By Karen Fernau
GCU News Bureau
Alfreta Sailor has spent a lifetime dishing out advice.
“It’s been my gift. I’ve been called a mother of all and accused of giving good advice,” said Sailor, a 69-year-old online student at Grand Canyon University.
“We all have gifts, and mine is giving advice.”
In 2013, Sailor turned her knack for encouraging people to live happier, more productive lives into “Seasons Change, So Can You,” a 173-page book of motivational essays. It is available at alfretasailor.com, amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.
Sailor, a retired owner of a same-day courier service in Southern California, draws her wisdom from her experiences as an entrepreneur, mother of five, grandmother of six and friend to too many to count.
Her inspirational essays, first printed in HubPages.com, cover a wide range of topics, from accepting physical flaws, taking care of aging parents to the importance of saying thank you.
The book, self-published by LifeRich Publishing, also examines jealousy, insecurity and pride. Each essay shares concrete steps for positive change.
“I give practical advice on how to look inward and make life-changing transformations,” she said.
Sailor also knows how to take advice. She listened when her daughter-in-law Kassie Sailor, a GCU counselor, suggested taking online courses at the private Christian university in Phoenix.
“My mother-in-law was always saying that she was expected to be the first one to graduate from college. I knew a degree was still important to her, so encouraged her to try a few classes,” Kassie said.
Although Sailor had dabbled in junior college, occasionally taking courses in business and auto mechanics, she was always too busy to be enrolled as a full-time student.
“It was always on my bucket list to go to college, and now I am,” said the Los Angeles resident.
This fall, she began taking GCU online business classes and has been surprised at how much she enjoys the coursework.
Her advice to self: graduate with her degree in Business Entrepreneurship.
“I have a tendency to start and stop projects, but I am going to finish this time,” she said.
Contact Karen Fernau at (602) 639-8344 or [email protected].
