They told their friends about it. Those friends told other friends. Word spread. More orders came in.

The book took off with a life of its own, sold thousands of copies, and became an unanticipated financial success.

Because of the extra money that this book created, Melissa was able to extend her maternity leave and take additional time off work without worrying about depleting her savings.

Melissa felt like her mother was supporting her, through the book, even though she wasn't there physically. Her spirit was alive within the pages.

After releasing her first book, Melissa went on to write 10+ additional books and created a Questions You'll Wish You Asked collection: books for grandparents, fathers, teens, and beyond.

Following one want can lead to a future you never could've imagined.

Create the thing that wants to be born, even if it doesn’t feel practical, logical, or ideal for search engine optimization.

Should rarely leads to a miracle.

Only want has the power to do that.

-Alex

PS. I shared this beautiful story about Melissa a few years ago. I have a feeling that somebody out there needs to hear it again. Maybe that somebody is you.

PPS. What feels like a "should" in your career or life right now? What is a "want"?

PPPS. Melissa is a Tiny Book Course graduate. The Tiny Book Course is a program that I created with my colleague Lindsey Smith. We break the process of writing a book into tiny, achievable steps. More than 1,000 people, ages 8 to 80, have become authors with The Tiny Book Course. Join the wait-list here.

PPPPS. Classical music with a twist. Think: Bridgerton.

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Kapaau HI 96755
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