Let Yourself Be: A past you must embrace
Why do I sometimes feel lost? Empty? Sometimes, I feel like I'm drifting—just being moved through the tides because I don't know what else to do. There are far too many expectations. It's exhausting to measure up. I seem to be busy, but I'm uncertain of where I'm headed or if I'm doing the right things. When is it good enough?
If you have any of these questions, then I have a wonderful book for you.
Author CJ Lacsican won't answer them for you. Instead, with you, she looks back at her personal and career journeys as she inspires you to do the same. Let Yourself Be is a nontraditional life story—raw, inspiring, and fascinatingly filled with life's complexities. Through struggles, but with grace and humor, she shares her inner thought processes, tragedies, pain, triumphs, and the relentless pursuit to better herself.
At eight years old, CJ became the strongest at her darkest of hours. She hopes to awaken every reader—to encourage them to embrace and learn from their pasts, challenge themselves and the direction they are headed, and face the world with gratitude and optimism. As a photography enthusiast, CJ also gives you a glimpse of her favorite photos from across the world.
If you have any of these questions, then I have a wonderful book for you.
Author CJ Lacsican won't answer them for you. Instead, with you, she looks back at her personal and career journeys as she inspires you to do the same. Let Yourself Be is a nontraditional life story—raw, inspiring, and fascinatingly filled with life's complexities. Through struggles, but with grace and humor, she shares her inner thought processes, tragedies, pain, triumphs, and the relentless pursuit to better herself.
At eight years old, CJ became the strongest at her darkest of hours. She hopes to awaken every reader—to encourage them to embrace and learn from their pasts, challenge themselves and the direction they are headed, and face the world with gratitude and optimism. As a photography enthusiast, CJ also gives you a glimpse of her favorite photos from across the world.
Tell your readers a little about yourself,
where you grew up, where you live now, where you went to school etc. Let them
get to know the personal you.
I grew up in a small university town in an
island called Negros Oriental, down south of the Philippines. There are two
types of small town folk: those who stay home in their ultimate comfort zones
and those who can’t wait to get out! I’m definitely the latter. Right after
graduation, I headed to the capital and traded the comforts of home in the
province for a shot in the urban concrete jungle.
Wide-eyed and ready to take on the world, I worked my way to landing a job in one of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines. After clocking in four years of work experience and two years for my MBA degree at Asian Institute of Management in Manila, I started expanding my exposure internationally – took a job, packed my bags and moved. Again. At some point, I got so used to relocating and moving that there was little to no adjustment periods needed.
My first international job placement in Hong Kong was definitely just a springboard to my future assignments. I found myself climbing up the corporate ladder and would be later on assigned to Japan, Netherlands, and now Hungary!
Now, I am a Tribe Lead for Customer Care and a board member of NN Hungary. I guess it’s also safe to say that I’m a published writer, too!
Wide-eyed and ready to take on the world, I worked my way to landing a job in one of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines. After clocking in four years of work experience and two years for my MBA degree at Asian Institute of Management in Manila, I started expanding my exposure internationally – took a job, packed my bags and moved. Again. At some point, I got so used to relocating and moving that there was little to no adjustment periods needed.
My first international job placement in Hong Kong was definitely just a springboard to my future assignments. I found myself climbing up the corporate ladder and would be later on assigned to Japan, Netherlands, and now Hungary!
Now, I am a Tribe Lead for Customer Care and a board member of NN Hungary. I guess it’s also safe to say that I’m a published writer, too!
What inspired you to author this book?
I’ve always wanted to share my story. Deep
within me, I felt like my story and the journey I have led could inspire other
people. And of course, I’ve always been the type of person to list things down
and follow them diligently. May it be grocery lists, to do lists, travel lists,
you name it—I have a list for it! Of course having a bucket list was a given. I
crafted one many years ago and as I grew, the list grew too! After checking a
lot from my adventures thus far, writing and publishing a book was definitely a
level I wanted to unlock sooner rather than later!
Where did you get the inspiration for your
book’s cover?
There are three clear symbols of the book
cover – child walking forward barefoot, the autumn and the bright light at the
far-right hand corner. The book focuses so much on oneself and how one may be
able to tackle life in the broadest of sense. If one is stripped off
everything, barefoot symbol, what would one be? Autumn signifies change, the
transition from summer to winter, the shedding of leaves, the changing of
colors and the darkening of the night. Both of these together shows deep
awareness and progress; and at the end of it all, one has to remain positive.
It is a decision to remain positive.
Who has been the most significant influence on you personally
and as a writer?
My biggest influencer is my grandmother. She
taught me important values that until today I live by. Values of fairness,
generosity and hard work.
What were your struggles or obstacles you had
to overcome to get this book written?
Writing this book meant a lot of rehashing
moments, feelings, and experiences from my past. I didn’t particularly have a
conventional childhood, so delving into that was difficult at first but it felt
necessary.
It wasn’t also just about the past but more so what the future holds. After attaining so and so, what’s next for me? Being the obsessive-compulsive type, it was the sitting down and reflecting (and making a list!) that was a bit uncomfortable but definitely something I powered through. As always.
It wasn’t also just about the past but more so what the future holds. After attaining so and so, what’s next for me? Being the obsessive-compulsive type, it was the sitting down and reflecting (and making a list!) that was a bit uncomfortable but definitely something I powered through. As always.
Tell your readers about your book.
Let Yourself Be is the ultimate comfort
read on life, lessons, and active awareness written in the warmest of tones
with wit and charisma. It imparts gems and wisdom gleaned from my personal life
experiences. With no holding back, I dig deep into the rawest wounds but also
reach high into my happiest places with the objective of baring my truth but
also to exhort and galvanize readers to letting themselves be; to rise up and
face any challenge, to embrace the past but leave it behind, to rise above and
not below, and to never, ever stop working on self-improvement.
Who is your target audience, and why?
Anyone who enjoys a light read with spits of
deep-rooted wisdom here and there. Let Yourself Be was a lot of self-uncovering
and unveiling which I think would be a great jumpstart to anyone who’s
interested in their own journey to self-discovery, as well!
What do you consider your greatest success in life?
Overcoming my fears… Daring to always try…
Reaching the C-suite level.
What one unique thing sets you apart from
other writers in your genre?
Born and raised in a third world country but
somehow found myself leading in a man-dominated industry based in Europe. Best
believe I have a lot to share! There were definitely a lot of quests and
learnings in the in-between, which I divulge in Let Yourself Be.
