Today we’d like to introduce you to Antonio Robinson
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
How I arrived at this point on my author’s journey is a tale of twists and turns. In life, everything comes down to choices. From the moment we wake up to the time our heads hit the pillow, we are faced with decisions. Thankfully, most of our daily decision making can be incorporated into a routine, simplifying our lives. Long term decision making, on the other hand, can cause us to lose sleep at night. One of the hardest choices to make is deciding on something in the present moment that significantly impacts your future. It’s stressful, nerve-wracking, and makes many people nervous. Unquestionably, these uneasy feelings have a lot to do with uncertainty and fear of failure. For example, taking a long trading position on a stock after doing countless hours of market research is still a bold move, but what if your shares plummeted two years later without a stop-loss in place, losing eighty percent of their value in the process, and showed no signs of recovering? Wouldn’t the shock from this unexpected event be crippling? Paralyzing fear of devastating losses is what keeps many people from investing in the stock market, but without risk. There is no chance of a reward. What if opening a bakery was one of your childhood dreams? Ever since you can remember, you always had a knack for baking delicious cakes and decadent pastries. With a razor-sharp vision and excellent business planning, what could possibly go wrong? What if, due to intense competition and a poor location, your dream business failed three years later? Wouldn’t this experience be heartbreaking? Considering how enthusiastic you are about baking—this degree of heartache could rightfully discourage you from ever starting another business again. It certainly takes a lot of courage to be an entrepreneur; disappointment seems to go hand in hand. These kinds of setbacks, commonly seen as failures, haunt us, wreaking havoc on our minds. Instead of viewing distressing situations personally or in business as learning opportunities, most people agonize over their defeats, allowing them to dictate how they make future decisions.
When I made a firm, perhaps overly confident decision to become an author back in 2021, I did so without the idea of failing ever crossing my mind. Normally, starting something new makes me apprehensive, so I tend to entertain thoughts of failure. My struggles with uncertainty have also caused me to move slowly in the past. But not this time. I came out of the gate sprinting. Maybe I was blinded by my own ambition or overzealous. I just remember how clear my vision was. For the first time in many years, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life. Since becoming an author also meant I was going into business (entrepreneurship), I decided to set some lofty goals for myself. I read somewhere once that our goals should scare us. If they don’t put fear in our hearts, our dreams aren’t big enough. Clearly, this wise message was imparted by a successful person—someone with big dreams who has failed often. Fearlessness in business develops when a person has endured gut-wrenching defeat. Winning and losing are interchangeable on the road to success. Armed with what I deemed sound advice, I approached my new business venture embracing the concept that if my goals did not scare me, my dreams simply were not big enough. For someone who has spent most of his life risk-averse, stepping outside of my “comfort zone” took some courage. One of the first things I did was make a personal road map for success, creating a vision board that still hangs on my apartment wall. Reading Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill taught me the significance of visualizing our goals before they happen. Truthfully, anything we can see in our “mind’s eye” has already happened, but we must put in the work to achieve it. I knew if I outlined my goals on a vision board and placed them somewhere I could see them every day, nothing could stop me from accomplishing my goals. We will get to this part of my story shortly, but I was almost right. Napoleon Hill was definitively right! (six definite practical steps to success). Of the seven goals sketched on my vision board, four of them have already transpired. Most importantly, goal number one was to take the ideas sparkling inside my mind and bring them to life in my poetry book, Heartfelt. In hindsight, it truly was a remarkable accomplishment. The person I used to be would have never considered writing a book, let alone a poetry book. Getting back to the point I made earlier about almost being right; I failed miserably at three of my loftier goals. Mainly, the one-year time limit I set on them was too rigid. As a result of shortsightedness, goals I should have had pegged as long-term were inexplicably pinned as short-term. Looking back on things, at least it wasn’t a total loss. From my inexperience, I learned two invaluable lessons about entrepreneurship and the book publishing industry. In business, we must learn to be flexible. Regarding book publishing, perhaps my most painful lesson: regardless of how much money a self-published author spends on book marketing and promotion (I invested a