Today is the official birthday of Money: A Love Story, Untangle Your Financial Woes and Create the Life You Really Want.

She’s a Virgo. She’s a she (of course.)

I decided that the best way to celebrate launch day would be to tell you the story of how this book came to be.

The process of getting her into the world began in May of 2011. It all began with me speaking at the Reveal Conference.

The day before the Reveal Conference I flew from Phoenix to New York City. Before I got on the plane I had to run to the bathroom to throw up. I could barely kiss Mike goodbye before having to make a run for it.

I proceeded to spend just about the entire flight sitting on the floor of the airplane bathroom alternating between praying and throwing up.

By the time the flight landed I was barely conscious and had to be met by a wheelchair to take me through the airport. (Note: Turns out if you’re in a wheelchair you don’t have to wait in the cab line at JFK. They take you right to the front!)

After 14 hours of sleep I woke up a little wobbly. But I wasn’t going to miss Reveal and I certainly wasn’t going to let the mistress of ceremonies, Meggan Watterson, down.

So off I went. I taught a workshop entitled Women & Wealth. My friend Patty Gift came and sat right next to me as I spoke to a circle of women. The energy was sizzling. I remember looking up and seeing my friend Marie Forleo’s face beaming love and “you’re rocking it!” at me from across the circle.

I’d intended to plan my whole talk on the plane but given that I was practically comatose, I never had a chance to prepare. Sometimes winging it works out.

That workshop at Reveal remains one of the most amazing speaking experiences I’ve had so far. I felt tuned in to every woman in the circle. I felt electric. I felt transcendent.

A few days later in Toronto, Reid Tracy, the CEO of Hay House, took me aside at a cocktail party and asked me for my book.

“What book?” I replied.

In that moment I realized Patty, the head editor at the New York City Hay House office, came to my workshop as a friend AND an editor. I found the whole thing quite shocking.

I’m pretty sure my body knew what was going to unfold as I flew from Phoenix to NYC and tossed my cookies repeatedly. It knew that, once again, it was time to take things up a notch. And apparently I had some stuff to “release” in order to be cleansed and ready to do that.

I didn’t actually submit a proposal to Reid until September of 2011, about 4 months later. Then I dragged my feet signing the contract for several more months. By the time we had a signed contract it was 11 months later, April of 2012.

The truth is, I was scared.

I’d written two chapters in February of 2012 but it wasn’t until I had a deadline looming that I finally sat down and wrote the book in June. I woke up every morning that month, made my smoothie and tea, closed the door to my office, lit a candle, and said a prayer that what came through me that day was exactly what people needed to hear.

This book was an idea in May of 2011 that took two years and nearly four months to manifest.

It required quite a bit of acting in spite of fear (which I’m still doing as this puppy launches to the world this week.) It required asking for more help than it felt comfortable to ask for. It required just sitting down and doing it. Over and over and over and over again.

So, on my book baby’s birthday, I wanted to remind you that sometimes the best stuff takes a while. Most of the time the process is messy. (This one certainly has been.)

Anything worth doing requires feeling scared and then doing it anyway. (Tweet it.)

Ultimately, it’s all worth it. This book is out there today. People are reading it and it’s helping them. And that’s what it’s all about.

Happy birthday Money: A Love Story. I’m a very proud mamma.

P.S. As part of the launch I interviewed over 50 of my amazing friends about their Money Love Stories. What started as part of my marketing plan became an incredibly eye and heart-opening project unto itself.

You won’t want to miss these stories. Click HERE to hear the Money Love Stories of Nick Ortner, Bari Tessler, Barbara Stanny, Dina Manzo, Jen Groover, Regena Thomashauer, and more.