What was your childhood dream and what are you doing now? Are you satisfied?
I wanted to be a teacher. In fact while in kindergarten, my mom was called into a meeting with the teacher because I was “instructing” the kids in the class on how to improve the teacher’s directions! I spent most of my professional career teaching, coaching or facilitating. I’m appreciative of the opportunity to live my life’s purpose. My book is another vehicle to connect and share ideas and insights.
What hobby do you miss most from your childhood? Why?
Not missing any. As a child and teenager, I danced, swam, played tennis and rode my bike everywhere. Fortunately I’m still playing tennis, doing Zumba and riding trails with my husband.
What was your biggest dream as a child? Did it ever come true?
To teach, find a cure for certain viruses, find my birth mother, be a successful independent woman and make a difference in the world.
It’s taken a lifetime, and most have come true. I Didn’t find a cure for AIDS, but worked for the company that had the first diagnostic test so we could protect the blood supply. That was a very rewarding experience for sure! I married my best friend which wasn’t a childhood dream. Yet it’s been the foundation for many life accomplishments.
How can understanding yourself pave the way to self-acceptance and better relationship with others?
How much time do we have??? Being able to treat people with loving kindness, compassion and respect begins with self-acceptance snd self-approval. When we live in victim hood, we function out of fear and see the world as an us or them situation. Removing the sense of other and seeing the oneness of all
Things is a spirit practice I cherish and aspire to in every moment.
How much time did you spend researching while writing your book, Finding the Missing Peace?
I spent about 3 months researching how to write and publish a book. I spoke with authors, editors and publishers to gain an understanding of what I was signing up for! As the book is a memoir, I consulted my journals, friends and family to assist with any gaps I had in my recollections. I knew I wanted each chapter to be introduced by an inspirational quote. For a year I saved the ones that were most meaningful and that connected with the theme or insight for a particular chapter.
What do you read as inspirations for your writings?
Memoirs, spiritual self-help books and anything by Brene Brown and Elizabeth Gilbert! Michelle Obama’s memoir served as an inspiration to share authentically so people could find pieces of themselves in my story, as I found myself resonating with Michelle’s childhood into early adulthood.
What is a helpful advice for people who are interested in writing their memoirs?
Be open to explore the full depth of your feelings about what you are writing. What did you discover, feel, embrace or let go of as a result of the story you are offering?
What repercussions have you experienced from writing your memoir?
I have been moved to tears of joy from readers who have shared how pieces of my life story has helped them. Themes about forgiveness, how a life-threatening illness can be a life-SAVER and how to move from victim to empowered are a few of the insights that have made the process of writing, rewarding beyond measure.
What skills can people learn to become better public speakers?
I highly recommend joining a group like toastmasters or the National Speakers Association. They can support you with all the basic.
Then the next step is:
Learning how to shift the focus from YOU THE PRESENTER … to caring about the listener and your audience is the secret sauce.
For example, instead of thinking: “ how do I look? Will they like me? What if I mess up?”
Change your thinking to: “How can I put the audience at ease? What can I offer that will bring love, light, peace and kindness into their lives? What matters to them?
What does it take to be an author?
A clear heart felt intention about WHY you are writing. What is the mission and purpose of your writing.
Honesty, authenticity, patience with yourself, and a belief that what you are offering… matters. My writing coach, Tom Bird teaches a process to connect with your “divine author within.”
I’m very grateful for his process as it allowed me to set aside my ego and write from the heart.
What's it like to be a personal coach for someone else?
It’s an incredible privilege and an honor to have someone trust you with their life’s hopes, dreams and vision as well as their challenges, darkest moments and biggest fears. The moment of breakdown and breakthrough is a gift of immense proportions and it’s always unique and inspiring. For so many people, they need someone in their life to be there with no judgment, a partner and collaborator. Someone to hold a safe-space for exploration and their own guided self-discovery.
How is forgiving someone a self healing process?
I’ve discovered that hanging on to past hurts and grievances keeps me locked in the past in an endless loop of victimhood. And the process of forgiveness shifts the energetics to empowerment, abundance and expansion. I like to envision a world where there are no “others” or “us and them”
I believe with very few exceptions, that everyone is truly doing the best they can with the situation, upbringing, and environmental factors they are experiencing. Forgiveness is how we “regain our ORIGINAL FREEDOMS!”
Which is the next book you are working on? Give us an insight into it.
A self-help book/ retreat that will bring the healing and transformational insights from my book into actionable experiences for the reader. Possibly a loving tribute to our wise elders that leave our lives enriched with their life wisdom.
How were you first introduced to AllAuthor? Do you have any feedback?
I had several book coaches for the various stages or writing and publishing. One of them highly recommended AllAuthor as a wonderfully supportive community that I needed to learn from and connect with.
