A New Memoir, "A World of Good" By Abed Ereikat Unveils One Man’s Journey From The Holy Land To The Land Of Opportunity

As a child, Abed Ereikat had the privilege of being amongst a people group who, despite being under subjection, chose kindness, chose gratefulness and chose happiness. Like green pastures scorched by the desert heat, Abed says that our lives can either leave us brittle and decimated by obstacles, trials, and oppression, or like olive trees, we can dare to thrive in the driest of seasons and most rugged terrain until behold, the fruit begins to bud. The seeds of courage, faith, perseverance, and love have the power, if we let them, to take root, sprout and become a permanent fixture that bears ornamental fruits in a dry place.

For Abed, faith, hope, love, peace, and their respective sayings are not empty rhetoric, which they have become for many of us, but they are truths that he seeks to live his life by. By no merit of his own, Abed has been blessed to have these principles instilled in him as a youth. His life has not only been touched by them but completely immersed in them. His parents, family, and culture have all invested jewels of wisdom that are of invaluable worth to Abed. With humble hope, Abed remains confident that he is only beginning to see the benefits of their investment.

With this backdrop, Abed eagerly shares his story. It is one of humble beginnings with a genesis proceeding from a small house on a hill in a remote village in Palestine — a country with a tense history. It starts there and somehow meanders to where Abed writes from a tourist destination in America, overseeing a luxurious resort’s many affairs. Abed is aware that he has run the risk of sounding like a brag. But that is the exact opposite of his intentions. He says all this is grounded in the humble truth that if he can do it, certainly anyone can do it too!

And that is Abed’s hope in sharing his story — that you, as the reader, may be able to see the power of a mindset. The values and principles that his life has been hinged upon are not secrets left for an elite few. They are for an entire generation to rise up, apply them, and benefit the world — for a life worth living and a world worth living in.

What does your memoir, A World of Good, mean to you?

Abed: It’s like my firstborn as I put my heart and soul into it, it’s my legacy and I hope this book can help generations to come.

What do you hope the impact of this book makes on other people’s lives?

Abed: That anything in life is possible if you put your mind to it, if you can dream it, you sure can achieve it.

Was it challenging to share your own story? If so, how did you get through those moments?

Abed: It was very challenging to share my victories and failures, my happy days and sad days, but the only way to be authentic is by being vulnerable and being you. Each word and each sentence is the truth and who I am.

What other writing projects are you involved with and exciting about?

Abed: I’m planning my next book about leadership, diversity, inclusion, and hope. Next year I will be able to start it. Meanwhile, I wanted to take my story to the world and do public speaking in colleges, schools, churches, etc. I want to go out and tell my story in an effort to pay it forward in this country,

What went into your decision when choosing your publishing company?

Abed: I wanted to look for a publisher who gets it and understands how to share my story without adding anything or adjusting the truth, I wanted someone who lets me be me and share my story and truth as it happened.

What else would you like our readers to know about you and the work that you do?

Abed: As I mentioned in my book, I came to this country with $55 dollar cash, two T-shirts, and a pair of jeans, but I did have a big dream, the will, and the passion to achieve it. I joined my first Hotel job applying for a Front Desk job and the front office manager said during my interview, sorry but your English is terrible. I assured him that if he gives me a chance I won’t let him down. He gave me a bellman /doorman part-time position due to my sincerity and I started.

I learned English from the leftover USA TODAY newspapers that housekeeping disposed of after guests checked out. I sat in the break room and learned English. Fast track to today, I run one of the largest resorts in the Orlando area.