The Mystery of the Falling Acorn

I awakened early this morning, as it is a habit of mine to rise between 3 A.M. and 4 A.M. to meditate, and to plan my day. Its an old habit, and no matter what, I cannot bring myself to sleep in any later.

There is a magic to early morning. The silence is like a soft blanket, and as I sit at my patio table on my deck, and look up at the stars, the tranquility soothes me and makes me grateful to be a part of the world for another day.

This morning was no different than any other, and as I began to ponder the subject of this newsletter, the silence was broken by a ‘whap!’ sound hitting the wooden deck.

It startled me at first, as I couldn’t figure out what would be falling that would hit the deck hard enough to make a sound that loud. Since I only had a small lamp on the table, I knelt down and felt around to see if I could feel anything, and my hand came upon a small spherical object, and I picked it up and brought it to the light.

It was an acorn. An ordinary, little acorn.

The mystery about it is that there is not a single oak tree within 2 blocks of my house!

So where did this little acorn come from? And what meaning did it have for me, falling at my feet this early November morning?

Maybe it meant nothing. Maybe someone threw it at 3 0’clock in the morning and it landed on my deck. Perhaps a bird flying overhead with the acorn in its mouth dropped it. Or…I was being sent a message.

I held the acorn in my hand, looking at it, feeling it, turning it over and over and wondered…what message could there possibly be in a little acorn?

And then, I got the message.

Here is what I believe the message is. I am putting together the stories for The Best of Us, 50 Inspiring People Who are Making The World a Better Place, and in writing about these inspirational people, my hope is that by getting their stories out it will inspire others to find the best in themselves, and know that in all of us the best is there, within us.

And so it is with the acorn. As I held it, I saw what it held inside. Inside that tiny acorn was a giant oak tree.

Now you couldn’t cut that acorn open and find that oak tree, but you know its there. The message of that acorn was, and is, we all have greatness inside us, sometimes we don’t see it, because all we see is the acorn, but it is there, waiting to grow.

I’m going to plant that acorn today. And one day, it will be an oak tree. I am also going to plant the seed of hope in what I write today, and tomorrow, and for the rest of my life. And it will grow also. Hope is every bit as powerful as that little acorn, and it abounds in all of us, waiting to grow to the reality from which it sprung. The Best of Us..in all of us.

COMING SOON: The Best of Us Books web site

Sometime in November, I’ll be launching a new web site devoted entirely to The Best of Us book series. I’ll let you all know when it is up and running, and it will be a combination blog/web site, and will be used to promote the upcoming launch of first The Best of Us, 50 Inspiring People who are Making The World a Better Place. So far I have 20 Best of Us titles for the series. Watch out Chicken Soup for the Soul!

It will have pictures of those 50 people, and sketches of their stories, and also their web sites, and/or further contact information about them. It will also eventually have audio clips from the subjects themselves, so the media can easily contact them for interviews, and thus help them, and at the same time, help to promote the Best of Us Book series.

The new site domain name is: www.TheBestOfUsBooks.com. Between now and end of November it will be up and running.

Investor and Sponsor Opportunities

As my loyal subscribers, you will remember my announcement of investor opportunities I told you about in one of my September newsletters.

The complete sponsor package is now available to view in .pdf format on the www.drycreekpress.com web site under ‘Sponsor Info’. Sponsors don’t have to be companies only, they can also be individuals who would like to see their name in a special section of the book devoted to individual sponsors of The Best of Us. You can sponsor your name for just $50.00, or $100.00 for a couple. Besides the recognition in the book, you will also receive a 50% discount on any of the Best of Us books, and your first book will be an inscribed, autographed copy of the first edition sent to you on publication. If you have a company, or know of someone who has a company and wants some fantastic exposure in the book series, podcasts, blogs, websites, promotional materials, and more, please contact me right away..it really is a bargain from $500.00 to $2500.00.

I’m also seeking a few adventurous and inspired investors to help me get my publishing company off to a successful start and get The Best of Us book series launched, and promoted.

I expect the sponsor packages to be an ongoing revenue source, that will begin to roll in soon, as two have already signed up, but I need some working capital right away, and am willing to offer some very good incentives for investors.

For investments of $1,000.00 to $5,000, I will offer repayment of the investment in 12 months with interest of 18%. Plus, you may purchase as many copies of The Best of Us books at 50% discount for either re-sale yourself, or as gifts, however you want to use them.

For investments of $5,000 or more, I’m offering 1% equity in Dry Creek Press profits, for each $5,000.00 investment, or same payback in 12 months at same interest rate stated above, your choice.

Speaking strictly from a business point of view, I compare the potential of The Best of Us Book series to that of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. In the past 10 years, Chicken Soup for the Soul series has sold over 90 million books. I believe The Best of Us series has that kind of potential as well.

If you are interested, or know of anyone who is interested, please contact me by email at: bill@drycreekpress.com, or call me irectly at: 916-531-1249.

Big dreams often start small, and this is certainly true in my case. I can use your help. Thank you all for your readership and your faith in the positive side of life.

The Best to all of you,
Bill Bailey