Sarah Hackley: Saving the World Through the Written Word

How Will Women Save the World?

Let us count the ways ...

* This blog is part of Absolute Love Publishing's ongoing series celebrating Women's History Month and the book that honors women everywhere,"Women Will Save the World." 

Strength

Sarah Hackley

“We
hope to live in such a way that our children are better for having known us.”

 

Sarah Hackley is one
multi-talented lady! She is the editor for both Absolute Love Publishing and
its assisted self-publishing imprint, Spirited Press. She is also an author,
ghostwriter, editor, and published poet. Through her work at ALP and Spirited
Press, Sarah provides individualized, comprehensive editing services to authors
seeking to bring light and inspiration to the world. A passionate believer that
the written word can change lives, Sarah is deeply honored to be a part of
these projects.

 

In addition to editing the book, Sarah also contributed an essay
on Feminine Strength for the ALP compilation, “Women Will Save the World.” She
describes how she misinterpreted having strength as always pushing forward and
never letting emotions get the best of her. Through time, she realized this was
not going to work. She realized that feminine strength was not about shutting
everything out or stuffing it away somewhere, it was “letting the world in.”

 

We recently had a chance to ask
Sarah how she’s been using her Feminine Strength to save the world lately.

 

ALP: Hi Sarah! So, tell us, what have you been working on since
WWSTW?

Sarah: “I have been
enjoying my role as editor for Absolute Love Publishing and Spirited Press. A
few months ago, I had the opportunity of being interviewed alongside Caroline
for the radio show, Conscious Discussions with Lillian Brummet. I’ve also been
guest blogging for writing websites online. Most recently, I had an article
about the ‘Art of Editing’ featured on Where Writers Win. I'm currently writing a nonfiction book on the topics of financial independence and
emotional healing for women. I'm also writing a mystery novel, and enjoying my
five-month-old son.”

 

ALP: How
does being an editor at a publishing company help you to save the world? 

Sarah: “I've always believed that the written word can
change lives (Mary Pipher's Writing to Change the World is one of my favorite writing
books), and my work at ALP and Spirited Press enables me to do that by helping
others spread their messages of love, peace, and positivity to the world.”

ALP: Sounds lovely! In
the book, you open up about a breakthrough regarding the way you handled
trauma. Is there anything therapeutic you find about writing?

Sarah: “In a way, yes. Writing
has been my lifeline ever since I was a young girl. It gives me the space I need
to make sense both of the world around me and the world within me. I can't
really process something until I've written about it.”

ALP: You
also discuss feminine strength and how it's about "letting the world
in." Is there any advice you can give other women who may struggle with
this? How does one let the walls come down a little? 

Sarah: “Trauma tends to make us curl tighter into
ourselves. Those of us who have experienced it often go through a stage where
we feel the world is a scary and troubling place, a place where we are
completely out of control. In some ways, that's true. But, it isn't the whole
truth. There are still some things we can control, including whether we choose
to let love back into our lives and into our hearts or whether we choose to be
lost and closed off forever. Ultimately, it's our choice. Anyone who wants to
let the world back in just needs to take it one small step at a time. Choose
one moment or one person and go from there. No one said the walls have to come
down all at once.”

ALP: Beautifully
said! Looking forward: What plans do you have for the next year? Any goals
you’ve set out to accomplish?

Sarah: “2013 is going to be a big year for me. I
foresee a lot of editing projects, which I love, as well as several big
personal projects. [Says smiling] but that's all I'm willing to say for now.”

For more essays and insights on feminine Strength – and all of the other characteristics helping women to save the world – get your copy of “Women Will Save the World” by Caroline A. Shearer. 

Copyright 2013 Absolute Love Publishing