CHAD MERCREE

When I landed my first book deal I was so excited. Who wouldn't be? It was traditionally published, it

would be in bookstores all over the country, and it was a fun project. And in a small way it validated my value to the world-at-large that I might actually have something meaningful to share with the world. The intention I set for myself as a writer was to share things I've learned while travelling a non-traditional spiritual path. That was almost four years ago. . .

Since then I've sold more books than I imagined and received what seemed like the normal type of feedback from my books. Mostly a heaping pile of good praise with a few dark sprinkles of criticism. But a few months ago I noticed entirely new types of feedback, the type that helped me realize the transformative power of words.

Two people in particular come to mind, both social media connections. The first one posted a picture of A Little Bit of Buddha on social media with a few kind words. I made sure to thank them, and their...