Where You Are & How To Get There (Author Interview)

  

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578288540/

Where You Are & How To Get There looks like an exciting self-help guide.  Can you tell us a little about it?

We lived in a solutions-based world. What I mean is, we live in a world where we are marketed solutions to problems we didn’t know we had, or we don’t have, but now I am thinking about this non-problem and I should buy the thing.

There is so much out there bidding us to “come and see” with a seemingly endless amount of choices to fill our time and minds.

I used to get stuck, unable to determine, what I should do, or where I should go.

As a leader in various local contexts, I have participated in numerous conversations with people asking the big questions of life. They felt stuck spiritually, stuck in their relationships, stuck with the version of themselves they don’t like, and stuck in their sense of purpose and meaning.

I wrote this book for me, for them.

Whenever we use Maps or a GPS on a journey, the destination is one part of the equation. The route is determined by our starting point.

Determining where we are, right now, is a journey in  and of itself. Upon discovering where we are, I believe, we will be able to make more intentional decisions on what to do, next.

 

Any plans to turn it into a series?

In short, kind of. There are some spin-off ideas I want to develop in shorter formats, 50-80 page books, instead of 160+ pages. Unpack singular ideas in a longer—yet short—format.

 

What inspired you when writing Where You Are & How To Get There?

All of the people I have engaged with, observed, or followed. I want to help people live the kind of life-story they’re proud of reading.

 

What will readers get out of your book?

A renewed sense of hope about “what’s next” in their lives.

 

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

It was in High School. My favorite class was Creative Writing. I wrote for the school newspaper too!

 

What part of the book was the most fun to write?

Probably, “But First, A Story.”

I retold an ancient parable that impacted me years ago—and in many ways, it still does.

 

What inspired the idea for your book?

The consistency of conversations with people throughout the years around the topic of experience, purpose, and meaning.

 

What was your hardest scene/section to write, and why?

Really, the first two-thirds of the book was a challenge. We all have our own worldviews, our own journeys. Our worldviews influence what we believe and do. I wanted to write in such a way that I honored where people are, regardless of their worldview. I think I found some common ground without coming across as heavily bias about my personal beliefs and experiences.

 

How did you come up with the title for your book?

The point of the book is to discover where you are, right now. How does a person get to “here?” These were some of the thoughts I had, which led me to “Where You Are & How To Get There.”

 

What motivated you to become a writer?

The best way I can describe it is, “the have-to.” There’s a scene in the movie “Rookie of the Year” where the older player tells 12-year Henry about the will to do the work comes from the “have-to.” Henry looked confused and asked, “the have-what?”

“The have-to,” the thing inside willing us to do the thing.

I write, because, well, I have to. I don’t know how else to explain it. :D

 

What part of the book did you have the hardest time writing?

The first two-thirds. See above question.

 

What do you like to do when not writing?

Hang with my kids. Catch up on shows. Meet with people. Read. Play golf.

 

Can you tell us a little about your background?

I am the oldest of 5 kids. We came from a rough family life. My mother tried to do her best. The older I get, the older my kids get, the more I realize how hard my mom had, and how against all odds, she never quit. I inherited some of that drive. I am grateful for it. I played sports, it taught me grit. I went to college and graduate school, which ultimately taught me how to learn. My passion is how I can best serve others. I have lived this out as a teacher, coach, pastor, writer, husband, father, and friend.

 

 

Where can readers find out more about your work?

 

Find me at nolanrecker.com, Facebook, Insta, Twitter, and TikTok. Search for me by name. There is one, maybe two Nolan Reckers on the Internet. Only one of us is an author.