lot of money), book sales don’t automatically start rolling in. They take time to develop, or don’t come at all. While I was reeling from this agonizing experience, it jogged my memory about something else I read in Napoleon Hill’s book, Think & Grow Rich. Hill mentioned that riches, unlike poverty, must be attracted. Book sales are no different. One could imagine a marketing campaign being enough to generate substantial book sales, yet from what I’ve discerned, book selling is more of a tactical strategy, something I’m still learning. Sure, if executed properly, a targeted marketing campaign could create enough buzz to generate decent book sales. However, book marketing and promotion are a true double-edged sword. They cannot guarantee a book will achieve financial success, but if an author intends for their book to garner any sort of visibility, book marketing and promotion must become integral components of their book selling strategy. Plus, they are not sustainable without frequent investments of your time and money, nor can they ensure a book’s profitability. When I realized accomplishing my last three goals was going to be more difficult than I anticipated, I fell into deep depression. It wasn’t primarily because I lost. We don’t lose at anything until we quit! Quitting was the furthest thing on my mind. I was more so heartbroken from my first publishing experience being a rude awakening. Honestly, there’s no rosy way to put it! I got severely taken advantage of financially, and every solution I devised felt like I was surrounded by four walls. I was living inside a mental cell, my own personal hell. I’ll explain why my mental state was so poor later on but keep this in mind: legal scams are common in the publishing industry, particularly in the modern era of deceit.
To add more context to my story, let’s take a quick trip and flash back to 2017. Remarkably, three years prior to the collapse of our worlds, I had what’s termed a spiritual awakening. Through an ancient practice called meditation, I achieved a higher state of consciousness. Unknowingly, I started down the path to enlightenment, unlocking what spiritual gurus call my “inner world.” For the most part, reunions are supposed to be fun, but reuniting with my soul amidst my “inner world” was a painful experience. Although It’s hard to describe a spiritual awakening, everyone’s journey of self-discovery is different. I’ll do my best to explain mine. Imagine feeling at one with all life, including the Universe, somehow interconnected with every living being, or suddenly realizing the reality we live in isn’t real! It’s a three-dimensional paradigm (3-D) that’s covered by a thick veil of deception, or at least that’s what I saw. In fact, I have not been able to unsee the falseness of our reality ever since. Once I became spiritually enlightened, the thick veil of deception calcifying my pineal gland (third eye) crumbled, enabling me to see the unequivocal truth! Even if I tried, I cannot deactivate my gift. Such insight has equally been a blessing and a curse. I guess someone capable of seeing the light in a world full of darkness is what spiritual leaders mean by enlightenment. The only truths pulsating in my mind were our universal connection with all life and our eternal bond with the Universe; our one true birth mother.
Furthermore, recognizing that my entire life has been the product of an elaborate lie was devastating. No matter how unbelievable, we’re all subjected to mental programming throughout our lives—forced to fit inside systems of oppression; intricate systems capable of extracting our powerful spiritual energy. Think about your favorite brands, products, or movies. Now, ponder your allegiances to politics, organized religion, and sports. Has it ever dawned on you that none of these obsessions entered your mind by accident, or why they create emotional and psychological attachments? It’s simpler than one thinks to hijack the human mind. All that’s required to expose its vulnerability are subconscious suggestions. The architects of these complicated systems knew exactly what they were doing. In addition, getting our subconscious minds to lower their defenses starts with trust. An early morning infomercial, a bible study session, tickets to the big game, or a political rally all seem innocent, don’t they? Picture someone dozing off to sleep with the TV on, and the product from a relentless 3 AM infomercial keeps flashing across their mind the next day. Nobody knows why, but Uncle Fester got all the kids handwarmers for Christmas this year. Albeit a questionable Christmas gift choice for children, his puzzling selection was certainly no accident. Since our minds tend to trust things that seem harmless, particularly during theta sleep, Uncle Fester was the victim of effective subliminal marketing. For our consumption, Irresistible components of society are trafficked into our minds in numerous ways, namely, family, school, and television. Strategically, extreme capitalism has groomed us to become addicted to a constant barrage of products, media, and information. At any moment, we are either consumers of products or products of consumerism, trapped in a perpetual cycle where material possessions define us and are vital to our well-being.
