I was given a book five years ago. A bright red book. A bold book. A wonderful book. An inspiring book. A scary book. A book that threw down a gauntlet.

where will you be five years from today? (compendium, inc. 2009)

Where Will You Be Five Years from Today?  

I found myself inspired and challenged by the book’s content, its questions, its statements: “Over the next five years, what do you really want to do? What do you really want to have? What do you really want to be? Where do you really want to go?”

Five years ago I’d just been laid off, I didn’t know what was coming next, I had no idea what I really wanted or what I really wanted to be. This book seemed to be taunting me…And the not knowing was terrifying.

The not knowing became my constant companion over the next five years, and slowly turned into I’m just going to try this…turned into Let’s just see what happens…turned into What if?…turned into Why not?

I launched drydenbks LLC, my children’s editorial and publishing consultancy firm, five years ago this week. I can’t quite fathom that five years have come and gone already. And I can’t quite fathom how busy I’ve been and how busy I am, all in the most rewarding ways possible and all with the support and inspiration of colleagues, clients, friends, and family, for which I am sincerely grateful.

I’m thrilled to have found some answers to those daunting, taunting questions that bright red book posed five years ago. So what does this mean? This means, of course, that I need to read the book all over again! Where will I be five years from today? I don’t know. Five years ago I set off on a journey into an unknown, the not knowing my traveling companion. The not knowing that has now turned into…What’s next?


In honor of drydenbks’ five year anniversary, I’ve been interviewed by the talented author, Joanna Marple on her blog, “Miss Marple’s Musings.” Responding to Joanna’s thoughtful questions made me realize the power and truth behind one of the statements in Where Will You Be Five Years from Today?: “If you don’t have a dream, how can you have a dream come true?”  Please read that interview here.