A Sarnia father and daughter have created a new book aimed at helping people be true to themselves.
Who We Are and What We Can Add to the World was inspired by observing widespread “separation” in the world, said Nick Wallace.
“All this identification of things that separate us instead of bring us together,” he said.
The 24-page, self-published book, with another 50 journal pages at the end for reflection, is about helping people find out who they really are, said the 46-year-old electrical engineer and business owner.
“Drop the identities and what’s the real sameness in us all,” he said.
Doing that means people gradually confront groups and labels they identify with that aren’t actually them, he said, noting the writing process started in September and the book was revised several times as he and seven-year-old Violet Wallace worked on it together .
“As the process grew, my own understanding of what I was trying to say kept getting refined,” Nick Wallace said, adding they also added in jokes.
A walking heart Violet Wallace drew on the cover makes an appearance on every page, he said.
“The book is very much about heart,” he said. “Instead of living from the mind all the time, we want to live from our heart.”
The duo made their own publishing company, Vini, and are holding a book launch at the Sarnia Library Theater July 9, at 2:30 pm, he said.
They’ll be joined by band Deep Southwest, and Nick Wallace said he’ll read excerpts of the book priced for $30, noting he’s talking with book stores and libraries to make it available.
“My favorite part is when my dad first wrote the book, I got to do the pictures,” said Violet Wallace, adding it was fun.
They also received positive comments from people in the community they didn’t know to whom they showed the book and asked for feedback, Nick Wallace said.
“It’s a fun book; a helpful book,” he said.
Advice in the book is based on life experience and paying attention, he said.
A sequel is also in the works called You are Energy, Connecting with Your Energy, he said.