Why Do I Do It? Because This Is My Life’s Work

By Zibby Owens


I *believe* in what I do.

I’m driven by a sense of mission and purpose that fuels every minute of every day.

While the official mission of Zibby Owens Media is “to help people live their best lives by connecting to books and each other,” my underlying objective is to celebrate books and uplift authors, to draw attention to shadowed stories, and create a sense of relevance and excitement around the oldest pastime there is.

I feel this sense of urgency to lift up books and say, “Look!” because I know how long the journey was for many authors who invested their own time and mind to doing it.

Creating things isn’t easy. It isn’t the de facto, obvious choice. It takes perseverance, talent, and trust that the consumer of the end product will engage in the conversation, respectfully. Not always the case.

I’ve sacrificed a lot to achieve this goal, one I find urgent and imperative. I don’t really see my girlfriends anymore; one walk a month, maybe. I don’t go out for dinner when I have the kids or get dressed up for summer dinner parties anymore (although, come to think of it, I haven’t been invited to any).

My time with my husband has been truncated. I’m often stressed. When I’m not working on days I have the kids, I’m *with* the kids. Full stop. I’m in the backyard teaching them to ride bikes until the fireflies come out.

I don’t work out regularly like I used to. I don’t play in the local tennis clinic, although I try to play once a week with a close friend, Kyle, and my son. I haven’t sat on the beach once. Occasionally, I even get a car to drive me long distances so I can read.

Like many of us, I’ve prioritized work. I’m lucky enough that I don’t *need* to do it financially to support my family. But I do *need* to do it. It feels like a calling. One I hope others support or, at least, understand.

I’m trying to leave the world better than I found it. I might not be able to, but I feel compelled to try. Sometimes it feels very lonely, this road. Sometimes I wonder why I just can’t just kick it. But that isn’t how I’m wired.

It’s a lot. It requires a lot from my loved ones. But I hope, in the end, it matters.

This is my life’s work. And I love it.

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Stepping Out of My Sweatpants and Back Into the World

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Remembering the Parts of My Parents I Miss the Most