Next, envision a twenty-year-old prized college athlete who was raised in a Christian household devoted to voting Democrat. On the outside, Jeremy Chism’s life-long programming suggests he’s a model citizen. Consequently, his questionable relationship with his pastor and celebrity status as a college football star caused him to do the unthinkable. While celebrating a big win over his cross-town rival with his teammates, Jeremey Chism slipped a roofie (Rohypnol) into an unsuspecting girl’s drink and escorted her to his room. Weakened and lethargic, rendered helpless against his aggressive sexual advances, Mr. Chism forced himself upon Scarlett Rose, raping her until she fell unconscious. A few months passed before Scarlett reported the incident to the authorities. Maybe she was overwhelmed by grief and shame once she realized what happened to her. Unfortunately, it gave Jeremy plenty of time to confess his sins to his wealthy father and revered pastor. Widely known for his adulterous ways with women at church, yet lesser known for his drug habits, together with Jeremey’s father, pastor Jacobs devised an unscrupulous plan to vindicate Jeremy of all charges. Scarlett’s desperate pleas for justice were silenced by the local authorities and university, hushed by sizable donations from Mr. Chism’s politically influential father. I could go on, but we all know how this sad story ends. Institutions (systems) that are supposed to be incorruptible are easily corrupted by power and influence. We see moral accountability vanish at the sight of money often in society, especially in the face of powerful authoritative figures. In either scenario, something none of us can escape, social conditioning infiltrated the minds of Uncle Fester and Jeremy Chism. In Mr. Chism’s case, people he trusted at an early age carelessly uploaded dangerous viruses into his conscious mind, causing him to develop a distorted view of society. By viruses, I mean immorality, unethical behavior: distorted implies an air of invincibility, untouchable, if you will.
Now, let’s flash forward to my original story, shall we. Early on, I tussled mentally over working with a traditional book publisher or self-published publisher. There are pros and cons to both. I’ll clarify their key differences later. During the halfway point of 2020, monumental change started brewing inside of me. I couldn’t describe what I was feeling, but I knew what I felt. Self-belief feels strange when it has been absent from your life for many years. Besides, everyone’s life was in disarray in 2020. There were no exemptions for celebrities, business professionals, or college athletes—and certainly no exceptions for retail workers, homeless people, or single moms. We were all on lockdown due to the Coronavirus, or Covid-19 restrictions. But if there was ever a time for huge change in your life, 2020 was the year. While scrolling on the Internet one afternoon, convinced I was ready to put myself out there as a writer, I stumbled upon an online submissions contest for aspiring writers. I don’t believe this was a coincidence. At the time, I was only focused on what I wanted, nothing else. As it does for all of us, the Universe matched my precise vibrational frequency and presented me with the perfect opportunity: The physical equivalent of what I desired. Some people would call this manifestation, but I say it was the Law of Attraction. Our minds are powerful magnets, capable of pulling anything we desire toward us. Therefore, it’s imperative to be mindful of not only what we are thinking about, especially if it has nothing to do with what we desire, but also our emotional state in that exact moment. If not kept in check, our thoughts and emotions can repel us from our dreams. A subtle shift in awareness around these “casual effects” can be the difference between acquiring what you want or pushing it away. This sounds simple, yet if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Just like surfers, it’s challenging at first to catch the perfect wave (brainwaves in this case); even after years of practice and patience. Nevertheless, when they are in tune with their souls, seemingly at one with the ocean. They glide effortlessly underneath the crest of a curling wave, unfazed by its crushing force, as someone who’s in tune with their soul would be toward their goals. Inevitably, despite our circumstances, we are in control of every outcome in our lives, no one else.
