You would think coming up with a few words as a tagline to include in an autograph would be simple, right? Especially since I had just finished writing a 50,000-word book called God Gave Us Wings—now, all I needed was a few special handwritten words to inspire the reader.

So, what was the issue?

For months, I struggled with the right words, but nothing ever stuck. It always felt empty and meaningless…until one day, I met a young lady who inspired me beyond words.

On March 18, 2017, while staying at the Chumash Casino Resort, Santa Ynez, CA, to attend the Wicked Wine Run hosted by a friend, I decided to treat myself the day before to a massage. My masseuse was a 21-year-old young woman who listened intently to me sharing some of the stories in the book as she was giving me a massage. I ended my storytelling by saying everyone has a story, including her.

She slowly began to open up, sharing her story frame-by-frame starting at age 13, when she became an alcoholic. Moreover, she revealed how over the next five years, her single mother would spend every dime she made paying for rehab and trying to save her wayward child, but nothing worked. However, one night was different.

This young girl, at 18, had gone out drinking with her friends and came home in a drunken stupor, void of any feelings, like she had many times before…until this time. She came to her mother’s bedroom door and felt extreme guilt for the first time. She went to her own room and fell to her knees, praying to a God she barely knew and began pleading for help. Her prayer was answered because she has not had a drop of alcohol since that day and shortly afterward enrolled in school to become a licensed masseuse.

So, what does this have to do with me finding a few words to include in my autograph, besides everything? This beautiful young lady asked me if I would autograph my business card for her, and all I could think of writing was, now it was her time to fly! Once I returned home, I shared this inspirational story with my friend, and she said, “Sounds like you have your tagline!”

Today, all my books include the message, “Now, it’s your time to fly!”—all because a young lady dared to kneel to find her wings.