Are you just surviving the day? Month? Year?

Entering the new territory of your 20s, 30s or beyond?

In this book, author Kelly L. Knowles explains how you can go from surviving to thriving! If you are in a new season of life or expecting to be, you’re in for a treat with this book! You will find tips and ideas that make sense, funny stories, and inspiration that will lead you to the action you need to move forward into your purpose.

A life beyond just surviving to a full life that is thriving!!

As I drove down Bell Road in Nashville, Tennessee, with my mother in the passenger seat next to me, an enlightenment moment occurred. What happened? My mother reached over towards my face, and out of the bottom of my chin, she grasped and conquered – the horror of it all – the longest, darkest, toughest, grossest chin hair.

I was so shaken I didn’t know if I could drive.

I was overcome.

I was … enlightened.

How could this have happened? What evil had fallen upon me?

Then, another thick devil started showing up on my upper lip (okay, fine, maybe it was already there, and I’d tried various despicable over-the-counter lotions and creams that burned like fire to lighten or get rid of it). Others appeared on my neck. My toes. And places too unmentionable for me to even write.

What was this monstrosity that affected my youthful dewy skin? Yikes! It echoed the times of my younger brother teasing my teenage self by saying, “You have a mustache!” No-o-o-o-o-o-o. I had already been fighting the facial hair battle. And now all this?

I had questions. You might have some, as well. Here were some of mine:

• Why didn’t anyone tell me this was going to happen to my body?
• Why don’t women talk about this, so we can commiserate?
• Where’s the sisterhood when we need it?

I mean, seriously, all of this suffering! Should I have already learned a strategy to help me with this and also help others?

After a couple of years of silence with my trusty tweezers (and more of those god-forsaken creams), I got brave. I mentioned it to a close friend.
Her eyes widened. “You too?” she exclaimed.

There is mercy, and her name is … Well, I will protect the innocent. I was redeemed – no – exuberant. I was still a woman!

A few years later, another friend said, “Wait until it’s growing on your nipples.”

That was that. I died a little inside.

But I got a bit braver. I began to bring up chin (and other areas of the body) hairs into conversation with others, with some hesitancy and often in the form of a joke. My mom shared her experience as well (in more detail than I wanted, by the way – God love her).

My point – you are not alone.

Be encouraged. Allow yourself to grow. (But, let’s just not encourage those pesky chin (and other) hairs to grow. That is, unless, of course, you’ve embraced them as part of your identity. Peace to you.)

Kelly L. Knowles was born in the Midwest and grew up in East Tennessee. She was an opinionated, verbose child (okay, still is the first two) who wanted to learn, figure it out for herself, and be successful. If you asked her at 10 years old what she wanted to be, she would have said, “A corporate lawyer and the first woman president.” While not a lawyer, she works in a large law firm training lawyers and staff on technical and professional topics. She has abandoned any interest in being president.

Kelly was educated at Middle Tennessee State University where she earned a BBS and an MBA. One day she wants to get a PhD from Vanderbilt University – just to say she did it. She does not remember the name of the high school counselor who told her she was “not smart enough for college.” That’s probably for the best.

Kelly has written her eulogy (her husband understands when she does things like this, thankfully) and at the end of the day, aspires that all will know their purpose in this crazy life. And if you get to heaven after her, be prepared to stand in line to meet your Maker. She loves God, but she has a lot of questions. You might be waiting a bit.

Kelly resides in Middle Tennessee with her husband, Kevin Bess, along with, at the date of this writing, a 9-plus-year-old goldfish who came home from a carnival with the grandkids and was “entrusted for safekeeping” to them.

To learn more about Kelly or to contact her, please go to her website, www.kellyknowles.net, or send her an email at chinhairsbook@kellyknowles.net.