Meanwhile, the online submissions contest that flashed across my computer screen back in 2020 was being promoted by a British traditional book publisher, Austin Macauley. They have offices in London, Cambridge, New York, and Sharjah. At this point, I had not written much, but I was supremely confident in the first poem I ever wrote (“Divisible by 3”). Without hesitation, after a rigorous round of proofreading and editing, I fired off the original version of “Divisible by 3” to Austin Macauley’s New York office. It was a leap of faith moment, as I had been sitting on the idea of becoming a writer since 2016. Roughly four years passed before I had enough courage to pursue my dream, yet almost instantly, while convinced of what I wanted for myself, a solution appeared. Could the Universe have been rewarding me for my previous momentum? Surely, our progress is mostly measured by how quickly we achieve our goals. Though no matter how much time elapses, each step we take toward our dream is stored as momentum. Slow progress is still progress. Immediately, I saw this writing contest as an opportunity to assess the waters and get feedback. If I had what it takes to become a writer, I was sure Austin Macauley would let me know. They took a couple of weeks to respond, yet when they did via email, I learned some key details about submitting literary works to publishers, specifically when submitting book manuscripts. Surprisingly, Austin Macauley informed me that their online submissions contest is primarily for book manuscripts. Maybe I missed this stipulation while skimming their literary submissions guidelines. I remember being really excited at the time. Although they kindly gave me a pass, and skyrocketed my confidence by saying “Divisible by 3” piqued their interest. For all I know, my slight misunderstanding could have been part of their marketing strategy. Disguising a book manuscript program as a writers’ submissions contest is a clever way to scout for new authors. At any rate, they also mentioned wanting to see more of what I could do, but since I only submitted one literary work, due to legal obligations, they could not accept “Divisible by 3” on its own. Moreover, Austin Macauley stated that poetry book manuscripts should be a minimum of thirty works and book manuscripts are no less than thirty thousand words. Other than “Divisible by 3” and a few other works, I hadn’t taken my writing seriously, so reading their manuscript requirements slightly diminished my confidence. Of course, I discovered afterwards their requirements were mild. Depending on a book’s genre, some publishers require manuscripts to be between fifty and one hundred thousand words. That’s quite a difference compared to thirty thousand! My eyes widened at the sight of those numbers. Filled with resolve to finish what I started, I embraced my circumstances and challenged myself to do something I had never done; draft a book manuscript. Even though I ended up enduring heartbreak down the road, leaping at this opportunity was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I don’t regret my decision one bit.
Seemingly a minor hurdle of thirty works, drafting a poetry book manuscript was no small feat. Over a feverish six-month period, I worked tirelessly, creating every poem, short story, and essay found in Heartfelt. Admittedly, before submitting the initial manuscript of Heartfelt to Austin Macauley, I felt a peculiar combination of emotions. Both excitement and fear raced through my veins. I know now if these two emotions are prevalent while making an uncertain decision for our lives, it usually means we are making the right choice. So often, we search for clarity in future decisions, yet while our journey unfolds, we must find comfort in not knowing what the future holds. As I recall, the most defining moment of my author’s journey thus far came when I received a letter in the mail from Austin Macauley. Little did I know inside the envelope would also be an offer for my very first publishing contract. I still get goose bumps remembering how proud I was after reading their acceptance letter. While standing motionless in my kitchen, gently holding the letter in my hands, I read my favorite parts back to myself a few times as uncontrollable tears of joy streamed down my cheeks. Austin Macauley lauded me with compliments and said Heartfelt would be a worthy addition to the genre of poetry. The emotions I felt at the time were almost indescribable. If I had to put them into words, I would say they were a soul-soothing mixture of happiness and elation. I also felt an overwhelming sense of peace from my hard work paying off. Up until this point, I endured many setbacks in my personal life. For various reasons, doors I wanted to stay open were abruptly shut in my face. Most of us have heard the saying, “God opens doors that no man can shut,” but rarely do people express how it feels to have doors they desperately wanted to stay open, close. Perhaps the memory of such sadness or shame is too painful to reveal. As human beings, we struggle with forgiving ourselves or accepting when something is not meant for us. Getting offered a publishing contract showed me how amazing it feels to open our own doors. In fact, by creating our own opportunities, God shows us favor. Now, more than ever, I no longer wonder when things don’t work out as planned. Instead, I have faith in knowing what’s meant for me will always find me, and the doors God shut were closed for my own good.
