Writing Innamorata

After a certain birthday, I was feeling extra appreciative of my life, realizing I was in a very happy place and couldn’t ask for anything more. 

I began to reflect a bit, thinking about all the roads that led to getting here. So much of the journey wasn’t pretty; many hurdles and stumbling blocks presented themselves. Some unexpected, some of my own making. Regardless, I owned whatever situation I found myself in and made decisions to incorporate positive change. Sometimes those decisions worked out and sometimes not. One of the themes of Innamorata is that life is full of ups and downs, life throws curves at us that we didn’t plan for.

At some point we’ll all inevitably find ourselves at a crossroad and that’s when we must decide to either sit there in an unsettling place, play the blame game, or take control and make positive changes. Nobody else is responsible for our life, our happiness; it’s completely up to us.

Also, to know that mistakes are ok (we all make them), so long as we accept them, analyze them and learn what not to repeat. I’ve learned that owning our mistakes, poor choices and/or bad judgement is empowering. It’s always easier to blame misfortune on somebody else, but owning our poor decisions, bad choices and judgement is empowering because it allows us to take control of situations, redirect ourselves and learn to grow. And what could be more inspirational than learning to take charge of your own life?  

It was clear to me that most of the valuable lessons in life I acquired stemmed from a relationship I was in, from being in love or just loving someone. As I reference in Innamorata, nobody has made more mistakes than I have, but embracing them and taking responsibility for them enabled me to learn, develop and grow, both personally and professionally.

I became more proficient in turning negativity into positive redirections, and did so in a more confident and self assured manner. My motivation for writing Innamorata was to inspire others to view the negativities in their life a bit more objectively, own their situations and what role they played in them and to take the reigns of their lives in a way they may not have previously.    

My professional life led me to Human Resources and thus required me to train and develop employees, something I reveled in. Rather than standing behind a podium preaching, I found it more comfortable to tell a story, relevant to the subject matter. Having come up the ranks from the very bottom, I often found myself sharing stories of my own blunders and how they helped me, to show what areas I needed to work on.  That method proved to have a more comprehensive and encouraging impact.  

Although Innamorata is a story full of heartbreak, tears and loss, it’s also an optimistic story, filled with lots of laughs, adventures and fortunate experiences.  I’ve always said that if you can laugh, you can get through anything. Some of my poorest days were my happiest days. You can’t appreciate success in life if you never experienced hardship.  Realizing your dreams, whatever they may be are all the more fulfilling after you’ve fallen a few times and rather than cry over the bruises, use them in a constructive way to move forward.

Believe in yourself and the magic will happen.  I do and it has. Words to live by.

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Contessa attributes her success to strong faith, determination and desire to reach her goals. She views mistakes as an integral part of the learning process and necessary for personal growth and development. Contessa studied at the Notre Dame School for Girls in Chicago, Illinois and total quality management under Dr. Donald Rice at Texas A&M University in 1994. She has also completed courses at the American Institute of Banking, American Management Association and Screenwriters Institute of Los Angeles. She is a member of the Writer’s Guild of America West and is the founder and creator of the Louis J. DeMarco Educational Foundation.

INNAMORATA (IN LOVE), Contessa

In Italian, innamorata translates to being in love. Who would dispute love being the most controversial, rewarding, gut wrenching, fulfilling, powerful emotion on the planet? Love has been described as a two way street that’s constantly under construction. A constant battle of head versus heart, my needs over yours, and more exercises in flexibility than hot yoga can teach.

Let’s face it, love and relationships are among the hardest things we deal with. No matter how or why we fall in love, we hope to be encouraged, inspired, stimulated and positively influenced. If the relationship works out, great. But if it goes south, does that necessarily mean it was a failure? When love goes wrong, can we view it as a positive thing, a tool to put us on a forward, constructive path?

Innamorata highlights valuable life lessons learned by a limited, unworldly but determined young girl, as we follow her journey to a more enriched life. We share her relationships and how they propelled her to keep going forward, as well as channeling their outcomes to a progressive road of personal and professional success. The consummate example of turning the bitterness of hardships in life into the sweetness of realizing your dreams, Innamorata is a story of emotional struggle, heartbreak, empowerment, independence, relentless perseverance, being true to and believing in oneself, embracing hardships and finding lessons in life in the least expected places.

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Category: Contemporary Women Writers, How To and Tips