The book was written by Melanie Santostefano and describes six pillars that guide her through life. She hopes that others will find their own inspiration as well.
Courtesy of St. Steven Public Relations
Melanie Santostefano, a businesswoman and resident of a northwest suburb, recently published her first book, Thoughts Become Things: Six Pillars to Guide You Through Life. The book was inspired by people around Melanie who taught her valuable lessons, as well as real and sometimes hard experiences that showed her what would become her six pillars: faith, forgiveness, gratitude, determination, honor and humility.
In this self-empowerment biographical book, Melanie recalls severe adversity that began during her high school years amid her parents’ tumultuous divorce. Further tests to her own happiness and stability came when her mother remarried a few years later and returned to her native Ireland when Melanie was 21.
“In ‘Thoughts Become Things,’ I share very personal things that I have experienced in my life in the hopes that others can see that we all have challenges that sometimes seem insurmountable and can threaten who we think we are and who we want to become,” Santostefano said. “Looking back, I now see how lucky I was to have these people I write about in my life — through the good times and the bad — because they have all given me great gifts and blessings that have helped me become who I am today.”
The book profiles eight people and their influence on Melanie’s life. Seven of them are no longer alive and are mentioned in the first five chapters (in order: Honor, Humility, Gratitude, Determination and Faith). The sixth chapter, entitled “Forgiveness”, describes how Melanie finally came to terms with, accepted and forgave her mother after 13 extremely difficult years.
Melanie hopes that readers of the book will use the six pillars she emulated for themselves or be motivated to develop their own – to live a more positive and focused life – and make their hopes and dreams a reality. She also hopes that readers can learn how to use the power of their thoughts to empower themselves in any situation, even in times when it’s hard to see the way forward.
Available for keynotes, retreats and workshops, Melanie offers listeners inspiration and positivity through the people and stories behind her six pillars – and reinforces her strong belief that our thoughts can and do become things. For inquiries, email [email protected].
For more information about Thoughts Become Things, visit ststevenpr.com/thoughts-become-things. At the end of the book is a workbook where the reader can record their journey and track their progress in implementing their positive thoughts.
Five dollars for each book sold will be donated to Journeys | The Road Home, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency that provides shelter, services, and housing to people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness in suburban Cook County, Illinois. For more information about this great organization, visit journeystheroadhome.org.
Melanie is the founder and president of two companies: the marketing communications firm Vicarious Multimedia, which she started in 2004 after a career in news media, and St. Steven Public Relations, a firm that focuses on public relations, public information and crisis communications. She lives in the Northwest suburbs with her 15-year-old son, who is her pride and joy.