Without a doubt, deciding on whether to work with a traditional book publisher or self-published publisher was exhausting. Since Austin Macauley had already offered me a publishing contract, they initially had the upper hand. Rather than hastily accept it, the smartest move I made was consulting a good friend with a legal background. I thought it would be prudent to have him review the terms of Austin Macauley’s contract beforehand. He said I received an open-ended hybrid contract, meaning it wasn’t binding. Recently, traditional book publishers started offering hybrid contracts (shared financial responsibility between authors and publishers) to first-time authors. From a business standpoint, hybrid contracts make a lot of sense and have grown rapidly in popularity. They mitigate a traditional publisher’s upfront financial obligations and allow them to extend flexible contracts. Unfortunately, he pointed out a couple of things that weren’t in my best interest, souring my opinion of the deal. For instance, my book royalties were capped at twenty percent, which meant my residual income could be limited. According to what I researched about book royalties from traditional publishers, twenty percent is considered a generous offer; ten to fifteen percent is the norm. Although I still had plenty to learn about book publishing, I couldn’t see myself surrendering eighty percent of my book’s royalties. After all, Heartfelt is my creation. In addition, he said by signing their contract, I would agree to forfeit most of my creative control. Despite being an established publisher, I wasn’t comfortable with granting Austin Macauley autonomous authority over my creative work, either. They would’ve had permission to omit sentences, alter paragraphs, and change my artwork as they see fit. Naturally, this did not sit well with me. As heartbreaking as it was, I knew I had to move on.
Additionally, there are countless self-published publishers, ready and willing to offer their services, I might add. Many of them are cunningly deceptive as well, employing a “bait and switch” sales approach. First, they reel writers in with affordable book packages. Then, when they have them on the hook. They use sales consultants to pressure them into buying their overpriced book marketing services. By stating the pricing for their marketing services is time sensitive, it becomes challenging for ambitious first-time authors to say no! How would someone know what services to reject without any book publishing experience? Saying “no” to a self-published publisher could mean saying “no” to their dream. Rather than helping writers become successful authors, as many of them claim, they mainly focus their efforts on selling their suite of services—useless services, in most cases. Eventually, all self-published publishers begin to look and sound the same. In fact, most of them hand writers enough rope to hang themselves with—sinking their careers into financial quicksand (debt) before they begin. Sadly, something I learned the hard way, finding one you can trust is a dicey proposition. With good intentions, attempting to help me avoid the headache, several family members recommended I use Amazon KDP to self-publish my book; a good friend mentioned Lulu Self-Publishing. Albeit painful to disclose, despite my newfound confidence, I did not believe in myself enough to publish Heartfelt on my own. Presumably a benefit only I could see, I stubbornly wanted the independence that comes with being a self-published author and the support of a traditional publisher. Call it fearfulness or foolishness, but it was necessary for me to have these two features—more important than realizing my own potential. When I settled on Writers Republic, a self-published publisher out of New Jersey, I assumed I had found the best of both worlds. Another important lesson I eventually learned in business; it’s never a good idea to assume anything.
