Wakeup The Intro

I need to get a few things out of the way, right off the bat. I am not a Doctor. Although I have been tagged with several "Doctor" nicknames, I am just a humble Mr. In fact, when somebody calls out "Mr Yende", I look around for my dad. Because for me, I am Just Linda.

I am, by no means, a relationship expert (whatever that might be). I have no formal qualifications in that arena. Nor have I dug up references from big name psychologists and people with Phd's. All I have done with this book is shoot from the hip. All I have done, is speak from the heart.

But, I think I have jumped the gun. Let me go back to the beginning.... A friend of mine had a HUGE argument with his then mother in law. She came to his house, to try and resolve the problems that he was having with his wife, Her daughter. He got very angry and told her he refuses to accept relationship advice from a divorcee. After all, if she couldn't save her own marriage, why does she think she can save his? If you feel that way as well, then maybe this book is not for you. Because I am also coming from a failed marriage. I am candid about it. It is no big secret.

However, I am of the opinion that;

1. People can learn from my experience. My mistakes and past foolishness have cost me dearly, but have subsequently left me a wiser man.
2. It often helps to get fresh perspective from an outside source. Many times, I have found that the advice I give is nothing new, revolutionary or mind blowing. But when you get the advice at the RIGHT time, it all makes sense.

This book was not conceived in the conventional way (if there are conventional methods of book conception). It didn't start out as a book at all. I just found myself, somehow becoming an agony uncle to my numerous female friends. And more and more I realised that they were all, at some point or another, coming to me with very similar (if not identical) problems.
Relationships are never easy. But every so often, you talk to a neutral objective person and they give you a bit of a paradigm shift on your problem. At that point, I was that person, giving the same advise 2-3 times per week. And all the people would walk away much better for the advice. So, I wrote the advice down, because, honestly, it had come to me as second nature. But the effect it had on my friends amazed me. It was like I had shared with them the wisdom of Solomon. So I thought, "Hey...this was apparently very profound. I must write it down so I can remember to say it again in future."
And I started doing that regularly. Whenever I gave out any advice to anybody, I would note it down somewhere. And that is how my first note, was born. I shared this note with friends, thinking "How many friends out there have the same problems, but have never had the courage to ask for advice?"
Nothing could have prepared me for the overwhelming response! That first Sunday AND the following Monday, I did nothing but field follow up questions, thank people for the compliments and e-mail copies of that first note to friends. That told me I was on to something big. The rest of that week, I was still getting compliments, words of appreciation and follow up questions from the first note. By the next Sunday, the second note had come out. Then a third note a week later and ten more over the next ten weeks. By then, this was a clearly a book that we were dealing with.

So, finally, here it is; "Wake Up! Woman!" This book is nothing more than my take on situations. My brotherly advice. My wisdom, such as it is. There are things in this book that you will not want to hear. There are things that may open wounds for you, in your heart. And there are things that will force you to come face to face with some realities that you have been trying to suppress. There will certainly be things that you strongly disagree with. The point is, this book is trying to shake you up and make you realise some things that everyone around you can see, that only YOU refuse to see. You have all been there. We have all been friends to somebody in an awful relationship, an abusive situation, a self destructive cycle. And somehow, THEY refuse to see this.

You wish you could grab them by the shoulders and scream..........

"Wake Up! Woman!"