Author hopes to foster a sense of self awareness, and self- worth via plucky children’s book character
The secret, at least from author and life coach Naimah’s POV, is self compassion and self love… knowing that one is worthy of good things without any outside validation. This is what she is imparting to the youngest of believers in her new children’s book, “The Wonderful You”, co-written by her husband and fellow life coach Dr. Q. In about 20 full color pages, illustrated by Stephen Adams, Naimah tells the story of Pooky Poo, a sad little mouse who, in Wizard of Oz-esque fashion, happens upon a variety of experts teaching the secret to happiness.
“Like for all artists and writers, [ideas] are always a reflection of your own journey,” Naimah explained during a recent interview with the Sentinel.
“And, through my journey of many heartaches, failures and disappointments, I learned to love myself and to develop a sense of self-compassion.”
She does that, she said, by being a self observer.
“It starts with having an inner conversation,” she said.
“It starts with self image. I started looking in the mirror and saying, ‘I love you’ and really meaning it.”
And so goes Pooky Poo’s journey as she meets a slew of unusual characters like the beetlebopper and the frolly wok who happen to be living very joyful lives. According to the author, “Wonderful You” is meant to invoke self reflection questions like “Am I being the best that I can be?” “Am I a champion?” “Am I looking for others to feel that for me?” “Do I want to feel like a victim or do I want to feel empowered?”
Naimah was born in North Carolina but was raised in Schenectady County New York. She was brought up in what she described as a very stern, very religious home.
“It was where you were constantly criticized,” she said, “where people may not be necessarily compassionate about you making a mistake…”
She experienced a date rape when she was a teen, something that she was never encouraged to deal with.
“I just continued on with my journey but through all of the different stresses that began to pile up on top of that, I realized that something was not peaceful within myself,” said Naimah.
Stopping to acknowledge that she was hurt and embracing and loving herself through it not only helped her, but helped her to inspire others. Through the characters in “Wonderful You” Naimah hopes to foster a sense of success in children by helping them to know for sure that they matter , just like everyone else. The end of the book comes with a space for a photograph of the individual reader and prompts them to ponder and then answer the question of who they want to be.
“The Wonderful You” , ISBN: 978-1-4969-2014-0 is available through authorhouse.com, amazon.com, barnes & noble.com and asknaimah.com.