Competitive team sports, whether as an athlete or fan, have always been a huge part of my life, so partnering with Writers Republic made complete sense. Besides, I desperately wanted to know what it felt like to be a part of a winning culture again. After a few encouraging discussions with members of Writers Republic’s sales team, I thought I was on the verge of reclaiming my competitive edge by joining a winning organization that’s committed to success. Of course, like most relationships, romantic or otherwise, our business relationship started off promising. Most alluring was the benefit of having complete creative control over my creative work, but being able to keep one hundred percent of my book royalties was rather enticing as well. Later I would learn that one hundred percent of my book’s royalties came with a brutal 80/20 split—comparable to a vicious uppercut from a young Mike Tyson. Eighty percent of my book royalties hinged on direct distribution, while twenty percent was linked to indirect distribution. For example, any book purchased directly from my author’s bookshop on Writers Republic’s website would net me eighty percent in book royalties. All books purchased indirectly (Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, Books-A-million, etc.) would give me twenty percent of my book’s royalties. Indirect distribution also comes with greater processing fees, leaving me with twenty percent of what’s left over. Via social conditioning, people are programmed to buy books exclusively from online retailers like Amazon or Barnes & Nobel. Their lead times are nearly impossible to compete with, too. On average, customers can receive a print-on-demand book from Amazon or Barnes & Nobel within 3-5 business days or less. Writers Republic, by comparison, takes a minimum of two weeks to deliver one print-on-demand book. I wasn’t privy to these caveats before signing my publishing contract, but I’m certain Writers Republic was more than aware. Surely, this was not what I envisioned, yet most of my book sales were destined to come from indirect distribution. Why would anyone buy Heartfelt from Writers Republic when they can get it from Amazon or Barnes & Nobel in a few days? Not to mention, due to brand loyalty and a decorated history of excellent customer service, Amazon and Barnes & Nobel have long since established trust with their customers. Writers Republic, on the other hand, has not. I’ve never been one who cares too much for surprises, and this would be the beginning of a surprisingly unpleasant publishing experience with Writers Republic.
If you’ve stuck around to this point of my story, then you have a good idea of what happens next. America is the land of opportunity; a playground for deceitful people who sell dreams. By no means is dream selling an illegal marketing strategy, yet the publishing industry is in desperate need of reform. It lacks practical measures to prohibit deceptive marketing strategies from harming people financially. Without policies in place to curtail publishing companies from offering predatory services associated with dream selling, I fear many more up-and-coming authors will be harmed financially in the future. Clearly, the publishing industry, specifically self-publishing, lacks a defined moral code of ethics. Speaking of morality, something I didn’t foresee, many of the people who work for Writers Republic are untrustworthy. I know what you might be thinking: he’s spiritually awakened. He can see the unequivocal truth. He should be able to see through all forms of deception. Even though my intuition was heightened, and my chakras were aligned, I’ve always been a trusting person who can be naïve at times. Plus, I sincerely believed Writers Republic’s recommendations were going to aid my young writing career, not stymie it. I also didn’t want to do anything that would jeopardize my dream. To a fault, I’ve let doubt and fear best me more times than not throughout my life. It sounds crazy, but I was determined not to let that happen again. So, regardless of my intuition’s warnings, I said “yes” to nearly every service Writers Republic offered. Sure, getting sold a dream hurts, yet not nearly as much as being played for a fool. Most people would argue they are one in the same. Watching the weeks and months pass without any book sales was worrisome. I bought an expensive website, supposedly paid for national press releases, and made a pointless appearance on The Morning Blend, Las Vegas, which wasn’t cheap. I even took Writers Republic’s advice and added search engine optimization (SEO) and social media marketing (SMM) to enhance my online presence. Outside of my own efforts, none of these book marketing strategies were effective. I was frustrated as to why nothing I paid thousands of dollars for was working. Once a year blew by, I started inquiring about why my author’s bookshop isn’t remotely profitable. Those confident salespeople who filled my head with hopes and dreams of becoming a successful author suddenly began dodging my phone calls. Replies to my emails dried up quickly, too. One day after another uneventful afternoon of being intentionally avoided, I came to the painful realization that Writers Republic is nothing more than a circus filled with clowns and scam artists. Even today, they have not helped me sell one book. I have the receipts to prove it! More specifically, they couldn’t offer me any answers or suggestions about why my book wasn’t selling because providing me with useless services was part of their plan all along. How else are petty thieves supposed to steal money from people? If I had already been an established author, possibly some of their services would have worked. A few bestselling books under my belt, brand recognition, and a burgeoning social media presence would have gone a long way. But I wasn’t a known author! I was a first-time author, so nobody knew who I was. For a while, I couldn’t shake the anger that encompassed my grief. Being the primary reason for my despair tormented me day and night, singeing my soul. I wore it like an anchor strapped to my ankle, plunging me into intervals of shame. I had completely lost my way. I was in a dark place, forgetting about the spiritual path I was on. My chakras were out of alignment, I rarely meditated, and I spent months emitting low vibrational emotions. All of which I was broadcasting to the Universe, so it’s no wonder why I kept getting more of the same. Interestingly, the Universe wants to bless us abundantly, yet it primarily responds to our dominating thoughts and vibrational frequency. If sadness, shame, and anger dominate our thoughts, then the Universe will bend to our will and create uncomfortable situations for us to feel low vibrational emotions. Remembering how centric the Law of Attraction is to our lives can help pull us out of dark places mentally. In other words, recognizing that we can be the reason for our misery, and taking personal responsibility to overcome our mental demons is true power. Everyone has something difficult to deal with in life, but the decisions we make, how we handle our adversity, ultimately determine our future. Although I understood the Law of Attraction deeply, I kept kicking myself while I was down. I knew I could have made better choices and listened to my intuition. Instead, I felt like I had let everyone I love down, including myself. Truly, I had reached one of the lowest points in my life.
Lastly, many successful entrepreneurs have said the best lessons in business are the hardest ones: painful teachers on the unpaved road to success. It’s one thing to read or hear this wisdom, yet something else entirely to have lived it. The reason our hardest lessons become our greatest teachers is because they are unlikely to be forgotten or repeated. It’s the easiest way to learn from our mistakes. In my case, I didn’t get taken advantage of financially for being a foolishly trusting person. I simply made the mistake of trusting the wrong people with my dream. It’s a common mistake made by people who are ambitious. Since then, my hard lesson taught me to always trust my intuition and never ignore it under any circumstances. In the end, I have a big heart, so I’ll continue to trust people, but only those who’ll protect my dreams, not ones who seek to profit from them.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life comes with a fair number of challenges and obstacles. However, a life without any obstacles to overcome is not worth living. Actually, it wouldn’t be a life at all. It’s important for human beings to struggle, particularly en route to their dreams. The hardships are what make accomplishing our goals all the more gratifying. In the end, our greatest rewards have less to do with our accolades and more to do with the person we become along the way. Winners don’t stand atop a Mount Rushmore of achievements without becoming the reason for their success. Therefore, a person who has been battle-tested in life can accomplish great things.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Poet-Author
Exceptional storyteller
Works published: Heartfelt, “Truth Serum” (The Unsealed writing community), “Lotus Flower” (Unseal Change: Poems That Encourage Us To Better the World), “Sum of One” (Gambhira: The Path to Enlightenment)
Open Mic Poetry (Poetry With Purpose) (Write Minded Poets)
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
For the most part, people define success by wealth and material possessions. However, success should be measured by more than just its “side effects.” We all know that luxurious homes, fancy cars, and a lavish lifestyle are the sweet nectar of success. I’m sure having a few bank accounts that look like financial freedom feels good, too. What if the end result of success had more to do with our journey as human beings and everything else in between was a byproduct? I’m certain this concept is hard for most people to grasp but bear with me. Furthermore, if our destination in pursuit of our dreams concluded with reaching our full potential as human beings, would we then need to redefine the meaning of success? Maybe all that glitters really isn’t gold after all. Maybe being rich shouldn’t be on anyone’s bucket list. Perhaps the only thing required for us to become successful in life is to reach our highest potential. Through our growth, achieving this onerous feat could indirectly lead to us having the life of our dreams.
Pricing:
- Hardback copy of Heartfelt: $33.99
- Paperback copy of Heartfelt: $20.99
- Audiobook edition of Heartfelt: $14.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.antoniorobinsonsbooks.com / www.writersrepublic.com/bookshop/heartfelt
- Instagram: bazerks_2nd_life / poet_author_antonio_robinson
- Facebook: Antonio Robinson / Antonio De’mon Robinson
- LinkedIn: Antonio De’mon Robinson
- Twitter: Poet-Author Antonio De’mon Robinson/@MeBazerk
- Youtube: Antonio De’mon Robinson/@ProdigyPoet
Image Credits
Antonio De’mon Robinson
